Last year, several OSers posted some amazing recipes that resulted in a Holiday Food Orgy beyond our wildest dreams. Today, I'd like to reprint my favorite recipe post from that time and invite my fellow bloggers to link up in the comments with their Ghosts of Recipes Past. Hopefully, we'll bring a whole new "generation" into the, um... fold.



Candy Cane Cheesecake

What You'll Need:

1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

Mash roughly a full sleeve of whole crackers like this:

¾ cup plus 3 Tablespoons sugar, divided

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

3 packages full fat (!) cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

4 squares Baker’s White Chocolate, melted (one ounce each)

¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cups thawed Cool Whip

½ cup chopped candy canes

The Easiest Way to Smash Candy Canes. Ever.

Leave them in the little bags:

Smash 'em up.

Cut of the top of the bags:

Dump them out into the measuring cup:

Note the lack of mess. Yay!

How to Make It:

Preheat your oven to 325°F if you’re using a silver 9-inch springform pan or 300°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan.

Mix graham crumbs, melted butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Press firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake crust 10 minutes until golden brown like this:

Beat cream cheese and remaining ¾ cup sugar with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed eafter each addition just until blended. Stir in melted chocolate and extract; pour over crust.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Run your knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake like this:

Cool before removing rim.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Top with the whipped topping and chopped candy just before serving.

Cool Whip covers a multitude of evils.

I just put little blobs of topping all over the cake with a pastry bag. You can also use a gallon zip top bag with a corner cut out of it. Sprinkle on the candy:

Store leftovers in refrigerator.

So, that's the recipe for yet another thing that you'll need to chase with a Lipitor. I'm sorry to have to repost, but the two littlest Kastens are ill today and I'm strapped for time.

Last year, I ended with this photo of Pudge from our 2007 Christmas cards.

So, this year I'll show you how he's grown -

(From Me & The Man too!)

You are all a part of my family and I am grateful to have you in my life.

all photos copyright © 2009 by jodi a. kasten • all rights reserved

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