Peppermint Candy Cheesecake

Peppermint Candy Cheesecake

Peppermint Candy Cheesecake

Recipe provided courtesy of Taste of Home magazine.  Find more great recipes at www.tasteofhome.com

 

I like to use this festive peppermint cheesecake as a dramatic centerpiece on my dinner table.  It’s a traditional Christmas dessert in my family.

         Linda Stemen                                                                    Monroeville, Indiana

 

Peppermint Candy Cheesecake Recipe

 

Peppermint Candy Cheesecake

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

¼ cup sugar

Filling:   5 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. vanilla

5 eggs, lightly beaten

30 peppermint candies, crushed

Red food coloring, optional

Topping:   1 cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Additional crushed peppermint candies

Placed a greased 10 inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 inch square).  Securely wrap foil around pan.  In small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, butter and sugar.  Press onto the bottom of prepared pan.  Place pan on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 F. for 8-10 minutes or until set.  Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the sour cream, flour and vanilla.  Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.  Fold in crushed candies and a few drops of red food coloring, if desired.  Pour over crust.  Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan.

Bake at 350 F. for 55 to 65 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull.  Remove springform pan from water bath.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.  Refrigerate overnight.  Remove sides of pan.

In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken.  Add confectioners’ sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.  Pipe around edge of cheesecake and sprinkle with additional crushed candies.          16 servings

(Recipe for Peppermint Candy Cheesecake was on www.tasteofhome.com, 2012)

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Gingerbread-Pumpkin Yule Log

Gingerbread-Pumpkin Yule Log

Gingerbread-Pumpkin Yule Log

 

Make this Gingerbread-Pumpkin Yule Log (2) two days before Christmas.  It was in Holiday Diabetic Recipes, from the editors of Diabetic Living.

 

Gingerbread-Pumpkin Yule Log Recip

Gingerbread-Pumpkin Yule Log

3 eggs

Nonstick cooking spray for baking

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup granulated sugar *

½ cup canned pumpkin

¼ cup molasses

Powdered sugar

Pumpkin Cream Filling

Fresh rosemary springs (optional)

Fresh cranberries (optional)

 

Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly coat a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with cooking spray for baking.  Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper or parchment paper; coat with cooking spray for baking and set aside.  In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F.  In a large mixing bowl beat eggs with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes.  Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until well mixed.  Stir in pumpkin and molasses.  Fold in flour mixture.  Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake about 15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.  Immediately loosed edges of cake from pan and turn cake out onto a towel sprinkled generously with powdered sugar.  Slowly peel off waxed paper.  Starting from a short side, roll up towel and cake into a spiral.  Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Meanwhile, prepare Pumpkin Cream Filling.

Unroll cake; remove towel.  Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges.  Roll up cake and filling into a spiral.  Trim ends.  Cover and chill for 2 to 48 hours before serving.  To serve, place cake roll on a platter.  If desired, garnish with rosemary and cranberries and sprinkle top with powdered sugar.  Cut cake into 10 slices.  Store cake, covered, in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Cream Filling –  In a medium bowl combine ¾ cup canned pumpkin and ½ tsp. ground ginger.  Fold in 1 14 cups frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed.

Sugar Substitute* –   Choose Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking.  Follow package directions to use product amount equivalent to ½ cup sugar.

 

(Recipe for Gingerbread-Pumpkin Yule Log was in Holiday Diabetic Recipes, 2013)

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