A Slice of Heaven: My Cheesecake Journey

Let me tell you a story. It begins, as many good stories do, with a craving. A desperate, soul-wrenching craving for cheesecake. Not just any cheesecake, mind you, but a red wine cheesecake. I'd seen pictures—rich, decadent, swirling with ruby hues—and I knew I had to make it. The problem? I am as experienced at baking as a badger is at ballet. So, wish me lots of luck as what ensues is my epic, at times disastrous, quest for baking perfection. And, believe me, you also can do this, too, even if baking is absolutely not your strong point!

Scavenger Hunt for Ingredients

Before you even think about preheating the oven-which, incidentally, I almost forgot to do the first time around, oops!-gather your ingredients. It is like going on a culinary scavenger hunt-exhilarating and potentially frustrating yet rewarding! Here's what you'll need:

• For the crust:
• 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs. I tend to use Honey Maid
  • ¼ cup of granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons 3 ounces of unsalted butter, melted. Make sure it is fully melted or your crust is a crumbly mess! I learned that the hard way.
• For the filling:
  • 3 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature. This is important! I once used cold cream cheese and let's just say it resembled something found at the bottom of a swamp more than cheesecake.
  • 1 ¾ cups of granulated sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of dry red wine - a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot would be nice! Not seriously tannic, you want fruity and luscious, not drink a mouthful of oak splinters.
• For the topping (optional):
  • Fresh raspberries or dust with powdered sugar. Whatever your heart desires!

Making the Crust: A Symphony of Crumbs

Now, about that crust. This is the easy part—almost too easy! Seriously, it's surprisingly simple. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Take it from me on the firmly part, or your crust may not hold up. I ended up having to patch mine, so learn from my mistakes!

Bake it for 10-12 minutes in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C), until it's lightly golden. Then, let it cool completely before moving on. Patience, young padawan, patience.

Filling Creation: A Wine-Soaked Dream

This is where things get interesting-and a little messy. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar until they are smooth and creamy. You don't want any lumps, or your cheesecake will have an unpleasant texture, kind of like my first attempt. It involved a blender. Don't use a blender for cream cheese.

Add in the flour and salt, then beat in the heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and red wine. Beat until smooth and fluffy; it should be a lovely, rich red color, almost like a sunset in a glass. If you don't like the taste of wine, obviously, I know, I can hardly believe it myself, you can leave it out, but it does give a wonderful depth of flavor.

Baking to Perfection: The Low and Slow Approach

Fill the cooled crust with the filling. Place the springform pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the larger pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the spring form-pan-this is called a water bath and will help you bake a smooth, crack-free cheesecake. I didn't do this the first time, and let's just say my cheesecake had more cracks than a sidewalk in earthquake country.

Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F or 175°C for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cheesecake is set around the edges and only just slightly jiggly in the center. Do not overbake; a slight jiggle to the center is your friend, really.

When done, turn the oven off and let the cheesecake stay in the oven for about an hour. Next, take it out from the water bath and set it completely on a wire rack to cool. Once completely cool, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This way, the flavors will meld, and the cheesecake will set perfectly.

Serving and Enjoying: The Grand Finale

Once your cheesecake has chilled, remove it carefully from the springform pan. Garnish with fresh raspberries or a dusting of powdered sugar-or both! Slice and serve. And most importantly? Enjoy! You deserve it. This red wine cheesecake is perfect for those special occasions, a cozy night in, or just because you want to reward yourself with pure heaven on a plate.

What will you be pairing your cheesecake with? Let me know in the comments!