CANDY CANE SWIRL RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. For the Crust, mix chocolate wafer crumbs, butter and sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Press evenly into bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• For the Filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until well blended. Add melted white chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Add sour cream, flour and peppermint extract; mix well. Remove 1/2 cup of the batter. Add food color; mix until well blended. Alternately drop plain and tinted batters by spoonfuls into prepared crust. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.
• Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Turn off oven. Leave cheesecake in oven 2 hours or until cooled. Remove from oven.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen crust; remove sides of pan. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, egg whites and peppermint extract with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter in half. To 1 portion, add food color; stir until uniform in color. In each muffin cup, place 2 tablespoons red batter; top with 2 tablespoons white batter. Swirl white batter through red batter with knife for marbled design.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Frost cupcakes with frosting. Top each with crushed peppermint candies.