Bottom Crust
1 1/4 cups Oreo cookies or chocolate cookie crumb or fine brownies, crumbs
1/4 cup white chocolate, finely ground
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Garnish
1/4 cup melted white chocolate
1/4 cup melted semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup melted milk chocolate chocolate shavings
1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Spray a 10 inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Mix the crust ingredients together and press firmly into the pan.
4. Mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
5. Add condensed milk, eggs, cream, flour, vanilla, and salt.
6. Blend until smooth, about 5 minutes on slow speed, scraping bottom of the
mixing bowl.
7. Remove 1/3 of batter and mix it with the white chocolate.
8. Pour this into the springform pan.
9. Fold in the remaining ingredients (except caramel sauce) into the
cheesecake batter.
10. Mix gently by hand.
11. Fold half the batter into the pan (on top of the white chocolate
cheesecake batter), and then drop spoonfulls of half the caramel sauce all
over.
12. Top with remaining batter and then remaining caramel sauce.
13. Stir with butter knife.
14. Pan will be very full.
15. Bake until set about 45-55 minutes.
16. Cool in oven an hour and then place in refrigerator for several hours or
overnight.
17. Before serving, drizzle on melted milk, white and dark chocolate over
top, allowing it to drip down on side.
18. Garnish with large chocolate shavings and dust with powdered sugar.

2 cups dark chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
2/3 cup “M&M’s”® Chocolate Mini Baking Bits, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 to 1-1/4 teaspoons mint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 drops green food coloring
1 cup thawed frozen nondairy whipped topping
1/3 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed

Preheat oven to 325°F. In medium bowl combine cookie crumbs, 1/3 cup “M&M’s”® Chocolate Mini Baking Bits and butter. Press onto bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. In large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy; add mint extract, vanilla and food coloring. Stir in whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture in prepared crust. Cover and freeze until firm and ready to serve. Just before serving, drizzle pie with hot fudge topping. Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup “M&M’s”® Chocolate Mini Baking Bits. Garnish with additional whipped topping. Store covered in freezer.

2-1/2 cups crushed chocolate cookies or vanilla wafers
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 tablespoons whipping cream
Caramel Topping (recipe follows)
Chocolate Topping (recipe follows)
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Combine cookie crumbs and butter in medium bowl; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

3. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until creamy. Add sugar, flour, vanilla and salt; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in cream. Pour over crust. Bake 10 minutes.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Bake 35 to 40 minutes more or until set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool. Remove rim of pan.

5. Prepare Caramel Topping and Chocolate Topping. Drizzle over cheesecake. Refrigerate cheesecake. Sprinkle with pecans just before serving.

Caramel Topping Combine 7 ounces (1/2 bag) caramels and 1/3 cup whipping cream in small saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth.
Chocolate Topping Combine 4 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon butter and 3 tablespoons whipping cream in small saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth.

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12-ounce) package white baking chips (2 cups) melted
1/2 cup half-and-half
Cut-up fresh strawberries, if desired
Fresh mint leaves, if desired

Recipe Directions
Heat oven to 325º. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press evenly in bottom of springform pan, 10 × 3 or 9 × 3 inches. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, melted baking chips and half-and-half until blended. Pour over crust; smooth top.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until center is set; cool 15 minutes. Run metal spatula around side of cheesecake to loosen. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but no longer than 48 hours. Remove side of pan. Top cheesecake with strawberries. Garnish with mint leaves. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

2 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 22 cookies)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (12-ounce package) semisweet chocolate mini-morsels, divided
4 drops green liquid food coloring
1/2 teaspoon real peppermint extract (not imitation)

Recipe Directions
Combine first 3 ingredients; stir well. Firmly press mixture into bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325° for 12 minutes.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition and scraping sides and bottom as needed. Stir in sour cream and
vanilla. Divide batter into thirds.

Microwave 1 cup mini-morsels at HIGH 1 minute or until melted and smooth; stir into one-third of cheesecake batter, stirring until combined. Add remaining mini-morsels to one-third of batter. Stir green food coloring and peppermint extract into remaining batter.

Pour melted chocolate batter into prepared crust; spoon mint batter gently over chocolate layer. Spoon chocolate morsel batter gently over mint layer. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately run a knife around edge of pan, and release sides. Turn oven off, and partially open door; return cheesecake to oven, and cool in oven 45 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 12 servings

12 ounces creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, broken into pieces
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candy

Recipe Directions
1. Place cookies in a heavy zip-lock plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour into a buttered 9-inch round springform pan and pour melted butter over crumbs; mix to coat, then press evenly over bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Bake in a 300° oven until crust is slightly darker and looks a bit dry, about 10 minutes (leave oven on).
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in flour, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan over baked crust.

3. Bake until edges are just golden and center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Run a knife around edge of pan rim. Place pan on a wire rack and cool cheesecake completely in pan. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Run a knife around rim again, then release rim. If any liquid has pooled on surface of cheesecake, blot dry gently with a paper towel.

4. Decorate top of cake with crushed peppermint candy, pressing it in gently with your hands.

2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (about 28 cookies)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4 Pralines, coarsely crumbled
5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 (8-ounce) containers sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
Garnish: crumbled Pralines

Recipe Directions
Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and up sides of a greased 10-inch springform pan.
Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle coarsely crumbled Pralines over crust.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 3/4 cups sugar, flour, and vanilla, beating until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.

Stir in whipping cream and lemon rind. Pour in crust. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350° on lower oven rack 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325,° and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until almost set. Cool on wire rack 1 hour.

Stir together sour cream and 1/3 cup sugar; spread over cheesecake.

Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours. Remove sides of pan. Garnish, if desired.

Makes 12 servings

2 1/4 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1/3 cup coarsely crushed hard peppermint candies
10 ounce premium white chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup whipping cream
Garnish: small candy canes

Recipe Directions
Combine 2 1/4 cups cookie crumbs and butter; stir well. Firmly press onto bottom and 2″ up sides of a 9″ springform pan. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream, flour, and vanilla; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in 1 cup chopped cookies and 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until almost set. Remove to a wire rack; let cool completely. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Remove sides of springform pan. Bring water to a boil in bottom of a double boiler; remove from heat. Combine white chocolate and 1/3 cup whipping cream in top of double boiler; place over hot water. Heat until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Let mixture cool slightly (3 to 5 minutes).

Spread white chocolate mixture over top and sides of cheesecake. Garnish with candy canes.

1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 24 cookies)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and divided
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
15 Caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Recipe Directions
Stir together gingersnaps and 1/4 cup melted butter; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt; beat 3 minutes. Pour batter into prepared crust. Set aside.

Stir together brown sugar, pecans, remaining 1/4 cup flour, and remaining 1/4 cup melted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle around edge of cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is firm. Turn off oven. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours. Drizzle caramel topping on edge of chilled cheesecake, if desired.

To make caramel topping, place caramels and whipping cream in 1-cup microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at High for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring halfway through cooking time, until melted.

Note: Commercial caramel ice-cream topping may be substituted for caramel topping.