Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake
Hands On Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 11 hrs 50 mins
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 35 wafers)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
Vegetable cooking spray
Filling:
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 large eggs
Additional Ingredients:
Whipped Peppermint Cream
Garnish: crushed peppermint candies
Directions:
Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together the first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Press mixture on the bottom and 1 inch up sides of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.
Prepare Filling: Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Microwave chocolate morsels and cream in a small microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar at medium-low speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer just until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and extracts, and beat at low speed just until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until the yellow disappears after each addition; pour into prepared crust.
Bake at 325° for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the center of the cheesecake jiggles and is almost set. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around the outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides.) Cool cheesecake completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours). Cover and chill 8 hours to 2 days.
Remove sides of pan, and spread Whipped Peppermint Cream over cheesecake.
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living.com
