For those of you celebrating Eatser I hope you had a wonderful time with family. And happy last day of Passover. For the first time in my life I hosted Easter since we were combining this celebration with a very important birthday.

Today is my mother’s 80th birthday. It’s a biggy! My mother’s birthday is April 1st, which  just so happens to be April Fools day.  April Fools in French is called “Poisson d’avril” which means April Fish. On this day of practical jokes, children (or all ages) tack paper fishes on each other’s back.

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I have often tried to include a little prank for my mom, such as a chocolate fish as her god parents gave here every year as a child, or her having to find her present through a treasure hunt. So for a very special 80th birthday I pulled out all the stops with a fish themed dinner…every single dish! Here is the menu:

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– First was the hors-d’oeuvres, a Salmon Ceviche, served with The Sweet Pea cocktail.

– Our first course was a very fragrant Thai Coconut Fish Stew.

– The main course was homemade Fish and Crab Raviolis served with grilled Asparagus on a bed of Smoked Paprika Sauce.

– Now I bet you are wonder what on earth did I do for dessert, right? No panic, there was no fish in the cake. But there was a fish shaped cake filled with peanut butter cheesecake filling…the whole thing covered in chocolate. My mom is OBSESSED and a FANATIC of peanuts.

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I wish you could have all seen the look on her face when I brought the cake in. She was in tears with laughter for 5 minutes. Her reaction was everything I had hoped for. And the cake was just peanut butter heaven and pure decadence.

 

Chocolate covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake

A special Chocolate covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake shaped like a fish for April Fool's day, my mother's birth date. A decadent dessert any one would love what ever shape you choose for your cake. April Fools in French is called "Poisson d'avril" which means April Fish.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package of cream cheese
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 300 gr dark chocolate
  • a handful of crushed oreo cookies

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl blend very well the cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar. In a separate bowl beat the heavy cream to a thick whip cream. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter gently.
  • Line a mold (I used a fish shaped mold) or a 6 inch cake pan with saran wrap, making sure enough hangs out to cover the top. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the mold, tap a few times to get rid of any air pockets, fold over saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • Uncover the top, put a cooling rack over the mold and in one movement flip the whole thing. Remove the mold and gently remove the saran wrap. Put the rack over a plate.
  • Melt your chocolate slowly in a double boiler until melted and fluid. With a soup serving spoon take a ladel of chocolate and pour it over the cheesecake. Try to keep it thin and do sections at a time to keep it as smooth as possible. Place in the fridge until the chocolate is hardened.
  • Gently remove off the rack and place the cheesecake on a serving plate sprinkled with crushed oreos. If you like, add a few touches with decorative icing.

Notes

If you plan on adding candles to the cake, place them in the chocolate before putting the cake back in the fridge.

Want more awesome birthday cake ideas? Check out these recipes: