Thanksgiving is coming.
This is an exciting time in our household for a few reasons. Fall décor is my favorite although I'd tell you I'd happily live in sweltering sunshine year round.
More importantly, the kids all seem to agree that they want to be home for the holidays, and we like that. We delude ourselves into thinking they'd like to spend time with us when in actual fact they are probably more excited by the food and time off. Either way, they are here and they talk to us so we consider that a win!
This year we have decided to host a “Friendsgiving” and are blending family with friends. I'm looking forward to a full table and the people I love the most.
I have been given strict instructions to not enter the kitchen under any terms. I can't cook so this is a fair direction. I've been left in charge of purchasing the wine (I'm VERY good at that!!!) and I have announced that I will make dessert. As we all know that this does indeed involve entering the kitchen so I have decided that I will make a prepare ahead, tried and true recipe. I'll swoop into the kitchen area the night before, prepare this gem, and be gone before anyone is the wiser. I'm excellent at cleaning so nobody will even know i was there.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving and for all of my friends that also should be banned from cooking a meal (there HAS to be some of you out there!) I thought that I would share my favorite recipe.
BAILEYS CHEESECAKE (off to a great start)
Ingredients
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup Irish cream liqueur
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup white sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While it heats up, taste the Baileys. 1 small shot should do it but it's a good idea to test it as it tends to go off seeing as it's a cream based liqueur.
- Mix together cracker crumbs, 3 tbsps of sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust until golden brown. Approx 8 minutes. This is a long time and you should probably taste the Baileys again as it's important to make sure it's still doing ok. Also, you want to make sure you remain engaged in the process and watch the crust, so the Baileys will help keep your head in the game.
- Remove crust from oven when done.
- Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Beat in 1 cup sour cream. It's time to add the Baileys however the kitchen has gotten quite warm with the whole oven heat thing going on so make sure to taste the Baileys again. If it's still ok add it into the mixture and beat. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined. Pour filling over crust in pan.
- This is a tiring process and it's absolutely understandable if you want to take a break at this point. Pour a small shot of Baileys, laugh to yourself cause who the heck are we kidding?? Pour a larger shot and relax for a moment. Nobody expects you to slave around in the kitchen all evening!
- Place cake in the oven and bake until edges are puffed, and center no longer moves when pan is shaken. Usually takes about 1 to 1 ½ hours which is an unreasonable amount of time to do anything. Really, you are looking to make a dessert not erect the Eiffel Tower! Have 3 shots of Baileys and contemplate why you'd undertake this task when they have a perfectly excellent food delivery system in place all across the lower mainland.
- Go to bed. Ask your spouse to transfer cheesecake to a rack, and cool for 10 minutes when done. They've been pretty uninvolved up until this point and it's only right they chip in. .
- Remind your spouse to cover and refrigerate cheesecake overnight. If they want to help they might as well do it right.
- In the morning make sure to congratulate yourself on a job well done, it goes to show you really will step things up for the family and that's commendable.
- You may want to pop by the liquor store and pick up some Baileys as that recipe really does take the best part of a bottle. It's an excellent idea to stock up.
- Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!
