German Chocolate Cheesecake

For a friend's birthday recently, I got together with two other women to create this concoction. We combined a few recipes: one for the dark chocolate cheesecake (just the filling), and another for the crust (I think) and German chocolate cake topping. Viola! The best of both cheesecake and German chocolate cake. And it was GOOD! Smooth (a food processor makes all the difference in my opinion), chocolate-y, and just plain yumminess in that topping of coconut and pecans.

You really gotta try this, especially with the help of two other friends. Makes the process so much more fun. The only thing I would do different is make MORE of the topping so it could kinda drizzle down the side. Mmmmmm . . .

Pit Pics

So, there you have it! Only a month later (it would have been just 3 weeks later if Blogger wasn't taking such a long time loading pictures--grrrr).

We (that is, David) started by digging a hole in the ground, maybe three feet by two feet and a couple feet deep. This was lined with rocks that we all participated in gathering from public property on the way home from church (it was all legit, promise.)

Once the hole was dug and lined with rock, we (that is, David again) started a fire in it and let the fire burn down to a nice bed of coals. In the meantime, Mom and I were prepping the food--a pork loin rubbed with herbs and some baking potatoes. Once the coals were ready, we lined them with banana leaves and placed the banana-leaf wrapped pork and the foil-wrapped potatoes in the middle of the hole. This was all covered with the remaining banana leaves we had and a wet sheet (to keep dirt from getting in the food packets). Then it was all smothered with dirt, and we went off to distract ourselves with other pursuits for three hours. Below is a picture of us uncovering the food. It was an anxious moment . . .

The pork was succulent and juicy, perfectly done through to the center. But surprisingly, the potatoes weren't yet soft through! I would have thought the potatoes would cook before the meat. Never mind. We finished them up in the microwave and enjoyed our meal splendidly. Complete with fresh mango chutney (for the pork), corn and lima succotash, and fresh pieces of coconut! Yum.