Recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com and is used with permission. 
Actual Cheesecake Image is Courtesy of FoodNetwork- the Collage is by ButeauFull Chaos. 

Red Velvet Cheesecake

I don’t know about you but if there’s one thing that says SWEET DELICIOUS GLORY it’s CHEESECAKE! Add in Red Velvet? Ohhh, you little Red Devil you!!!

Speaking of Red Devil… one of my only memories of a Valentine gift exchanged between my parents when I was a kid was a Red Devil in what I think was a leather jacket… It had something written on it that I may be blocking from my memory on purpose subconsciously…  Anyway, the memory stands out because it was a pretty funny scenario. My Dad always went to hunting camp for a week in February (hunting camp, is, I think, code for aging men with big bellies burping, farting, eating beans and wearing itchy plaid clothing and heavy stinky socks). Anyway, Valentine’s Day just happened to fall smack in the middle of the week. (Slick little devils, those men were!). My mom generously packed Dad’s bag for his adventure and slipped in this little red devil… It still makes me giggle to this day! 

Do you have any funny Valentine’s Day stories to share?

Red Velvet Cheesecake Recip

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 28 cookies)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

For the filling:
4 8 -ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Transfer 2 cups batter to a bowl; stir in the cocoa powder and food coloring. Pour the red batter into the crust, then pour the white batter on top. Using a spoon, pull some of the red batter up from the bottom of the cake and swirl. Bake until the edges are set but the center is still wobbly, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Turn off the oven but keep the cake inside to cool, 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan (don’t remove the springform side), then transfer to a rack to cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before slicing.

Need a Valentine’s Day Breakfast recipe? Why not try these Red Velvet Pancakes! 

Valentine’s Day Deals

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