Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Posted by Lori:
I made this for a church fellowship meal Sunday.  It was really good - especially to those that are peanut butter/chocolate fans.  I got a special request to make it for a teenage boy for his 16th birthday in August.  He said it was his favorite dessert EVER. Only one of my four children like cheesecake and my husband doesn't like it, so I rarely make it.  When I do it's for Thanksgiving, a church dinner or a school fundraiser.  It's always fun to try something new and see how it goes! This one is definitely a keeper.

This recipe comes from the current Paula Deen dessert magazine.  I made my cheesecake with a brownie crust, but am listing it here as Paula lists it in the magazine. I also used hot fudge sauce on top instead of the chocolate ganache.  I don't know why, but chocolate "ganache" always sounds "ga-nasty" to me! :)  You may like it, and it may be really good.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Chocolate Layer:
6 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate (I used 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, which is the same equivalent)
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Peanut Butter Layer:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
(I added 1 teaspoon vanilla.  It just seemed like it should have it, to me.  Plus, I really like vanilla.)

Chocolate Ganache:
3 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Garnish:  chopped miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups (I used the whole bag (minus the two I ate!) of miniature Reese's cups)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 

To prepare crust:  In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar.  Stir in melted butter.  Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake for 6 minutes.

To prepare chocolate layer:  In a medium bowl, combine chocolate and butter.  Microwave on High in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 1 1/2 minutes total.).

Whisk in sugar, eggs, and flour until combined.  Pour over cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes; let cool.

To prepare the peanut butter layer: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar at medium speed with a mixer until creamy.  Add peanut butter, beating until combined.  Beat in eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in cream.  Pour over cooled chocolate layer and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around edges to release crust from sides of pan.  Let cool completely.

To prepare chocolate ganache:  In a small bowl, combine chocolate and cream.  Microwave on High in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Spread over cooled cheesecake.  Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.  Garnish with chopped chocolate covered peanut butter cups, if desired.

Paula's cheesecake had quartered peanut butter cups all around the edge and a few in the middle.  I quarted mine and just piled them all over the top.  It sure pleased the Reese's lovers and made the garnishing super-easy!  (I refrigerated the candy for a little while before quartering it to make it easier to slice.)