Peppermint Twist Cheescake

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate wafer cookies (I used gluten-free chocolate cookies) shopping list
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/3 cup peppermint mints, red and white candy canes or round candies, crushed
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
peppermint mints, additional, crushed for decoration


Crust: Wrap outside of a 9" springform pan with aluminum foil. Process cookies and sugar in food processor until fine. Add butter and blend thoroughly. Press into bottom and up sides of pan. Refrigerate crust while making filling.
Filling: Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until well-blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add half & half and the extracts. Stir in crushed candy canes. Pour filling into crust.
Bake until filling is set in center and edges are puffed, about 50 minutes. (Took considerably longer for me...maybe another half an hour or so.) Transfer to rack and cool 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Topping: Stir sour cream, sugar and extracts in small bowl to blend. Pour mixture over hot cheesecake, covering completely. Return cheesecake to oven and bake until top begins to set, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Serve: Using small knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Remove sides of pan and garnish just before serving with additional crushed peppermint candy canes.
NOTE: I didn't use the topping as there wasn't enough room in my pan for it. Didn't miss it! Delicious without the topping. (Does that make this a diet recipe if you leave off the topping? LOL) Also, sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies just before you serve it or they will melt and not be as pretty. It will taste just as good though!