All You Need is Love

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that today is Valentine's Day. It's not my favorite holiday of the year (I shouldn't have to be told when to give love to those close to me; I should be doing that every day), but since this is one of the few I've actually got to spend with my hubby, I'll take it (we've officially spent half of our married life apart due to deployments). We didn't actually get to spend the whole day together since he had to work so I spent the first part of the day with my college roommate and her mom. I love them almost as much as I love my own family.

Anyway, for dinner I wanted to make something special for my hubby so he could just relax and indulge. I made Jamie Oliver's Ultimate Rib of Roast again (I know I complained about the cost, but hubby loved it so much that I had to make it again for him). I also made his rosemary and garlic roasted taters. Then I made my own version of a Martha recipe which I will share with you tomorrow. To top off our meal, I made Red Velvet Cheesecake, but to make it just a bit more special, I made them in miniature form (not quite as small as a cupcake; the pan said Texas Muffin).

Red Velvet Cheesecake
Recipe by Southern Living, adapted by me

CRUST:
17 regular-sized oreo cookies, crushed finely (or 1½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs)
¼ cup butter, melted
1 Tbs granulated sugar

CHEESECAKE:

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
Two 1-ounce bottles red food coloring

FROSTING:

One 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
heavy duty foil

1. Prepare crust: Stir together oreo crumbs, melted butter, and 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of 9-inch springform pan (I used about 1-1/2 Tbl of crust for each of my muffin-sized cakes).
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare water bath: Fill large roasting pan (big enough for springform pan to fit into) with about 1 inch of water. Place in oven and allow to preheat along with the oven.
3. Prepare filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add eggs and remaining cheesecake ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust (I used about 1/2 cup of the filling for each).
4. Take out two sheets of heavy duty foil and layer them on top of one another. Place springform pan on top of the foil and wrap the foil gently around the pan and up the sides. Make sure that there are no tears or holes and that the foil comes all the way up around all sides of the cake. Carefully place the foil-protected pan into the water bath in the preheated oven (with the muffin pans, I just placed the pans on the top rack and the water bath on the bottom).
5. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°F. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the center is firm. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven. Carefully remove cheesecake from water bath and place on wire rack. Run a thin knife around the outer edge of the cheesecake. Cool on rack for a couple of hours, until the cheesecake becomes close to room temperature. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove sides of springform pan (I kept the muffins in the pans and stuck them in the fridge overnight).
6. Prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly on top of cheesecake. Garnish, if desired.