Andes Recipe Contest – Second Place Winner
Submitted By: Suzanne Banfield

Ingredients:

• 7 oz.  chocolate cookie crumbs
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 (8-ounce) packages full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream, divided
• 1 (4.67 oz.) package Andes Crème de Menthe Thins, divided
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan.  Wrap the pan in aluminum foil, covering the bottom and sides.  Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter.  Press lightly into bottom of pan and 1” up the sides.

In large mixing bowl, beat 1 package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch on low speed of electric mixer for 3 minutes. Beat in remaining cream cheese, one package at a time.  Add remaining sugar and vanilla extract; beat at medium speed until blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in 1/2 cup heavy cream until just blended.  Remove 1 cup of batter to a small bowl and reserve.

In small microwave-safe bowl, mix 1/4 cup of heavy cream with 16 Andes chocolate mints.  Microwave for 30 seconds; stir until the mints are completely melted.  Pour into reserved batter and mix well.  Drop vanilla and chocolate batters alternately over the crust and draw a knife through the mixture to marble. Pour remaining vanilla batter into the pan and drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter on top.  Swirl with knife to get a marbled effect.

Place cheesecake in a large roasting pan; add boiling water to come one inch up the side of the pan. Bake for about 1 hour, 15 minutes or until the edges are starting to firm, but the center still has a little jiggle. Remove pan from water bath to a wire rack; allow cake to cool for 2 hours. Cover pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. While cake is cooling, make chocolate ganache by placing chocolate chips and remaining ¼ cup cream in microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds then, stir until mixture is smooth.  Chop remaining Andes Thins into large even pieces.

To serve, remove sides of spring-form pan, leaving cake on bottom of pan.  Place on serving plate.  Spread an inch-wide border of chocolate ganache around the outside edge of the top of the cake. Arrange chopped Thins on top of the ganache.

Yield: 

Makes one 9″ cheesecake