Red Velvet Love

February the month of LOVE. In my opinion, February is the one month of the year that I don’t mind gaining weight. I enjoy cooking and eating all those tasty truffles, cake creations and sugary concoctions that celebrate that wonder day call “Valentine’s Day.” Who wouldn’t!  It’s the day of LOVE. I remember my fourth-grade teacher had all the students make mailboxes to hold our special creation of affections. The excitement of opening my mailbox to find a “sweet treat” or card asking “Bee Mine” made my nine-year old heart jump for joy. I know not everyone embrace this day in the same fashion. In response, the one thing I can say is – love yourself. Do something wonderful for you. My Valentine’s Day gift to you my favorite Red Velvet Cheesecake. Enjoy!

 

Red Velvet Cheesecake

1 pound milk chocolate, chopped

½ cup butter

1 9-oz package chocolate wafer cookies

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup of brown sugar

½ butter melted

4 8-oz packages of cream cheese

1 8-oz container of sour cream

1/3 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of buttermilk

2 tablespoon of red food color

4 eggs

2 egg yolks

 

In a medium sauce pan combine the milk chocolate and ½ cup butter. Stir over low heat until melted, and cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. Now it time to make the crust. In a food processor, combine cookie, semisweet chocolate and brown sugar, your favorite nuts are optional. Cover and process until the finely ground or you could use a plastic bag and beat everything until well mixed. Pick your stress reliever. Add one ½ cup of melted butter and press mixture into the bottom of a 10 x 3 springform pan about 2 ½ inches.

Now the filing, in a large bowl combine the cooled melted chocolate from step 1, cream cheese, sour cream and sugar, buttermilk and the red food coloring. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. You might have to stop and mix with a spoon to get any stubborn cream cheese. Add eggs and egg yolks, beat on low until combine. Pour filing into crust lined pan.

Place springform pan onto a shallow baking pan. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until the edge of the cheesecake appears to be set. Cool in a pan on a wire rack for 15-20 mins. Remove from pan and chill for 4 hour or more before serving.

 

Enjoy by yourself or share with others, your choice.

 

CeCe

adapted from Southern Living Magazine, December 2004