Andes Cheesecake Supreme

(Just keepin' it real. No fancy photography here. It's messy and it's good!)
I will post this for Jill, our resident Celiac, which means she can't eat anything with gluten (wheat) or she will suffer immense intestinal consequences.
She made this cheesecake for our New Years Eve par-tay and it was a huge hit, even for non-celiacs. The only real change from a regular recipe would be the cookies used in the crust. If you are making it gluten-free, you must substitute gluten-free cookies for regular ones. The recipe comes from the Delightfully Gluten Free blog.

Andes Cheesecake Supreme

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (use gluten-free Mi-Del chocolate mint sandwich cookies for extra minty goodness)
3 tablespoons sugar (this is unnecessary if you use the Mi-Del cookies, as they are so sweet)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 package (4.67 oz.) Andes® Crème de Menthe Thins chopped (28 candies) or 1 cup Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
Andes® Crème de Menthe Thins (28 candies)
3 tablespoons whipping cream or milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Crust: Mix crumbs and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Add butter; mix well. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325° F, 10 minutes.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; mix on low speed just until well blended. Stir in 1 cup Andes Baking Chips or 1 package of chopped Andes Candies (28 pieces); pour into crust.

Bake at 325° F, 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife between rim of pan and cheesecake. Cool to room temperature.

Topping: Set aside 10-12 candy pieces, for decorating top of cake. Place remaining Andes Candies and whipping cream in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 45 seconds. Stir until candies are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over cheesecake, spreading to cover surface and drizzle down sides of cheesecake. Decorate with reserved Andes Candies.

Set: Refrigerate cheesecake 3 hours or until serving time.

Yield approx.: 12 servings.

One of the tasty desserts from our New Years Eve Par-tay.

Mini Cheesecakes
One recipe makes about 18-20...I usually have to double it.

For Crust
Vanilla Wafers

For Filling
2 8 oz. bars cream cheese (room temperature)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon JUICE
3/4 cup sugar

For Topping
Cherry or Strawberry Pie Filling

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat all filling ingredients together well. Place one vanilla wafer in each muffin cup. Put one good glob of filling on top of each vanilla wafer. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely in refrigerator. Top with pie filling. Chill completely before serving.

YUMMY VARIATION! (pictured)
Instead of the vanilla wafer, use refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (or sugar cookie dough). Place about 1 Tbsp. (or one square of the break-and-bake type cookie) in the cupcake liner in your muffin tin. Cook just until cookie spreads out and begins to cook (about 5 minutes). Remove from oven, add filling to top of the cookie, and return to oven for 15 more minutes. Complete topping as explained above.
Delicious, and especially pretty at Christmas time!

♥Amy♥

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Get ready to get PHAT because this stuff is RICH! ha ha!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake (From Taste of Home)

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cups creamy peanut butter

Filling:
3 pkgs (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, divided
6 peanut butter cups, cut into small wedges (or chopped)

In a bowl, combine cracker crumbs, cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. In a microwave safe bowl, heat peanut butter on high for 30 seconds or until softened. Spread over crust to within 1 inch of edges.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour 1 cup into a bowl; set aside. Pour remaining filling over peanut butter layer.
In a microwave safe bowl, heat 1/4 cup fudge topping on high for 30 seconds or until thin; fold into reserved cream cheese mixture. Carefully spoon over filling; cut through filling with a knife to swirl.
Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.
Microwave remaining fudge topping for 30 seconds or until warmed; spread over cheesecake. Garnish with chopped peanut butter cups. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Yield 12-14 servings. **Reduced fat or generic brands of peanut butter are not recommended for this recipe.