Chocolate Mint Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, 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

Instructions

Crust

1. Mix crumbs, sugar and butter; press onto the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
2. 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

1. Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
2. Add eggs, mixing on low speed just until blended.
3. Spoon 1 1/2 cups batter into small bowl; blend in melted chocolate.
4. Add mint candies and food coloring to remaining batter.
5. 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.
6. 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.)
7. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.
8. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.