This holiday cheesecake is made with an Oreo cookie crust, filled with smooth peppermint cheesecake, and topped with light and airy peppermint frosting.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9 inch springform pan. You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (I use the aluminum foil disposable ones). If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. (I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.)
Crust:
Pulse cookies in the blender until it becomes just crumbs.
In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter until evenly incorporated.
Press cookie crust mixture into the pan, evenly, all over the bottom and a little bit up the side.
Cheesecake:
Start beating cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add both extracts and sour cream. Mix until combined.
Add eggs, one at the time, beating after each addition. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat until all incorporated.
Lower speed and add corn starch.
While on medium low speed, pour in heavy cream. Mix until all combined, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again until smooth.
Fold in peppermint crunch chips until spread evenly throughout.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the spring form with prepared crust and make sure it's spread evenly.
Place roasting pan into the oven and place the cheesecake springform pan inside the roasting pan. Carefully add water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.
Bake for 70-75 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for about 10 minutes and take it out of the oven (out of the roasting pan and carefully take off the foil).
Let it rest for 20 minutes on the counter and then gently run a greased butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don't actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to add frosting.)
Cool cheesecake for about an hour and then place it in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before adding the frosting.
Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, peppermint extract, and sugar with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes.
Fold in whipped topping gently until all combined.
Fold in peppermint crunch chips.
Spread a thin layer of frosting in one even layer over the cold cheesecake.
Fill a large piping bag with remaining frosting fitted with an attachment and decorate the cheesecake. I used 2A frosting tips. (Peppermint chips may get stuck in many other attachments so choose carefully.)
Choose any peppermint toppings to decorate your cheesecake.