Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake

Ingredients

• CRUST
• 2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 35 wafers)
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Vegetable cooking spray
• FILLING
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 4 large eggs
• ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
• Whipped Peppermint Cream
• Garnish: crushed peppermint candies

Directions

1. Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Press mixture on bottom and 1 inch up sides of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.
2. Prepare Filling: Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Microwave chocolate morsels and cream in a small microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool 10 minutes.
3. Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar at medium-low speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer just until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and extracts, and beat at low speed just until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until yellow disappears after each addition; pour into prepared crust.
4. Bake at 325° for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until center of cheesecake jiggles and is almost set. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides.) Cool cheesecake completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours). Cover and chill 8 hours to 2 days.
5. Remove sides of pan, and spread Whipped Peppermint Cream over cheesecake.