I love when I can get my friends and family to blog with me about their recipes and the stories which compliment them. This recipe was sent to me from Sue McQuaid. Sue is the President and CEO of the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce. I am fortunate to work with Sue on a regular basis as I counsel for the MSBDC (MA Small Business Development Center) at the Chamber.
Sue and I are always talking about our recipes as we both love to cook and bake. She told me about a Peppermint Cheesecake she makes and actually won an award for her minty creation. I told her I wasn't a big cheesecake fan and she said that her cheesecake was frozen and tasted more like ice cream than cheesecake. I said, "Send me the recipe and I'll make it for our Christmas Eve gathering." Being a fan of peppermint stick ice cream, this frozen delight was easy to enjoy. It was sweet, yet light and didn't taste like cheesecake. The chocolate base balanced the cake perfectly...but then again, I might even add a little bit of hot fudge as a topping. The cheesecake was a big hit, especially with the "non-cheesecake lovers".
Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch cheesecake
1 ¼ cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (about 24 wafers) or you can use Oreos (and crush them well)
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup of margarine or butter, melted
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup of crushed peppermint candy (I use a package of 12 large candy canes and finely crush then in a food processor or blender)
2 cups of whipping cream, whipped
Combine crumbs, sugar and margarine; press on bottom and up a little on the sides of the spring form pan. In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Stir in crushed candy. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared pan. Cover. Freeze 6 hours or until firm. Garnish as desired or w/o garnish is just fine.
If you would like to put some hot fudge on this dessert, why not try Bailey's Hot Fudge. The recipe will follow.
