Santa's Favorite Cheesecake

SERVES: 8

CHILL TIME: 8 Hr

COOK TIME: 40 Min

We all know Santa loves his cookies, but did you know that he's also a big fan of peppermint? That's why we came up with this recipe for Santa's Favorite Cheesecake! It's a cheesecake that'll have have everyone saying, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"

What You'll Need

1 1/2 cup finely crushed chocolate graham crackers
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
5 drops red food color
5 drops green food color

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, and butter; mix well. Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan to form a crust; set aside.
In a large bowl, with an electric beater on medium speed, beat cream cheese and remaining 1 cup sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract; mix well.
Reserve 1/2 cup batter and pour remaining batter over prepared crust.
Divide 1/2 cup batter into 2 small bowls and add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to each bowl. Add red food color to one bowl and green food color to other bowl; mix each one well.
Spoon each colored batter onto white batter in dollops. Using a knife, swirl batters together to create a marbled effect.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until almost set in center. Allow to cool completely then cover and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.