Andes Mint Chocolate Cheesecake with Ganache. HOLY YUM.

I had another cheesecake success!!!! So we saw an ad for an Andes mint recipe contest, and we were inspired. I devised my own Andes mint cheesecake recipe by taking three recipes, changing them, and them combining them into one. And it was DELICIOUS! The combination of the creamy cheesecake, rich chocolate, and clean mint is delectable and rather festive. Oh, and I decided to submit it to the Taste of Home Holiday Baking contest instead. I love Taste of Home. Here's to hoping I'll win a few bucks! Either way, Sam and I were just thrilled to be able to enjoy a fun new recipe that is oh so good. Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to try/adapt it, followed by some pictures just for fun. :)


Andes Mint Chocolate Cheesecake with Ganache

Crust:

half a package of Oreo cookies, cream filling removed (about 15 cookies)

4–5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 heaping teaspoon sugar

Filling:

20 oz cream cheese, softened (2.5- 8oz packages)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 cup Andes mint baking chips, melted

1.4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Ganache:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

16 oz chocolate (preferably dark or semisweet, or a mix of both)

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degreed Fahrenheit. Crush the Oreo wafers into fine crumbs. Stir in the melted butter and teaspoon of sugar, gently flicking with a fork. 

2.) Press crumb mix evenly into the bottom of a springform pan and bake for 10 minutes

3.) For the filling, use a hand mixer to blend the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth and not very lumpy. Then, mix in the cocoa powder, melted Andes baking chips, and peppermint extract.

4.) Reduce over temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour filling over baked Oreo crust and bake cheesecake for about 1 hour 15 minutes (time may vary). Check with a toothpick to see if it's done. If it comes out fairly clean, it's ready. Leave cheesecake out to cool.

5.) For ganache, heat the cream on the stove until it just starts to boil, bubbling around the edges. Reduce heat to low and add in the chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted to a smooth, rich, dark ganache. Immediately remove from heat and pour into another large bowl to cool for a couple minutes. Pour or drizzle warm ganache over cooled cheesecake.

6.) Top with more Andes baking chips and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

Here comes the ganache!

So pretty! I love how simple and fancy-looking ganache is.

One thing I learned: I need to let my cream cheese soften more, and I need to beat the filling more. Then it won't be so lumpy.

YUMMY!