Chocolate Mint Swirl Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 squares semisweet baking chocolate, melted
1 (4.67 ounce) package creme de menthe candies, coarsely chopped
10 drops green food coloring

Crust: Mix crumbs, sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes if using a silver springform pan. (Bake at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes if using a dark nonstick springform pan.)

Filling: Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, mixing on low speed just until blended. Spoon 1 1/2 cups batter into small bowl; blend in melted chocolate. Add mint candies and food coloring to remaining batter. Pour 1/2 of the mint batter over crust. Using tablespoon, dollop 1/2 of the chocolate batter over mint batter layer; repeat layers. Cut through batter with knife several times to create marble effect.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour or until center is almost set if using a silver springform pan. (Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour or until center is almost set if using a dark nonstick springform pan.) Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.