snack saturday

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

18

 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

3

Tbsp.  butter, melted

30

 starlight mints, divided

4

pkg.  (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

1

cup  sugar

4

 eggs

1

pkg.  (4 oz.) White Chocolate, melted

1/4

tsp.  peppermint extract

1

pkg.  (4 oz.)  Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

2

cups  thawed Whipped Topping

HEAT oven to 325°F.

MIX cookie crumbs and butter until blended; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 min.

MEANWHILE, crush 25 mints. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Add white chocolate, crushed mints and extract; mix just until blended. Chop half the semi-sweet chocolate; stir into batter. Pour over crust.

BAKE 55 min. to 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours. Meanwhile, crush remaining mints; chop remaining semi-sweet chocolate.

SPREAD cheesecake with 1 whipped topping just before serving. Drop remaining whipped topping in dollops around edge of cheesecake. Sprinkle remaining crushed mints and chopped chocolate over center of cheesecake.