Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

[shaloop]

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Serves 12 as Dessert.

Smooth, rich and creamy. Tastes like a peanut butter cup.

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Peanut Butter Cup cheesecake

• 1-1/2 lb cream cheese
  
• 1 c sugar
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 c peanut butter
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 3/4 c heavy cream
  

Crushed roasted peanuts (reserve for garnish)

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Ganache

• 6 oz semisweet chocolate
  
• 3/4 c heavy cream
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
  

Chocolate cookie crust

• 3/4 c flour
  
• 1/4 c cocoa
  
• 1/4 c sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/4 c butter
  
• 1 egg yolk
  

For Crust:

Pulse dry ingredients together in food processor. Add butter in cubes, pulsing until coarse crumbs form. Add egg yolk, pulsing just until combined. Spread crumbs in greased 9" pan. Pat down and bake in 350 degree oven until edges begin to brown and smell fragrant. Cool. Reduce oven temp.

For the cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 300. Cream softened cream cheese and peanut butter in bowl of electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and continue mixing. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Add heavy cream and vanilla and continue mixing, at low speed, until smooth and lump free. Scrape sides again. Add eggs one at a time, mixing till just incorporated. If using springform pan, wrap in double layer of heavy duty foil. Place pan inside larger pan and fill outer pan about 1" deep with hot water. Bake in a 300 degree oven in a waterbath for about 1 1/2 hours or until barely jiggles in center. Remove from waterbath and cool until room temp and then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight (or freeze for one or two hours). Then, unmold and place on a 9" cardboard. Cover with lukewarm ganache. Chill again briefly. Once ganache is almost set (about 10 minutes), Cover the sides with chopped roasted peanuts.

Serve well chilled.

For Ganache:

Chop chocolate (or use 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips) and place in heatproof bowl. Bring heavy cream to simmer and pour over chocolate. Let stand about 5 minutes. Stir until mixture is smooth and shiny. Add vanilla and stir to incorporate. Let cool until warm, but still very pourable.

Keywords: Cake, Dessert

( RG1591 )