Chocolate Mint Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup butter melted
• 2 cups creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs crushed finely ( 24 cookies)
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 14  creme de menthe candies chopped thin
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tsp peppermint extract 
• 0.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 14 oz condensed milk sweetened eagle brand® canned
• 2 tsps all-vegetable shortening crisco®
• 2 tsps baking sticks all-vegetable shortening crisco®

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• oven
• baking pan

Directions

1. HEAT oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine cookie crumbs and butter in medium bowl; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of ungreased 9-inch baking pan.
3. BAKE 6 minutes. Cool.
4. BEAT cream cheese until fluffy in medium bowl. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, eggs and peppermint extract until smooth.
5. Pour over cooled cookie base.
6. BAKE 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 20 minutes; chill. Just before serving, melt chocolate chips and shortening in heavy saucepan.
7. Drizzle over top of chilled cheesecake bars.
8. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate mint candies.
9. Cut into bars.