No-Bake Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake

A delicious and easy no-baking involved wintertime dessert. Everything just whips together with your mixer and gets thrown into the freezer. Or, this can also be a great way to use up those candy canes after Christmas. Garnish right before serving.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Yields: 8-10 slices

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups  chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine, melted
• 8  ounces cream cheese, softened (regular or light)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1  cup  hard  peppermint candy, crushed (such as Peppermint Starlights or candy canes)
• 3  drops  red food coloring
• 2  cups heavy cream, whipped

Directions

1. Combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar and press firmly into a 9" springform pan to form a crust.
2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add condensed milk, crushed mint candy, and the food coloring.
4. Mix on low to combine, then on high to beat together well.
5. With a spatula, fold in whipped cream and pour into the crust.
6. Cover and freeze until firm.
7. Garnish with additional whipped cream and whole pieces of peppermint candy, if desired.
8. Variation: Use other flavors of mint candies- such as chocolate mint.