PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE ON A STICK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan. Place on a baking sheet., In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream, eggnog, cornstarch and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Fold in peppermint candies. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake until center is just set and top appears dull, 60-65 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled., Remove rim from pan. Cut cheesecake into 12 slices; gently insert a wooden stick into the wide end of each. Place on a waxed paper-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan; freeze until firm., In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Spoon chocolate mixture over each slice until all sides are coated; allow excess to drip off. (Keep remaining slices in freezer until ready to dip.) Place on a waxed paper-lined baking pan. Seal any gaps by drizzling with melted chocolate, reheating chocolate if necessary. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until set., Decorate with melted candy coating as desired. Refrigerate until serving.