Peppermint Cheesecake

podapo's Note:

per member request, this recipe comes from Sunset magazine. Cooking time includes chilling.

• Total Time: 5 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 12 ounces oreos cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, broken into pieces
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, at room temp
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup coarsly crushed candy cane

Directions:

1. Place cookies in a heavy zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin.
2. Pour into a buttered 9 inch springform pan and pour melted butter over crumbs.
3. mix to coat, then press evenly over bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of pan.
4. Bake in a 300 degree oven until crust is slightly darker and looks a bit dry, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile in a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended.
6. Beat in sour cream.
7. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each additioon.
8. Beat in flour, vanilla, peppermint extract and salt until smooth.
9. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan over baked crust.
10. Bake until edges are just golden and center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour.
11. Run a knife around edge of pan rim.
12. Place pan on a wire rack and cool cheesecake completely in pan.
13. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
14. Run a knife around edge again, then release rim.
15. If any liquid has pooled on surface of cheesecake, blot dry gently with a paper towel.
16. Decorate top of cake with crushed candycane, pressing in gently with your hands.

Reviews

[gymrat]

I just made this last night for my department party today. I made a couple of mini ones as well, and have already devoured half of one! Wonderful recipe, but what after reading the comment that the crust was too much, I used the crust from the 'Chocolate chip pumpkin cheesecake' recipe on this site and subbed it for the oreo crust. It came out perfectly!

[BothFex]

I have been looking for this recipe for weeks! I made this last year at Christmas time and forgot to review it. So here I am desperate for the recipe and searching the web to no avail. All other recipes call for cooking the cake with the candy canes IN the cake and then sprinkling them on top of a sour cream or whipped cream topping (which makes the candy dissolve all over the cake- yuck). I had given up hope when I thought to check here (as I get most of my recipes here I don't no why I didn't check here first- duh), and here you are! Yeah! This is the BEST candy cane cheese cake ANYWHERE! I've tried a few others (when I couldn't locate this one) and they don't hold a candle to this one. This recipe has the perfect ratio of cream cheese to extract and it's the only one that adds salt as a flavor booster to the peppermint. I can't say enough about this recipe-it's also versatile. I have mixed the candy into the cake and added 3 drops of red food coloring and after baking and cooling I topped with a chocolate ganache and sprinkled more chopped candy around the outer edge- lovely. I have baked it in a 10" springform as well as a 9" just adjusted the cooking time and it turned out well with both pans. Thank you for this fabulous, fabulous recipe!

[momma213]

This came out wonderful. It took a few minutes longer to bake but was perfect. I topped it with the chopped candy canes and it was so pretty. Wonderful Christmas dessert. Thanks