Homemade Cheesecake and Peppermint Bark

My suitemate's and hallmate's birthdays fell over winter break, so I wanted to bake a cake for them when we returned to school. The last time I made cheesecake I was in 7th or 8th grade, so I decided it was about time to make one again!

I even had enough leftover cream cheese and graham crackers to make a second cake...

The only downside to making cheesecake is that it takes a LONG time to set. It already takes a few hours to prepare, and on top of that, it has to cool down and then rest in the fridge for another few hours. While a long process, however, I do believe the end product is well worth the effort.

 

♥♥♥

Inspired by the holiday season, I also wanted to make some peppermint bark. Though I had never made it before, this treat was extremely quick and simple to prepare. I just microwaved a (large) handful of semisweet chocolate chips, spread the melted chocolate onto a foil sheet, and crushed peppermint candies to sprinkle on top. After allowing the chocolate sheet to cool in the fridge for two hours, I broke the bark into smaller pieces.

Here it is wrapped with a bar of Godiva peppermint chocolate, which I gave to my suitemate who likes peppermint.

<3 Mandy