Peppermint Cheesecake With Chocolate Ganache Recipes

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 F. Stir the crushed Oreos and melted butter together. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
• In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the melted white chocolate, crushed peppermints, peppermint extract and sour cream. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.
• Pour the batter on top of the crust in the spring form pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until center is just set. Turn off the oven and let cool inside the oven for an hour. Remove and cool completely.
• To make the ganache, chop the chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan over low heat until hot. do not boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.
• Cool and pour of cheesecake. Add whipped cream and crushed candy canes right before serving.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty foil to prevent leaking. Spray inside bottom and side of pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press firmly in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Cool crust 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add condensed milk, beating just until blended. Add 1/3 cup whipping cream, the flour and vanilla; beat just until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes. Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Run small metal spatula around edge of cheesecake; carefully remove foil and side of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave 3/4 cup whipping cream on High 1 minute or until hot. Add chocolate chips; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour ganache over cheesecake; smooth ganache with spatula. Let stand 10 minutes. Gently press crushed peppermint sticks into side of cheesecake. Cover; refrigerate any remaining cheesecake. Garnish with peppermint bark, if desired.

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 CUPS WITH CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place 2 cups (about 8 oz.) of gluten free graham crackers (use regular graham crackers if not GF) in a food processor and pulse until they resemble coarse crumbs.
• Pour the crumbs into a mixing bowl and add 2 Tbsp. of brown sugar along with 1/8 tsp. sea salt. Stir until combined. Melt 5 Tbsp. of unsalted butter and slowly pour it into the mixture, stirring until completely combined.
• Whip 8 oz. of room temperature cream cheese for a few minutes using a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid mixer. Add 1/2 cup of room temperature sour cream and mix for another couple of minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
• Add 2 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract to the bowl and mix for another minute or two or until completely combined.
• Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Spoon 3 Tbsp. or so of the graham cracker mix into each liner and press down with the spoon. Pour 3 Tbsp. or so of the cream cheese mixture on top of the graham cracker layer.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes. The cheesecake cups will puff up a bit as they bake and then deflate a little when removed from the oven. The tops will brown slightly. Remove from oven when finished and allow to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix baking crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add extract; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended; pour over crust.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Beat cream in separate bowl with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form; spoon over cheesecake. Sprinkle with crushed candy.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. You'll be placing this pan in a water bath, so be sure the pan has been wrapped from every angle.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs and melted butter. Pat the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the crust completely. Leave the oven on.
• Fill a medium pot one-third full with water and bring it to a low simmer over medium heat.
• Place a heatproof bowl that will fit on top of the pan snugly, but will not touch the simmering water, on top of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped chocolate into the bowl over the pot. Heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring occasionally with a silicon spatula. Remove the pot from the heat, leaving the bowl of chocolate over the hot water. Set aside until needed.
• In the bowl of a food processor (or high-powered blender), pulse the cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. Add in both sugars and cocoa powder and beat smooth. Add in the eggs, egg yolks, and heavy cream and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds. Fold in the chocolate. Finally add in the vanilla and pulse for another 20 seconds.
• Remove the bowl from the food processor and, using a rubber spatula, stir the filling several times to ensure it's evenly blended.
• Scrape the filling over the partially baked crust in the prepared pan.
• Place the springform pan in a roasting pan or large baking pan. Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven and pour enough hot water into the pan to come 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set but still slightly jiggly. The cake will set completely as it cools.
• Remove the cake from the water bath and place the pan on a wire rack. Carefully loosen the foil, then immediately run the tip of a knife around the sides of the pan, to prevent the top from cracking. Cool completely (in the pan), then transfer cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours before removing from the pan and slicing.
• Add chopped chocolate to a medium bowl; set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium-heat, bring the cream to a low simmer. Pour half of the cream on top of the chocolate pieces and set aside for 1 minute. With a whisk, begin to incorporate the melted chocolate into the cream. Slowly add the remaining cream and continue carefully whisking until smooth and glossy.
• Add in the butter and use a spatula to stir until the butter is completely melted. The mixture will be dark and glossy. Set aside, at room temperature, until needed.
• Pour ganache over cooled cheesecake. Set aside until ganache is set, about 1 hour.
• To serve, slice the cheesecake with a thin-bladed sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between each cut.
• Store, loosely covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM CHEESECAKE WITH OREO CRUST AND CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Place the oreos in the bowl of a food processor. Run until finely ground, then pour in the melted butter with the machine running. Scrape down the sides and pulse a few extra times to make sure that the crumbs are evenly coated. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
• For the ganache: Heat the cream in the microwave for 90 seconds. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Stir until creamy and melted, with no lumps remaining.
• Pour the chocolate over the cookie crust in the pan; spread to edges. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl between eggs. Sprinkle in the flour and mix in. Pour in the softened ice cream and mix until evenly combined. Add a small amount of pink food coloring until desired color is reached.
• Wrap bottom of springform pan tightly with foil. Pour the prepared filling into the pan. Place filled pan inside a larger pan (lasagna or roasting pan). Place in preheated oven, then fill with water until the water reaches halfway up the height of the pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for approximately 80 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the middle is just a little jiggly. Turn off the oven and open the oven door. After 30 minutes, remove from oven and cool for another 30 minutes. Place in refrigerator until cool.
• For the topping, repeat the process used for the ganache: microwave the cream for 60 seconds, pour over chocolate, let sit, then stir until smooth. Pour over the top of the cooled cheesecake, allowing it to drip down the sides.

PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. You can slip a 9-inch round of parchment paper on the bottom and butter that too if you have one handy - it will help to keep the crust from sticking when serving. Wrap the bottom of the pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil or 1 layer of wide heavy-duty aluminum foil. The foil should reach ¾ up the height of the pan. ½
• Process the wafer cookies in a food processor until finely crumbled. Transfer 9 oz of the cookie crumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the sugar and salt. Set the rest aside.
• NOTE: If using homemade wafer cookies, use only 1 tablespoon of melted butter in this step. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and stir with a fork until all of the dry ingredients are uniformly moist. Pour the moistened crumbs into the springform pan and use your fingers or the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to pat an even layer of crumbs over the bottom of the pan and just about ½-inch up over the lip of the bottom of the pan where it meets the side. (At this point, the crust can be covered and frozen for up to 2 months.)
• Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely on a wire rack while you make the cheesecake. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F. Put a full kettle of water on to boil.
• Prepare the cheesecake batter: Add the cream cheese to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer in a large bowl) and beat at medium speed for 4 minutes, until soft and creamy. With the mixer running on low, pour in the sugar and salt and continue to beat at medium speed for another 4 minutes, until the cream cheese is light. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one by one, beating for a full minute after each addition - you want a well-aerated batter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after you add the first two eggs, then again after beating in the last. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and mix in the sour cream and/or heavy cream, peppermint oil, and creme de menthe (if using) until completely combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again and give the batter one or two big stirs to ensure the batter is silky smooth and the batter is completely green.
• To assemble and bake: Place the springform pan in the bottom of a large roasting pan and pour the ⅔ of the batter into the springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining cookie crumbs in an even layer over the batter. Carefully pour the remaining batter over the crumb layer. The batter will nearly reach the top of the pan.
• Place the roasting pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and slowly pour the boiling water from the kettle into the bottom of the pan, taking care not to splash the water up on the springform pan. The water should reach about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes - do not open the oven door during this time. The cheesecake should be very lightly browned. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open with the handle of a long wooden spoon - don't open the door more than a couple inches to slip the handle in. Leave the cheesecake in the oven like this for 1 hour, during which time it will continue to cook through from the residual heat of the oven and water bath.
• After 1 hour, remove the roasting pan from the oven, gently lift the springform pan out of the water and set it on a kitchen towel. Remove the foil - there may be a little condensation water in there so be careful - and dry the bottom and sides of the pan. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely then cover with a piece of lightly greased aluminum foil and chill for at least 6 hours - overnight is best.
• To make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Warm the cream in a small saucepan just until it starts to steam and tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap. Let sit undistrubed for 3 minutes. Remove the plastic and gently stir the cream and chocolate together until the ganache is completely smooth. Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• To assemble, slice and serve: Open the springform pan and gently release the sides of the pan from the cheesecake - you may need a sharp knife to run around any sticky spots. Carefully pull the released pan up over the cheesecake and set aside. Pour the ganache over the cold cheesecake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the top, if necessary. Stick the cheesecake back in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the ganache to set up before slicing.
• With a very hot long, sharp knife, cut the cheesecake. I usually use a very long piece of dental floss to slice the cake into wedges instead of a knife - it makes for a clean cut every single time and allows for you to easily cut evenly-sized slices, but you'll need to sort of saw it through the crust to cut that too. Serve cold or at room temperature. If you plan to refrigerate the leftovers, slip the springform side back over the cheesecake and re-cover with foil.

CANDY CANE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In food processor, pulse cookies until fine crumbs form.
• Add butter and pulse until well-combined.
• Press cookie crumbs evenly into the bottom of a 10" springform pan. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of crushed candy cane over the crust.
• In KitchenAid, beat cream cheese until smooth.
• Add sour cream and sugar and stir on medium-low until well-combined, pausing to scrape down sides.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Add vanilla and stir until combined.
• Split the batter by transferring half to a clean bowl.
• To one half, add ¼ cup crushed candy canes, peppermint extract, and red food dye until desired color is reached (caution: too much dye can give the cheesecake a bitter flavor. If not using color, there is no need to divide the batter, simply stir the crushed candy into the original bowl).
• Layer the cheesecake over the prepared crust, alternating colors (first an even layer of the white batter, using about 1/3 of that batter, then spread about ⅓ of the red batter over that, repeating until all batter is used).
• Bake on 350 for 40-45 minutes, until center is set.
• Allow to cool at room temperature completely before transferring to fridge and allowing to chill 6 hours (or overnight).
• Once chilled, prepare ganache by heating chocolate and heavy cream in small saucepan over medium-heat, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool 2-3 minutes. Pour over cheesecake, lightly nudging mixture over the edges as desired. Sprinkle with the 2 Tbsp crushed candy canes. Allow ganache to harden in fridge for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

PEPPERMINT TWIST CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• FOR CRUST:
• Wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with aluminum foil. Finely grind cookies with sugar in processor. Add butter, process to blend. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate crust while preparing filling.
• FOR FILLING:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in half and half, then vanilla and peppermint extracts. Stir in crushed peppermint candies. Pour filling into crust.
• Bake cheesecake until filling is set in center and edges are puffed, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• FOR TOPPING:
• Stir sour cream, sugar and extracts in small bowl to blend. Pour mixture over hot cheesecake , covering completely. Return cheesecake to oven and bake until top begins to set, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Using small knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Garnish cake with peppermint candies.