Peppermint Cheesecake

This recipe is not very fussy, but does take a bit of time to pull together. I LOVE cheesecake and make it a lot. I love it especially at holiday time with a theme: Valentine’s Day-Chocolate; Thanksgiving-Pumpkin; Christmas-Peppermint….well, you get the idea. But this Peppermint Cheesecake would be good any time of the year! It’s refreshing and not too sweet!

I recommend making the Oreo Cookie crust ahead of time, which helps move things along and makes this recipe easier to prepare. Plus, this Peppermint Cheesecake is better served next day so you make the crust two days in advance and make the Cheesecake day before you are serving.

It’s a glamorous dessert and was a perfect finale for our Venison Tenderloin for Christmas dinner. (https://cookwithcindy.com/2024/12/29/roasted-venison-tenderloin-with-sage-in-brown-butter/) I have more recipes on the way for that dinner, but for now, let’s talk dessert!

We will start by making the crust. Again, the crust can be made two days in advance of serving and one day in advance of making the cheesecake.

Start by melting 4 Tbsp. (that is 1/2 stick) butter. Pulse the Oreo Cookies (24 cookies, which is nearly the whole package) in a food processor until the cookies have become a fine crumb. Pour in the melted butter, a pinch of salt and blend until well combined.

Prepare your springform pan by wrapping in foil to ensure that no water will leak in while the cheesecake is baking in a bain-marie. The idea of baking the cheesecake in a bain-marie (fancy term for water-bath) is to ensure a beautifully smooth texture and no cracking as the cheesecake cools. Once wrapped, you place your springform mold in a larger pot/dish/pan and add water going half way up the cheesecake springform mold or about 2 inches. I use the base of my oven roasti

ng pan, which fits perfectly. The water just needs to be about 2 inches deep. The water you add must be very hot, not boiling, but close.

Pour your crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides as far as it will evenly go. You can use a glass, flat measuring cup or your hands to really press it in well and get a nice, even crust, about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely and if you have made 2 days in advance, once cooled wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to fill.

On to the Cheesecake!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush 1 cup of peppermints into fine pieces, but not so fine that they are dust. My dear husband, Jerry did this job for me while I was preparing other stuff. Unwrap the peppermint candies  (that’s the hardest job!), place in a baggie and crush with a meat tenderizer.

Soften the cream cheese (four 8 oz. packages) to room temp. Also bring 5 large eggs to room temperature. Add the softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl (stand mixer or separate bowl if hand mixing), and beat at medium/high for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and bottom to make sure it’s all incorporated. Beat for another couple of minutes.

You want to make sure the cream cheese is as smooth as possible so your cheesecake has no lumps. Next, add the sugar and sour cream and mix at medium/low until just combined. Scrape again sides and bottom and mix for a few more turns.

Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on low between each addition until well combined. The batter, at this point, will be pretty runny.

Add vanilla and peppermint extract. If you don’t have a vanilla bean, 1 tsp. of vanilla will work as well. Mix well again. Place your wrapped pan in a deep roasting pan.

Right before adding the batter to the pan fold in the crushed peppermints and white chocolate bits. Add the cheesecake to the springform pan.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, checking the cheesecake consistency. This is the only tricky part. The cheesecake should still be a little jiggly, but not liquidy. If it seems too liquidy/jiggly give it another 10 to 15 minutes. You want it to be a little jiggly, but not too liquid.

The saving Grace, and to further ensure no cracks, is once you believe it to be done you shut off the oven, keep the door closed (no peaking!) and let the cake completely cool for at least one hour. This helps if there were any doubts about the ‘bake’ as it continues to cook as it cools. It’s not really a big deal and is soooo satisfying that I truly suggest you try it. Any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.  I’d love to hear from you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Peppermint Cheesecake

Creamy, rich and delicious. Super pepper-minty in the best way possible.

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 28 Oreo Crackers
• 4 Tbsp. Butter
• Pinch of salt

For the Cheesecake

• 2 lbs. Cream cheese, softened at room temp
• 8 oz. Sour Cream, also at room temp
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 5 Lge. Eggs, you guessed it ROOM temp
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract O1 vanilla bean. seed extracted
• 1 tsp, Peppermint extract
• 1 cup White Chocolate chips Ghirardelli are my favs

Instructions

• Make the crust ahead of time. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Wrap a spring-form pan with foil to prepare for the bain-marie.
• Pulse the Oreos in a food processor until the are a fine crumb, but not dust. Pour the melted butter into the crumbled cookies. Add a pinch of salt. Mix well.
• Press the crumbs firmly so bottoms and some of the sides are covered securely with the crust. Press firmly and evenly.

For the Cheesecake

• Add the softened cream cheese to either a mixing bowl or a stand mixer.
• Add the sugar and sour cream and mix until well combined making sides and bottoms incorporated.
• Add eggs in beating one at a time.
• Add vanilla and peppermint. Mix until combined.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours until cheesecake is firm, but a still wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake in the oven with door closed for one hour.