Peppermint Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

By PineyCook

Ingredients

• One Bowl Brownies
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup flour
• Chocolate Crumb Crust
• 3 cups or 10 ounces finely ground cookies such as chocolate wafers or Chocolate Teddy Grahams
• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Peppermint Cheesecake
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups brownie cubes (from recipe above)
• 3/4 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
• Peppermint Ganache Glaze
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
• 2 ounces butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 6 candy canes, crushed

Preparation

Step 1

One Bowl Brownies
Preheat oven to 350. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Cut brownies once cooled.

Chocolate Crumb Crust
Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

Peppermint Cheesecake
Make crumb crust as directed above for 9-inch cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make filling and bake cake: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then peppermint extract and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.

When completely cool, top with following glaze.

Peppermint Ganache Glaze
Grind the chocolate into powder in the food processor, scald the butter and cream in a saucepan (or in a Pyrex cup in the microwave). With the machine running, pour the hot cream/butter mixture slowly through the feed tube onto the chocolate. Blend until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down sides once or twice. Add the extract and sugar and process until smooth.

Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Sprinkle crushed candy canes around edges of ganache for garnish.

Chill until ready to serve.