No-Bake Peppermint Cheesecake

The candy cane is one of those peculiar confections whose origins are entirely lost to mythology. Some say a German choirmaster invented it to keep children quiet during long church services. Others claim it was designed to represent the shepherd's crook, or the letter J for Jesus, or that its red and white stripes symbolize Christ's blood and purity. None of these explanations holds up to historical scrutiny, but Americans consume 1.76 billion of them annually regardless of origin story. What happens when you take the humble candy cane and fold it into a no-bake cheesecake is rather more straightforward: you get a dessert that is simultaneously festive, nostalgic, and dangerously easy to consume. The biscuit base provides crunch, the cream cheese filling delivers that characteristic tang, and the crushed peppermint adds both flavor and a fetching pink-and-white speckle that makes the whole thing look like a holiday miracle. The Thermomix makes this particularly effortless—crushing candy canes, pulverizing biscuits, whipping cream all in the same bowl with minimal cleanup. It's the kind of recipe that makes you look far more competent than the effort actually required, which is perhaps the highest compliment any recipe can receive.