Leprechaun Cookies ‘n’ Mint Cake

Recipe courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.

1 (7 ounce) Cookies ‘n’ Mint chocolate (HERSHEY’S),
    broken into pieces
Few drops green food color (optional)
1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix
COOKIES ‘N’ MINT GLAZE (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan.

Using food processor, chop candy bar pieces very finely; set aside in small bowl.

Prepare cake mix batter as directed on package, using water, vegetable oil and whole eggs. In small bowl, reserve 1 1/2 cups batter; stir into reserved chopped candy bar.

Into remaining vanilla batter, stir in food color, if desired. Pour into prepared pan. Drop chocolate batter by spoonfuls into center of batter, about 1-inch in from each side of tube.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan, inverting onto wire rack. Cool completely. Top with COOKIES ‘N’ MINT GLAZE, if desired.

12 to 16 servings.

COOKIES ‘N’ MINT GLAZE: In small microwave-safe bowl, unwrap and break 1 (7 ounce) HERSHEY’S Cookies ‘n’ Mint chocolate Bar into pieces; add 1 teaspoon shortening (not butter, margarine or oil). Microwave at HIGH (100%) 45 seconds. In necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chocolate is melted when stirred.

Heath Bar Cake

2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts
6 Heath? Bars, broken into small pieces

Blend brown sugar, flour and butter. Set aside 1 cup of mixture to be mixed later with nuts and Heath? Bars. Add baking soda, salt, egg, milk and vanilla extract and beat. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch cake pan.

Combine 1 cup mixture that was set aside, nuts and Heath Bars. Sprinkle over cake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Butterfinger Cake

2 angel food cakes
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups confectioners? sugar
1 (16 ounce) container Cool Whip?
7 Butterfinger candy bars, frozen and crushed

Mix together eggs, sugar, butter and Cool Whip?. Crumble up 1 cake and combine with 1/2 of the Cool Whip? mixture in a 13 x 9-inch pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of crushed candy bars on top. Repeat process with remaining ingredients, layering on top of first. Chill for at least 3 hours then serve.

Snickers Bar Cheesecake

1 (9 ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies
4 tablespoons butter, melted
24 ounces cream cheese, softened, each
    8-ounce block cut into sixths
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 1/2 pounds Snack-size Snickers bars

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a food processor, grind cookies into fine crumbs. Add butter and process until well blended. Press into bottom and about 1 inch up sides of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla extract and 1 cup of the cream; beat 3 to 4 minutes. Fold in 1 1/2 cups cut-up Snickers pieces. Turn into a crumb-lined pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 to 25 minutes, or until cheesecake is almost set but center still jiggles slightly. Let cool to room temperature.

Sprinkle remaining candy pieces over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 4 to 5 hours before serving.

Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen cake and remove springform side of pan. Just before serving, drizzle fudge topping over cake. Whip remaining 1 cup of cream until stiff and spoon a dollop over each slice.

Peppermint Cheesecake

1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 envelope unflavored gelatine
1/4 cup cold water
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
2 (1.45 ounce) milk chocolate candy bars, finely chopped

Combine crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool.

Soften gelatine in water; stir over low heat until dissolved.

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add gelatine, milk and peppermint candy, mixing until blended. Chill until thickened but not set.

Fold in whipped cream and chocolate; pour over crust. Chill until firm. Garnish with additional whipping cream, whipped, combined with crushed peppermint candy, if desired.

Heath Bar Cheesecake

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated oatmeal cookie
    dough with chocolate and butterscotch chips*
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 (1.4 ounce) Heath candy bars, coarsely chopped*

To make the dough easier to slice, freeze it for two to three hours before starting the recipe.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- inch deep-dish pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Slice the cookie dough into 24 slices and arrange on the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Press the dough together, making a uniform crust; set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric beater on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract for 1 minute, until well mixed. Stir in the candy pieces and pour into the pie plate. Bake at 40 to 45 minutes until the center is firm. Remove from the oven and cool. Cover loosely, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Heath Bar Bundt Cake

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped nuts
6 (5/8 ounce) Heath Bars, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted

Grease and flour Bundt pan.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In large mixer bowl, combine remaining ingredients except nuts, candy bars and butter. Blend at low speed until moistened, then 3 minutes at medium speed. Spoon 1/2 batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar mixture. Top with nuts and crushed candy bars. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over batter. Bake 45 to 50 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan to complete cooling. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar if desired.