Peppermint Cheesecake Cups

I've been wanting to try out Martha Stewarts oreo cheesecake cups for quite awhile.  It's kind of funny to call it "Martha Stewart's recipe" when people have been adding oreos to various cheesecake recipes for ages, but this particular recipe is in her cookbook Cupcakes.  

One box of Trader Joe's holiday peppermint Joe Joe's and and a package of Ande's mints peppermint crunch baking chips is all it takes to turn regular 'ole cheesecake into holiday peppermint cheesecake.

I topped these with a sprinkling of these Andes peppermint crunch chips I'd found.  I'm not sure why they are called  crunch since they are similar in texture to any other chocolate or white chocolate chip.   They are pretty high on the peppermint flavor scale--just a little sprinkle on top along with the peppermint in the Joe Joe's and there is absolutely no need to add any peppermint extract to the cheesecake itself.  Of course, if you can't find the Andes chips you can always omit and just add a few drops of peppermint oil directly to the batter.

It's chocolate, peppermint and cheesecake.  What else is there to say? 

Peppermint Cheesecake Cups

from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 22 peppermint Joe Joe's or peppermint Oreos-- 16 left whole, and 6 coarsely chopped
• 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Pinch of salt
• Andes Peppermint crunch or Andes peppermint mints chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 F.
2. Line 16 standard muffin tins with paper liners.
3. Place 1 whole Joe Joe in the bottom of each lined cup.
4. Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium. Gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla.
5. Pour in the beaten eggs, a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
6. Beat in the sour cream and salt.
7. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared tins, filling each almost to the top.
9. Fill empty muffin tins cups halfway with water
10. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, 22-25 minutes.
11. Cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, on a wire rack, then transfer to a plate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.