Crème de Menthe Cheesecake

Start with a quick cookie-crumb crust, then add a refreshing, mint-green filling flavored fast with creamy liqueur. ...MORE+ LESS-

Crust

1 3/4

cups chocolate cookie crumbs (from 9-oz. pkg.)

1/4

cup butter, melted

(8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

3/4

cup sugar

eggs

3/4

cup whipping cream

1/4

cup green crème de menthe

1/2

cup whipping cream

tablespoon powdered sugar

thin chocolate and green mints, coarsely chopped

Hide Images

1

Heat oven to 300°F. In medium bowl, combine crust ingredients; mix well. Press in bottom and up sides of ungreased 9-inch springform pan.
2

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 3/4 cup whipping cream and crème de menthe until well blended. Pour into crust-lined pan.
3

Bake at 300°F. for 60 to 70 minutes or until edges are set but center still jiggles slightly when gently shaken. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake sit in oven for 30 minutes or until center is set.
4

Remove cheesecake from oven. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour or until completely cooled. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
5

Just before serving, carefully run knife around sides of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. In small bowl, beat 1/2 cup whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon whipped cream around edge of cheesecake. Garnish with chopped mints. Store in refrigerator.

For chocolate curl garnish, use a vegetable peeler to shave the smooth underside of a large chocolate bar.
The doneness of a cheesecake is difficult to determine. A cheesecake is completely cooked when a 3-inch circle in the center is still wobbly and shaky. Overcooked cheesecake may crack on the surface.
Prepare the cheesecake up to two days in advance; wrap it tightly in the springform pan and keep refrigerated. Add the whipping cream and garnish just before serving.