Peppermint Cheesecake Bars Food

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• 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 microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth and cool slightly. Repeat with white baking chips., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream, flour and extract. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Remove 2 cups batter to a small bowl; stir in cooled chocolate chips until blended. Pour over crust. Stir peppermint chips and cooled white chips into remaining batter; gently spoon over chocolate layer. 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, 75-85 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. For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Let stand 3 minutes. Spread over cheesecake. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and additional peppermint crunch baking chips or kisses.

PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Crust:.
• In a medium bowl, combine crushed chocolate wafer cookies, melted butter and sugar. Press mixture into bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9-in baking pan; set aside.
• Chocolate Layer:.
• In a saucepan, melt chocolate chips and 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, stirring occasionally. Pour chocolate mixture over crust and spread evenly to cover. Place in freezer for 20-25 minutes.
• Peppermint Filling:.
• In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high, whip remaining 1 1/2 cup heavy cream until thick and fluffy; set aside.
• In another bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add peppermint extract, confectioners' sugar, and if desired a few drops of red food coloring. Beat until mixture is smooth. Stir in crushed peppermint candy canes. Fold in whipped cream until just mixed. Spread evenly over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with more crushed candy canes if desired.
• Cover pan and freeze for 4 hours.
• This dessert can be served at room temperature or frozen. If desired, garnish each square with a peppermint candy.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Generously mist a 9-inch square baking pan (3 inches high) with nonstick spray, and line with a sheet of parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to drape over the sides of the pan.
• Place the chocolate sandwich cookies in the bowl of a food processor, and chop finely. Stir in the melted butter, and press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Place the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the Philadelphia Cream Cheese, mixing on medium-low speed until combined. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition. Stir in the cream, melted chocolate, and peppermint extract, and transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
• Rap the unbaked cheesecake sharply on the counter a few times to eliminate any large air bubbles. Place it in a larger baking dish, and pour very hot water into the larger dish until it comes up about 1 inch around the cheesecake pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F, then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake for another 65 minutes, or until set around the edges but still slightly jiggly toward the center. Turn off the oven, and prop the door ajar with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to cool slowly in the oven for at least an hour. Refrigerate 2 hours to overnight before removing from the pan and cutting into bars.
• Garnish cheesecake bars with mints just before serving.

PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. , In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake until set, 12-14 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour and extracts. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in chips. Pour into crust. (Pan will be full.) Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake at 325° until center is just set and top appears dull, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan., For topping, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir one-fourth whipped topping into mixture; fold in remaining whipped topping. Spread or pipe onto cheesecake. Garnish with miniature candy canes if desired.