Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

Though I don't often indulge in eating them, I do adore a perfect cheesecake. The Southern Living recipe below combines the dessert's traditional richness with the chocolatey, minty bite reminiscent of a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie, and decorated with dyed fondant to replicate Sally's dress from The Nightmare Before Christmas, I figured this cake represents just the right degree of spooky christmas cheer.

Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake

CRUST
2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 35 wafers)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
Vegetable cooking spray

FILLING
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 large eggs

Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Press mixture on bottom and 1 inch up sides of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.

Prepare Filling: Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Microwave chocolate morsels and cream in a small microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar at medium-low speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer just until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and extracts, and beat at low speed just until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until yellow disappears after each addition; pour into prepared crust.

Bake at 325° for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until center of cheesecake jiggles and is almost set. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides.) Cool cheesecake completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours). Cover and chill 8 hours to 2 days.

 Remove sides of pan, and decorate as desired.

Top: The Nightmare Before Christmas Baroque Girls Pullover Top
Skirt: Pinup Couture Jenny Skirt in Black
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in American Doll
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Ebony