I met my husband Kurt in early November of 2012, just two months before Christmas. As we got to know each other, our shared love for good food became evident. Naturally, one of the first topics of conversation we ever discussed were our favorite foods. He told me of his love for cheesecake, and I noticed that he also really enjoyed desserts and drinks with mint flavor. So, for our first Christmas together, I combined two of his favorites into one and gifted him this festive and Some Kinda Good Peppermint Cheesecake. Homemade from scratch with a walnut and vanilla wafer crust, to make it extra special, I piped fresh whipped cream around the top and garnished it with crushed peppermints. This is the most creamy, decadent cheesecake you’ll ever put in your mouth.
I dressed it in my best cake dome, and tied red and silver ribbons to the top. When I pulled the cake out of the refrigerator to give to him, he was impressed and surprised. Let’s just say, it was a December to remember. I’ve been Mrs. Lingenfelser for more than three years, and this Peppermint Cheesecake helped to seal the deal!
Some Kinda Good Peppermint Cheesecake YIELD: 14-16 servings.
Ingredients
40 vanilla wafers, crushed
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup butter, melted
Filling:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups 4% cottage cheese
2 cups sour cream
6 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Fresh Whipped Cream:
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream, cold
1 teaspoon of Peppermint Extract
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
Crushed peppermint candies
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, walnuts and butter. Press onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth. Process cottage cheese in a blender until smooth; beat into a cream cheese mixture. Beat in the sour cream, cornstarch, flour, lemon juice and peppermint extract. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust, being careful not to overfill. You may have extra filling. Place leftover filling in an airtight container and refrigerate for a rainy day.
3. Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 70-80 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove sides of pan.
5. For fresh whipped cream, in a cold bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whip heavy cream, sugar and peppermint extract until peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Place in a piping bag fitted with the star tip and pipe stars around the border of the top and bottom of the cake.
6. Place peppermint candy in sealed sandwich bag. Beat with a rolling pin to break apart in pieces. Garnish with crushed peppermint. Refrigerate leftovers.
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Georgia native Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a freelance writer, entertainer and food enthusiast who writes and speaks about her love of good food and the Coastal South. A Food Network Star finalist, she is the Statesboro Herald food columnist and host of SKG-TV on YouTube. A Georgia Southern University alumna, Rebekah also attended Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Institute of Savannah. To learn more, connect with Some Kinda Good on social media, or visit RebekahLingenfelser.com.
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