CRUSHED PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Just when I thought I was finished with Peppermint and Chocolate recipes, I remembered this Sunset recipe for Crushed Peppermint Cheesecake! Cheesecake is one of my favorite foods, and I have several spring pans.. even bought more last year at the White Elephant Sale. You can leave off the Crushed Peppermint and peppermint oil for a traditional cheesecake, too. This recipe is quite versatile. But I love peppermint and chocolate, especially during the holidays, and when you add butter, cream cheese, and sour cream..well what's not to like? This is a wonderful holiday dessert!

CRUSHED PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Ingredients
12 ounces creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, (Oreos or Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joes) broken into pieces
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1- 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candy

Directions
Place cookies in heavy zip-lock plastic bag and crush with rolling pin. Pour into buttered 9-inch round springform pan and pour melted butter over crumbs; mix to coat, then press evenly over bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Bake in 300° oven until crust is slightly darker and looks a bit dry, about 10 minutes (leave oven on).

Meanwhile, in bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in flour, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan over baked crust.

Bake until edges are just golden and center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Run knife around edge of pan rim. Place pan on wire rack and cool cheesecake completely in pan. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Run knife around rim again, then release rim. If any liquid has pooled on surface of cheesecake, blot dry gently with paper towel.

Decorate top of cake with crushed peppermint candy, pressing it in gently with hands.

Photo: Christina Schmidhofer