Mint Cheesecake Bites

Yield: Makes 24 servings

Ingredients

• 3  cups  cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (40 cookies)
• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine, melted
• 4  (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1  cup  sugar
• 4  large eggs
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  peppermint extract
• 6  drops green liquid food coloring
• 1/2  cup  semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1  teaspoon  shortening

Preparation

Stir together cookie crumbs and butter; press mixture into bottom of an aluminum foil-lined 13- x 9-inch pan.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir in peppermint extract and food coloring. Spread cream cheese mixture over prepared crust.

Bake at 300° for 35 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Place chocolate morsels and shortening in a small heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Submerge bag in hot water until chocolate melts; gently knead until mixture is smooth. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of plastic bag; drizzle chocolate over cheesecake in a crisscross pattern, if desired. Cut into squares.