Mint Chocolate Cheesecake

 

By Sue Gronholz, Taste of Home

I created this mint chocolate cheesecake for our high school's annual fundraiser. We were told that it brought a hefty price and was one of the first desserts to go! If desired, the cookie pieces may be stirred into the batter instead of being added in a layer. Keep the pieces fairly small; otherwise they have a tendency to rise to the top.

Total Time

Prep: 20 min. 

Bake: 1-1/4 hours + chilling

Makes

16 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup white baking chips, melted and cooled
• 6 tablespoons creme de menthe
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons creme de cacao
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup coarsely crushed Oreo cookies (about 10 cookies)

 

Ganache:

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan. In a small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cooled chips, creme de menthe, flour, creme de cacao and extract. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour half the batter over crust; sprinkle with crushed Oreos. Carefully spoon/pour remaining batter over top. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
• Bake until center is just set and top appears dull, 75-80 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled.
• Remove rim from pan. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Spread over cheesecake.

Nutrition Facts 

1 slice: 518 calories, 33g fat (18g saturated fat), 116mg cholesterol, 296mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate (38g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.

More from Taste of Home:

• 30 Creamy, Dreamy Cream Cheese Bars