This past Monday was St. Patrick’s Day.  I know it would have been preferable for me to have posted this a week ago in order to give you all the opportunity to make these for your own personal St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.  I am not that prepared, however, so you’re getting it now.

That being said, this recipe is very adaptable.  The green is created with green food coloring, and could easily be modified for any holiday or event.  Similarly, the mint flavor is created with peppermint extract.  If you’d prefer to use rum or orange, or any number of other extracts that you have on hand, it would work just as well.  Want red cinnamon cheesecakes?  Easy.  Yellow lemon?  Go for it.  Don’t be afraid of swapping out ingredients as simple as extract or color – that won’t affect the final product.

Minty Green Personal Cheesecakes
adapted from McCormick

30 chocolate wafer cookies (see here for my rant/explanation)
1/3 c butter, melted
3 packages (8 oz each) of cream cheese, room temperature
1 c sugar
½ sour cream
1 t peppermint extract
½ t green food coloring, or to your liking
3 eggs, room temperature
2 oz semi sweet chocolate, melted

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press firmly onto bottom of individual cheesecake tins or a lined cupcake pan. Bake for 5 minutes to set, and then allow to cool.  Lower oven temperature to 325.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream and peppermint extract; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended.
• Pour half of the batter into a separate bowl and then distribute evenly into each individual mold.
• Tint remaining half of batter green with food color and pour over the white layer.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 325 degree oven, or until center is almost set. (Times may vary based on size of your molds.)  Cool completely on wire rack.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Lift out of molds and drizzle with melted chocolate.
• Store leftover bars in refrigerator.

serves: about 17 individual cheesecakes (fewer if using a cupcake pan)
calories: 300 (more if using a cupcake pan)