Happy Valentine's Day!

I am busy cooking for our Valentine's Day supper, but I wanted to stop in really quick to wish everyone a wonderful Valentine's Day.  

Preparing holiday meals is one of the "Works of Heart" that I enjoy the most.  I love to cook.  And I especially love to bake.  So I thought I would share the recipe for this special Cherry Heart Cheesecake.  It is actually a sour cream cheesecake, which I think is soooo delicious.  And really very easy.

Here is the recipe...

*Crust:

33 graham cracker squares, crumbled (2 cups or a little less)

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus additional, for brushing the pan

1 tablespoon sugar

*Filling:

20 ounces cream cheese

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

3 yolks

1/3 cup heavy cream

*Topping:

8 ounces sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can cherry pie filling

Directions
*Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Brush some of the melted butter around a 9 inch spring form pan.

*In a small bowl, combine crumbled graham crackers, the remaining melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool.

*In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat sour cream for 10 seconds. Add the cream cheese and sugar and mix on low for 30 seconds and then turn up to medium. Scrape the bowl.

*In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream. With the mixer on medium, slowly pour the liquid mixture in. When half of it is incorporated, stop and scrape. Continue adding the mixture until the rest of the ingredients are incorporated. Once completely combined, pour into the cooled crust.

*Lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Place a large casserole dish of water onto the lower rack of the oven to act as your "water bath".  Place the cheesecake onto the upper shelf after the oven has had time to preheat and the water bath has gotten hot.  Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.  Turn the oven off and open the door for one minute. Close the door for another half hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours to completely cool before serving.

*When ready to serve remove the springform sides of the pan.  Serve either on the flat part of the pan or run a knife along the bottom of the cheesecake to loosen.

*For topping, in a small bowl stir together sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla.
Spread evenly over the top of the cheesecake.  (stay 1/2 inch or so away from edge of cheesecake)  Drop teaspoonfuls of pie filling (without cherries) onto sour cream in a circular shape around edges of the topping.  Pull a knife or spatula through the sauce to form hearts.  Refrigerate.
To slice, place your knife into a hot water bath and wipe dry each time you make a pass through the cake.
Serve with the extra cherry pie filling if desired.

Ok....I better get back to the kitchen to finish dinner.  :)