Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Mini Peppermint Bark Cheesecakes

Here is the perfect addition to any holiday party or dinner. These little cheesecakes would also make a perfect gift.
I made these a couple weeks ago and took them to one of the first Christmas activities we had in December.
We love peppermint bark, but I have only had it homemade. My mom usually makes this recipe, which I usually make also, but this time I decided to try a version that had a dark chocolate layer on the bottom.

I found this peppermint bark cheesecake recipe over at Anne Strawberry and coincidently, she made this version when it was her turn to pick for Tuesday's with Dorie, about 2 years ago. So the base cheesecake recipe is Dorie's, which means it will turn out perfectly.
These cheesecakes consist of a chocolate cookie crust, swirled layers of white chocolate and peppermint flavored cheesecake, with a sprinkling of Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
in between the cheesecake layers, slightly sweetened whipped cream and topped off with a piece of homemade peppermint bark.
Decadent and Delicious.
There are a few reasons why I like to make mini cheesecakes. 1- They can be made a day ahead and sit in the fridge overnight to chill, 2- almost everyone loves cheesecake, but it is so rich and highly-caloric that you can't enjoy it too often- a smaller serving solves that problem, 3- no worries about waterbaths or tops cracking, 4- they are easy and portable, fun to share and yummy. There are probably more reasons, but those are the ones I can come up at the moment.

These were a hit. I loved how they turned out.


Recipe for Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
* I made 1/2 the recipe and got 21 mini cheesecakes
* I made a chocolate cookie crust


Recipe for Easy Press-in Pie Crust
*I made 2/3 of the recipe
* I made the chocolate version, using Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Recipe for Peppermint Bark
* I used 2 oz bittersweet chocolate and 4 oz semisweet chocolate
* I used almond bark instead of white chocolate


Merry Christmas! I hope you have a great Holiday weekend!

9 comments:

Blog is the New black said...

So pretty!

Anne said...

Oh these look so pretty in mini version, it makes me want to make then myself! So glad they were a hit. Hope you have a very merry christmas!

Kristen said...

Yum, Yum, Yum!!! I love the peppermint bark garnish. What a great idea.

Cornelius the Pig said...

these are so pretty! the peppermint bark makes such a festive garnish!

Evan @swEEts said...

I love the color and the flavors in these mini cheesecakes! I can see why they were a hit! Merry Christmas :)

Unknown said...

I can not resist mini things, love the color and I bet they are gone in seconds.

Hazel - Chicken in a Cherry Sauce said...

What a wonderful idea for a mini Christmas dessert, I LOVE peppermint bark! They look beautiful, happy Christmas!!

Beth said...

What cute little cheesecakes! I agree with you -- portion control on the small size is a good thing!

Maria said...

Love these festive little cheesecakes! Merry Christmas!