White Chocolate Candy Cane Cheesecake {12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GOODIES}

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GOODIES

White Chocolate Candy Cane Cheesecake

 

This is a pie I have been trying to repeat for many years. I still haven't quite got it yet, but this one is good, it's a close second. We use to buy every year a Candy Cane cream pie at a local coffee shop until they went out of business. It's the ONE dessert I miss MOST at Christmas time.

White Chocolate Candy Cane Cheesecake
from magazine clipping - Holiday Baking 2008

8 oz white chocolate melting chips, chopped
2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 (3oz) pkg cream cheese, softened (or just 19 oz all together)
1 (8oz) mascarphone cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
3 eggs
3/4 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies (candy canes, candy sticks, etc), and a little extra for garnish
2 oz white chocolate melting chips

Preheat oven to 325. For crust, in a medium bowl, stir together graham crackers and melted butter until combined. Press mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased 9" spingform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

For filling, Melt 8 oz of the white chocolate in microwave, starting at 20 second increments until completely melted, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add in melted white chocolate and peppermint extract; beat until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time, beating after each until just combined. Stir in by hand about 3/4 cup of peppermint candies. Pour over crust, spread evenly.

Place a springform pan in a shallow baking pan. (I've heard so many tricks about adding water and such so your cheesecake doesn't fall in the middle! Mine fell so feel free to adjust that here)! Bake for 40 to 50 minutes of until outside edge appears set and center appears done.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes, Remove spring form outer pan and cool for another 30 minutes. Cover and chill overnight before serving.

Transfer to a serving plat to complete. Melt the remaining 2 oz of white chocolate in the microwave to drizzle over top of the cheesecake and sprinkle with a little peppermint candy and add a dollop of cool whip to the top before serving!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake {CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE}

...The FINAL...
CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE

Cheesecake

I have only attempted to make cheesecake a few times so I was happy when this attempt came out PERFECT! I had seen this recipe on Pinterest and tucked it away for a baking day, that baking day came when I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies that came out a flat mess. (I've got pictures to prove it, next time I will listen to negative comments on a blog before I make a recipe). But, the cookies tasted SO good and I couldn't bring myself to throw them away, they were just flat and all broken to pieces and I knew I needed to make "Lemonade out of Lemons", ya know what I mean.

I wanted to make a really cool recipe for today and well this recipe is just that. It's super delicious and super cool and just perfect for a flop cookie recipe made into an AMAZING Cheesecake recipe. Enjoy!

We have completed our ONE YEAR of CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGES, this month completes my goal of a 12 month challenge and I couldn't be more proud. I started this CRAZY challenge one year ago on my blogs one year anniversary and it has been a HUGE success, I've met some amazing bloggers and one very special blogger that I even got to meet in person and I am sure we will be friends for many years to come. (Yes, that's YOU Nicole at The Daily Dish)

I know this FINAL month is going to be a real big treat with all the yummy cheesecake recipes. My second BLOG-anniversary is coming up and I will be taking on a different-challenge for the next year, so please Stay-Tuned as to what the will be.

I do want to say one BIG HUGE THANK YOU! to all of you, to all the new folks who just joined in, to all the bloggers who have been here for all tweleve months and to everyone else inbetween. All of your posts and recipes have been SO wonderful and now maybe this year's bucket list will be to try and re-make SO MANY of the great recipes I've came across on this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake
adapted by me Tina Hudgens
inspired by this recipe found on A Thought Chronicle originally from Cookbook and Recipe Cards

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 to 2 cups baked & crumbled chocolate chip cookies
1/4 cup chocolate chips cookies
1 pre-made Pie Crust

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Add in approximately 1 cup of chocolate chip cookie crumbles and mix by hand until just combined.

Pour cheesecake mixture into pie crust. Top with a sprinkle of chocolate chips and crumbled chocolate chip cookies.

Bake for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or over night.