Has it really been over a month since my last post???
I guess it's a fact that time flies when you're
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Dessert.
Beneath the coating of chocolate ganache were alternating layers of cheesecake flavors. It was the perfect blend of classic cheesecake, chocolate, and peanut butter and the perfect dessert for my non-cake-loving husband. He'll pass up cakes, cupcakes, and brownies, but I've NEVER seen him turn down cheesecake, and he LOVED this one.
I'll admit, I was a little intimidated about trying to re-create it. But being the culinary experimentalist (not to mention dessert-lover) that I am, I put my fears aside, gathered up lots of cheesecake recipes, and began crafting my own. And here it is...
Graham Cracker Crust
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 20 cracker "squares")
1 T. sugar
6 T. unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling:
4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
Ganache Topping:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Garnish (I had these candies on hand):
Peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped
chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan with cooking spray; tightly wrap the sides of the pan with two layers of aluminum foil. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press into bottom and 1-1/2" up the sides of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes; let cool on a wire rack.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Reduce speed to medium and beat in eggs, one at a time, until just blended. Beat in sour cream and vanilla.
3. Equally divide the batter into three separate bowls. Set one bowl of batter aside.
4. In a microwave safe dish, melt chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. To one of the remaining two bowls of batter, stir in melted chocolate.
5. To the remaining bowl of batter, beat in peanut butter until smooth.
6. Spoon peanut butter batter into prepared crust. Smooth the surface if necessary. Over the peanut butter batter, pour the chocolate batter and gently smooth. Over the chocolate batter, pour the plain batter.
7. Place cheesecake in a larger baking pan with sides. Carefully pour enough hot water into larger pan to reach 1" up the sides of the springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven, with door slightly ajar, for 15 minutes.
8. Remove cheesecake from oven and water bath; remove foil. Gently run a knife around the edges to loosen from sides of pan (do not remove from pan). Cool completely on a wire rack for about one hour. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
9. To remove the cheesecake from the springform pan, wrap a damp, warm towel around the sides of the pan to loosen the cracker crust. Gently remove the sides from the springform pan.
10. To make the ganache:
Finely chop 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and set aside in a bowl. Bring 1/2 cup of heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat. Pour simmering cream over chocolate and let sit for 1-2 minutes, melting chocolate, then stir until smooth. Pour ganache over cheesecake and use a spatula to smooth. Sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups and chocolate chips around the rim, if desired. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, or until ganache hardens.
I sure am glad I made time for this dessert! And I think Brad is pretty happy about it too.
Enjoy!!!
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