Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake. Rich, creamy peanut butter cheesecake sits on top of a delicious chocolate crust, drizzled with warm chocolate ganache and overloaded with peanut butter chocolate candies.

Can you OD on dessert? Anytime you make a cheesecake, remember to use room temperature ingredients, as cold ingredients will cause your cheesecake to have lumps.
Only one word can really describe this recipe: rich! With two pounds of cream cheese, how could it not be?! That being said, this recipe is for the true peanut butter cup fanatic. I loved the fact that this recipe called for a brownie crust, instead of the crushed cookie or thinner graham cracker crusts out there. You could substitute for another crust, but I don’t know why you would. If you know someone who loves peanut butter cups, make this for them and they will probably love you forever.

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Brownie Crust:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake filling:

• 2 lbs cream cheese, softened
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural-style)
• 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 6 peanut butter cups, cut into quarters

Glaze Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 Tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons of light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

For Decoration

• 10 Peanut Butter Cups

Direcction:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch springform pan with butter.
• Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see below).
• Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325°.

Cheesecake Filling:

1. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Pour filling into prepared crust.
6. Double-wrap springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in.
7. Place springform pan into a larger baking pan.
8. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
9. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool (approximately 1 hour)
11. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan.
12. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating and then remove cake from pan and plate.

Glaze Directions:

1. In a double boiler or a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. When melted remove from heat and whisk in the cream until it is a smooth, creamy consistency.
2. Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup around the edge of the cake.