While this was originally intended to be a Christmas post, time has had other plans. But the lead-up to Valentine’s Day seems appropriate enough for a dessert that’s flavored with a kiss of mint and that can be tinted pink, if you’d like.

People always seem to be impressed when I mention that I made a cheesecake. I think many of them have heard the term “water bath” and decided that it sounds like a daunting task. Really, though, all you have to be able to do is put a pan in another pan, add some hot water and try not to burn yourself–easy (usually). The truth is that cheesecake is a pretty simple sweet to prepare, and leaves quite an impression.

The process, in brief: Combine butter and cookie crumbs and press them into the bottom of a springform pan that’s been lined with foil; bake. Beat softened cream cheese and a bunch of other ingredients together until the mixture is creamy and lump-free; pour over the crust. Then place the springform pan into a large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake. Ta-da! Cheesecake.

If you really feel like taking it to the next level, without a lot more effort, heat up some cream, add cut-up chocolate and stir until the ganache is smooth. Then pour over the cooled cheesecake. (This is a wonderful way to hide any cracks, BTW.)

Honestly, the biggest challenge with this recipe, which I made in late December, was combatting the Great Cream Cheese Shortage of 2021 and having the willpower to pop into store after store after store to hunt down a bottle of peppermint (NOT spearmint!) extract–I finally found some in a Fresh Thyme after being disappointed by Cub, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Target. While other shortages continue to frustrate, I think those two have been solved, which means now is exactly the right time to try your hand at this dessert: Peppermint Cheesecake from the blog Just So Tasty.

As you can tell by my photo, I omitted the food coloring. I also dusted the top with chopped and powdered peppermints, which I ground in my mini food processor, but you could also take a hammer to a Ziploc filled with mints. Because the peppermint can “melt” due to the moisture of the fridge, I recommend sprinkling a little over every slice right before serving.