Crème De Menthe Cheesecake

Here is a Pampered Chef recipe that was in an email. The picture in my email is so pretty - looks just perfect for St. Patrick's Day! :-) "A layer of crème de menthe candies in the center of the cheesecake gives this dessert a minty surprise." Cook’s Tips: To make a cheesecake with the creamiest texture, bring ingredients to room temperature before beginning the recipe. Arrange candies slightly overlapping over bottom layer of filling. Gently spoon remaining filling over candies, being careful not to disturb candies. To prevent overbaking, check cheesecake at minimum baking time given. When done, a center area about 1 in. (2.5 cm) in diameter will still jiggle slightly. The center will firm as it cools. To freeze cheesecake, wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. To thaw, place covered cheesecake in refrigerator for 24 hours. Nutrients per serving: Calories 500, Total Fat 34 g, Saturated Fat 22 g, Cholesterol 120 mg, Carbohydrate 41 g, Protein 8 g, Sodium 250 mg, Fiber 2 g ©The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2009 - This recipe was developed and tested in The Pampered Chef Test Kitchens by professional home economists.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 1 cheesecake

Ingredients

• For the Crust and Filling

• 14 -16  cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (1 1/4 cups finely crushed)
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1  cup sugar
• 4  tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla, Double-Strength
• 4  eggs, room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 8 -12  drops  green food coloring (optional)
• 2 (4 2/3ounce) packages  chocolate creme de menthe candies, unwrapped, divided (about 56 candies total)

• For the Topping

• 3⁄4 cup  semisweet chocolate morsel
• 1 1⁄2 cups  whipped topping, frozen, thawed
• 7  chocolate creme de menthe candies (reserved from filling)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F For crust, lightly spray sides of Springform Pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line sides of pan with two 3 x 15-in. pieces of Parchment Paper. Press cookie crumbs onto bottom and slightly up sides of pan. Bake 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack.
2. For filling, place cream cheese, sugar, 3 tbsp of the flour and vanilla into Stainless 4-qt. Mixing Bowl; beat on medium speed of electric hand mixer 3 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs; mix on low speed 2 minutes. Add sour cream and food coloring, if desired; mix until smooth.
3. Set aside seven of the candies for topping. Cut remaining candies in half crosswise and toss with remaining 1 tbsp flour. Pour half of the filling into crust. Arrange candies, slightly overlapping, over filling; gently spoon remaining filling on top. Bake 55-60 minutes or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken (center will firm as it cools). Remove from oven to cooling rack; cool completely, about 3 hours.
4. For topping, place chocolate morsels, whipped topping and reserved candies into Small Micro-Cooker. Microwave on HIGH 1 1/2-2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring after each 30-second interval. Spread topping over center of cheesecake using Small Spreader. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.