Creme de Menthe Cheesecake

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chocolate.mint.yum!


I've had a 'mint-y chocolate-y cheesecake-y bee in my bonnet' for a while now, so yesterday because it was dreary outside and because I was reasonably caught up with this marathon we call life (and summer isn't even here yet, sigh) I decided to try it out. It turned out just the way I imagined it in my mind. Not too chocolate-y and not too minty but enough of both to be pleasing. ☺

I combined a bar recipe and a cheesecake recipe and tweaked both of them a little to suit my fancy and I'm happy to share the results with you!

Turn oven to 300°.
Spray a 8 inch Springform pan.

For the crust:

20 mint oreos
4 graham crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Put the first 4 ingredients into a gallon sized Ziploc bag, or a food processor if you have one. If you use the bag method crush the contents with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix thoroughly. Press into Springform pan. All the way up the sides and on the bottom. Set aside.

For the Cheesecake:
3 (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temp.
½ cup sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup Hershey's chocolate syrup
3 eggs, room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl or in double boiler, carefully. Do not overheat chocolate. Set aside. Cream together cream cheese and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs one at a time mixing after each addition. Be careful not to overbeat. Add chocolate syrup, vanilla, and melted chocolate chips. Beat till combined. Scrape sides and fold to mix with a spatula to prevent overbeating.* Pour into crust and spread evenly. Place on a bar pan


 and bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off and prop door open with a wooden spoon handle for 1 more hour before removing cheesecake to cool.



Cool completely to room temperature. Then top with mint icing.

Mint Icing:
½ cup butter, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons creme de menthe syrup or
½ teaspoon mint extract and
3 drops green food coloring

Beat together till fluffy and spread evenly over top of cake.


Cover and chill in refrigerator over night. Top with Ganache.

For the Ganache:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt in microwave safe bowl and spread evenly over mint icing. Garnish as desired.



* Overbeating and overbaking are two things that cause cracks in the finished product. If the crust does not go all the way up the sides it is a good idea to run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake when you get it out of the oven. If not this too can cause cracks as the cake cools and contracts and is not released from the sides causing the middle to crack.

Let it sit at room temperature for at least a half hour before serving.

Linking to:
Made It Monday
Tasty Tuesday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Brambleberry Cottage
Home Sweet Home
Hodge Podge
Wicked Wednesday
All Thingz Related
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday
Food Fight Friday
Sweet As Sugar
Weekend Wrap Up
Funky Junk
Friday Potluck
The Tattered Tag
Debbies Newbie Party
Tempt My Tummy
Two Maids a Baking
Cupcake Apothecary
Sharing Sundays
Be Blessed and enjoy some cheesecake!

Comments

  1. carolniaheartstringsApril 6, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    That looks like the prefect cheesecake. All the things I love best. Chocolate and mint!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownApril 6, 2011 at 1:32 PM

    YUM!

    I am glad you linked up!
    *Don't forget to grab a "Made it on Monday"
    button to post on your blog. :)

    And thank you for all the kind comments.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LeslieApril 6, 2011 at 5:49 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LeslieApril 6, 2011 at 5:50 PM

    That looks so good and beautiful! Chocolate and mint are one of the most perfect combinations!

    ReplyDelete
  5. A Few PenniesApril 7, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    Yum, indeed. I'm going to try this Easter when my family gets here. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Liz @ the Brambleberry CottageApril 7, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    Martha, you are absolutely torturing me with these incredible recipes! I'm trying to lose weight before summer, and every time you link one of your tempting recipes I drool. I'll have to pace myself and try just one recipe a month. lol

    Thanks for linking to the party.

    Blessings,
    Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
    http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. yvetteApril 8, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    What a beautiful combination...I love making cheesecakes...and this looks perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Randi~Dukes and DuchessesApril 8, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    Yum ... that sounds incredible. Might have to make a cheesecake this weekend. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Chels/Catz in the KitchenApril 8, 2011 at 9:50 PM

    Mmm, that looks so good!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Handy Man, Crafty WomanApril 9, 2011 at 1:01 AM

    That looks soooooo sooo yummy! I'm drooling! Thanks so much for linking this up to Wicked Awesome Wed.

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownApril 9, 2011 at 1:18 AM

    Oh My Goodness! This looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing!

    ~Liz

    ReplyDelete
  12. StephaniApril 9, 2011 at 8:54 AM

    That looks lovely! I'll be bookmarking that to make later!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lyuba @ Will Cook For SmilesApril 9, 2011 at 1:05 PM

    This sounds and looks wonderful! I love sweets, that's the reason I'm not really allowed to make it ;):)
    New follower :)
    Hope you can stop by for a visit at http://willcookforsmiles.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Allison @ Alli 'n SonApril 9, 2011 at 2:26 PM

    Oh my goodness, this is sinful! I'll take 3 please.

    I'd love to have you share this recipe on my weekly linky, Sweet Tooth Friday. I hope to see you there! http://alli-n-son.com/2011/04/07/jelly-bean-cookies/

    ReplyDelete
  15. Michelle {Daydream Believers}April 9, 2011 at 9:26 PM

    oh.my.word! That looks (and sounds) amazing! :) Thanks for sharing! :) Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  16. The Charm of HomeApril 10, 2011 at 1:18 PM

    Oh, this looks absolutely yummy! I love mint and chocolate together! Such a wonderful combo. Thanks for linking it up!
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  17. The Polka Dot ClosetApril 11, 2011 at 12:09 AM

    OMG that looks fabulous, I am such a mint and choclate lover!! I am visiting from Debbie doos and your newest follower, I hope you will stop for a visit and follow me back.

    Carol

    ReplyDelete
  18. DebbiedoosApril 11, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    Thank you Miss Martha for sharing your wonderful delights with us all. I peeked at the other too, so will just tell you here...GIRL you can cook!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Pam@OurAdventuresInHomeImprovementApril 11, 2011 at 6:03 PM

    It looks DELICIOUS!!! I love mint and love chocolate, so this is right up my alley!

    Thanks for sharing.
    Pam

    ReplyDelete
  20. Cranberry MorningApril 12, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    Oh My Goodness! I saw this post and thought surely you'd have about 300 comments! :-) This looks absolutely amazing. I'll add it to my repertoire of cheesecakes, my favorite dessert. Mint and chocolate were made for each other! Thanks for the recipe. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. AlexandreaApril 12, 2011 at 7:18 PM

    WOAH!! That looks delish!! Cheesecake is soooooo good for you....especially when it's mint chocolate ;) I'm gonna make this for my husband. Maybe he'll love it so much, he'll buy me a new Kitchenaid Mixer ;)

    ReplyDelete
  22. UnknownApril 26, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    This looks awesome!!! Thanks for linking it to 2 Maids a Baking!! Looks like ganache was on both of our minds!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Bites of SweetnessMay 21, 2011 at 7:28 PM

    Mmm this looks delicious! I absolutely love chocolate and mint (hello After Eights and Junior Mints)! I saw your link on Cupcake Apothecary's linky party. I posted a link to my Oreo cheesecake.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Ellen ZamesJuly 10, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    WOW this look amazing!! Thank you so much for linking up to Everyday Sisters Sharing Sundays.

    Ellen

    http://everydaysisters.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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