Mrs. McCartney's Red Velvet Cheesecake

One afternoon, I was chatting with a few of the kindergarten teachers at Em's school and we got on the topic of Red Velvet.  She mentioned that her cousin makes an awesome Red Velvet Cheesecake. I asked her to track down the recipe, and she did!  It was so yummy and beautiful!  This cheesecake would be a great addition to a Christmas dessert table, and you could make it a day or two ahead.  You will also need a 9" springform pan to make this fabulous dessert. Here is the recipe with a few minor adjustments and a couple tips:

For the crust: 
1-1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 Tablespoons sugar


For the cheesecake:
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, gently beaten
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa*
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 (1 oz bottles of red food coloring) *

For the icing: 
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crust:  Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and the sugar. Use a glass to press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Set aside.

For the Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat the 3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese and 1-1/2 cups of sugar with a mixer on medium-low for 1 minute. Add eggs and remaining ingredients on low until combined. Pour into crust.

Bake at 325 for 10 minutes, then REDUCE the temperature to 300 degrees, and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Put cheesecake back in the oven and let it sit in oven for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Icing: Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth,  gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cooled cheesecake. Remove sides of pan and serve.

*Callie's Notes:  I used 2 Tablespoons of regular unsweetened cocoa, and 1 Tablespoon of the Hershey's Dark unsweetened cocoa.  I am pretty sure you can use whatever cocoa you have, but I wanted to amp the chocolate favor a bit.

The BEST place I have found to buy red food coloring is Smart and Final.  I bought this 16 ounce bottle for around $4!  That is what you would normally pay for one teeny bottle at the grocery store.  For this recipe, you need 2 ounces, which equals 1/4 of a cup of the coloring.  It looks like this:

Happy Baking!

Sugared Cherry Jewels

 

These were from one of Mom's cookbooks... The Best of Country Cookies.  Crisp and buttery on the outside and chewy in the middle these are quite the tasty treat.  Instead of vanilla flavoring, almond compliments the cherry nicely.  These are pretty at Christmas, but are delicious anytime of the year!

Sugared Cherry Jewels

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks) 

1/2 cup sugar (+ more for rolling) 

1/3 cup light corn syrup

2 eggs, separated 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract

2-1/2 cups flour

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in corn syrup, egg yolks, and flavoring. Gradually add flour. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until it is easy to handle. Roll into 1" balls. Beat egg whites until foamy.  Dip the balls in the egg whites, then roll in sugar.  Place about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke a whole it the top of the cookie.  Place a cherry half in the hole.  Bake for 14-16 minutes in a 325 degree oven or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Cindy's Hot Apple Cider

Cindy is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world, and she would make this cider for us at school. She would make some for school potlucks and would often keep a pot brewing in the teacher's lounge for all of us to sip away our stress.  Several years ago, she graciously shared her "secret" recipe. We have enjoyed it at Christmas and holiday parties ever since.  We have it every Christmas morning.

Cindy's Cider
2 quarts apple cider (sometimes I cheat and use juice)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash ground nutmeg
3" stick cinnamon (or two)

I use my mom's old percolator to make the cider.  I put the spices and sugar in the basket part and then let the juice percolate.  I have also use one of the large coffee urns, again putting the spices in the basket, and letting it do it's magic.  If you don't have any of those fancy gadgets, you could simply simmer everything in a sauce pot, then strain before serving.  If I am making it for a party, or making it at school, I measure everything and just keep it in a baggie the night before.  The sugar gets infused with the spices, and is just as delicious.