Monday's Makings: Mint Torte

Years ago  due to a variety of circumstances I did in home, direct sales parties.  It was a great job for me because I got to talk and cook at the same time - two activities most people would tell you I excel at!  As a result of this I collected a lot of recipes.  Most of them are made using too many convenience foods for my taste.  I am a "from scratch" kind of cook MOST times.  My variation of this recipe is one of my exceptions.

Since it is warming up around here and feeling like spring I wanted something suitable for warmer weather.  This is like a creamy cheesecake.  We have it in the winter, also.  But we eat chili in August.

15 Oreos, finely chopped (wally world's knock offs work great)
3   tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2/3 cup of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract stirred into melted chocolate chips*
2  8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 8 oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed

* In place of extract and chips you can use mint chocolate chips if you can find them.  I have used Andes chips but my kids like it better with the extract.

Finely chop cookies and combine with melted butter.  Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a spring form pan (if you don't have one use a deep pie dish but line it with parchment or wax paper first).  Refrigerate while prepping filling.

Place chocolate pieces in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.  Stir in mint extract.  Cool slightly.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until cream and smooth.  Gradually beat in milk and melted chocolate mixing until smooth.

Save back 1/2 cup of the whipped topping.  Gently fold the remainder into the chocolate mixture until smooth.  Spread evenly over crust.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. 

Use a cake decorator and pipe the remaining topping around the edge of the torte.  To be really fancy you can grate some chocolate on top if you want.

This is a really quick desert IF you have the ingredients on hand.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Check in later and I should have something up for design wall Monday. I am trying to pack for retreat.  We will see how it goes.

Mary