Oscar-Worthy Thin Mint Mini Cheesecakes...

Other than cooking (and eating...), music and movies are two of my other loves! We've spent the last week getting caught up on all the movies nominated for Best Picture, and we're going to an Oscar-watching party with family tonight. I'm pulling for The King's Speech to win tonight, but most of the nominees this year are good. I'm taking two dishes to share tonight: Sweet and Spicy Glazed Ribs and my Oscar-Worthy Thin Mint Mini Cheesecakes. 

I'll share the rib recipe in here soon, but I wanted to post about these yummy, minty cheesecakes today!! At my house, February means Girl Scout cookie time...Samoas are our favorite, but I always buy at least one box of Thin Mints. One of my favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and mint. If I had to nominate a contender in the Best Easy-to-Make Dessert category, this would be it. A Thin Mint cookie base, a no-bake cheesecake center with a hint of mint, and a simple chocolate-mint ganache on top. These mini cheesecakes are frozen instead of baked to enhance the cooling mint sensation. I'm not the only one who prefers my Thin Mints frozen, am I? 

Thin Mint Mini Cheesecakes

Cheesecake filling adapted from Kraft Kitchens

Step 1:  Place paper cupcake liners into a 12-cup cupcake pan. Place one Thin Mint cookie into the bottom of each cup.  Set aside while you make the filling.

Step 2:  Make the cheesecake filling. Combine one 8-ounce and one 3 ounce package of softened cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. It's very important that the cream cheese be completely softened to avoid any lumps in your filling.  Add 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, 4 drops green food coloring, and an 8-ounce container of Cool Whip. Beat on med-high for 1-2 minutes, until well combined.

Step 3:  Use a 1/3-cup measure to place the cheesecake mixture into each cup. Use an offset spatula to press down and smooth the top. Combine 1 cup of Hershey Creme de Menthe Bliss candies in a measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute. The candies melt perfectly, so just give a little stir.

Step 4:  Pour a bit of this simple ganache on top of each cheesecake. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the ganache on top of the cheesecakes. Place the tray into the freezer for at least four hours, but overnight is best. 

When you're ready to serve, simply remove the cheesecakes from the liners and enjoy. Since they're so small, you can eat them right out of your hand! For the sake of research, I tried one of the cheesecakes after it had been in the freezer just long enough to set the ganache. It was tasty but a bit messy since the filling is quite soft. I much preferred the one that I tried straight from the freezer this morning. The filling was a bit reminiscent of mint ice cream. 

I hope you'll give these minty treats a try as the weather begins to warm up this spring and summer. If you don't have any Thin Mints on hand (for shame!!), you could also make these treats using Mint Oreos that have been made into crumbs using the food processor. Just press some of the crumbs into the bottom of the paper cup to form the base.

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