Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

For The Crust:

What You Need:

24 oreo sandwich cookies 

1 1/2 Tbls sugar

3 Tbls unsalted butter melted

What You Do:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 9-inch nonstick springform pan.

Process cookies and sugar in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter and pulse until combined, about 6 pulses. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan and press firmly with bottom of dry measuring cup into even layer in bottom of pan. Bake until fragrant and set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack.

For The Cheesecake:

What You Need:

4 Blocks (32oz) cream cheese at room temp.

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs at room temp.

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp peppermint extract (optional depending on how much peppermint flavor you like)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 T flour

6 crushed candy canes

3oz roughly chopped dark chocolate

What You Do:

Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Crush and chop candy canes and chocolate. Set Aside. In mixer or food processor bowl, process cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. With processor/mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated, about 30 seconds total. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add cream, sour cream, and vanilla and peppermint extract and process to combine, about 30 seconds. If you used a food processor transfer filling to a large bowl. Toss candy cane and chocolate pieces with a T flour. Sprinkle in candy cane pieces and chocolate chunks and gently stir until combined.

Pour cheesecake mixture onto cooled crust. Gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles.  Using a fork, gently pop any air bubbles that have risen to surface.

Once oven temperature has reached 250 degrees, bake cheesecake until edges are set and center jiggles slightly when shaken and registers 155 degrees, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, until cold, about 6 hours. (Cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

For The Mousse:

What You Need:

2 oz. white chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tbs granulated sugar

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

What You Do:

Melt white chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl on 50% power in 20 second intervals, stirring well between intervals until melted and smooth. Set aside and let cool until lukewarm. 

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form then add sugar and whip until very stiff peaks form (it should start to loose that wet sheen - unless you live in a very humid environment in may never appear slightly dry). 

In a separate mixing bowl whip cream cheese until smooth then mix in melted white chocolate and peppermint extract. Fold in whipped cream. Spread into an even layer over cooled cheesecake and return to refrigerator and chill 1 1/2 hours longer. 

To unmold cheesecake, run tip of sharp paring knife between cake and side of pan and remove side. Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving platter. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Top cheesecake with candy cane pieces, chocolate chunks and/or whipped cream, or however you like! Using warm, dry knife, cut into wedges and serve.

(recipe source cookscountry.com)