Red Velvet Cheesecake

Hi.

How's life? Got all your Christmas shopping done yet? Still doing 1:00 AM visits to Walmart? Tired of the sound of cash registers? Not done planning your Holiday menu? Stocking up on Pillsbury ready-to-bake cookies and cakes just in case? Realizing it's only 4 days left until Christmas? 10 seconds away from saying 'screw it!' and just letting the kids unwrap their Christmas gifts by just taking them out of the bags they originally come in? In debt up to your eyeballs? Trying to figure out why your pants dont fit anymore? Trying to figure out why nothing fits anymore?

Don't worry. That's okay. Me, too.

Thankfully, there are things in life that are very forgiving when it comes to the stress of holiday seasons...

Like Red Velvet Cheesecake.



I'm not gonna lie.
It calls to me.

It's like the Marilyn Monroe of cheesecakes.
It doesn't give a flying fudge nugget what you think of it. It's sexy, and it knows it's sexy, and it'll seduce you with just one look.

Assuming, of course, that your cheesecake has eyes... Mine doesn't... I pretty much prefer it that way; but to each their own.

I really do love this cheesecake... Even though I messed up on the crust (1/2 cup melted butter instead of 1/4 cup... Woops!), AND my cheesecake cracked at the top... Everything was good in the world as soon as I threw a dollop of cream cheese frosting on top. And hey... no one's gonna mind the extra chocolate crust... ;)

If you're looking for a sure-fire way to make everyone ooh and aaah at the Christmas table, this is a great go-to recipe to have on hand. Everything comes together nicely and the cheesecake itself is perfectly tasty. Much like red velvet cake, except with a creamier texture and a chocolate crust. Still, very, very good.



Just make sure you don't do what I did and find out you don't have enough red food coloring at the last minute. Because then you'll find yourself in an array of hysterics throwing spices out of your cabinet looking for an extra bottle of food coloring while shouting "MY CHEESECAKE IS PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK. PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK." at the top of your lungs.

It isn't pretty.



Red Velvet Cheesecake
(Adapted from Culinary Concoctions from Peabody)

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST
1 ½ cups oreo cookie crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
1 TBSP granulated sugar

FILLING
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ cup whole buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
2 (1 oz) bottles red food coloring

TOPPING
1 4oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir together oreo crumbs, melted butter and 1 TBSP sugar; press mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Beat together cream cheese and sugar at medium low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs, unsweetened cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food coloring. Mix on low speed just until fully combined.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 325F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 300F, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm.

5. Run knife along outer edge of cheese. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.

6. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 m minutes.
Cover and chill for 8 hours.

7. To make the topping, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and spread topping evenly over top of cheesecake.
Remove sides of springform. Garnish if desired.