Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake

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My husband's birthday was this last weekend. June 19th , which is also now a National Holiday June-teenth commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1866.

I always make him and our kids a cake for their birthday's occasionally I get extra creative. A few years ago I made a cheesecake-cake. It was 2 layers of regular cake with a layer of cheesecake in the center. It was so good but definitely extremely rich.

This year I wanted to do something special for him with one of his favorite candies. You could also use this recipe to use up halloween candy.

Reese's cheesecake. I needed it to look unique too though, so what better way to do that than to make layers and a cute design on top. The whip cream topping pairs so well with the cheesecake giving you a light airy break with the rich decadent filling.

Here's what you will need :

▢12 oz graham crackers, (23 crackers, to yield about 2 1/3 cup crumbs)

▢5 oz butter

▢2 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature (Do not use whipped or light variety)

▢9.37 oz brown sugar, (1 ¼ cups)

▢9.5 oz creamy peanut butter, (1 cup, do not use natural variety)

▢1 tbsp vanilla extract

▢½ tsp salt

▢4 fl oz International Delight Hersheys Chocolate Caramel Coffee Creamer, (1/2 cup)

▢4 fl oz whipping cream, (1/2 cup)

▢4 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten

▢5 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, finely chopped reserve rest for later.

▢6 fl oz whipping cream, (3/4 cup)

▢1 oz powdered sugar, (1/4 cup)

▢ Caramel Sauce for decorating* (Optional.)

▢ Optional * 3tbsp creamy peanut butter, additonal semi sweet chocolate - melt for decoration at end.

To Make It

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a deep 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap aluminum foil tightly around the outside of the pan, coming up to the top edge. I like to use heavy-duty 18-inch foil, to prevent any water from leaking into the cheesecake, but if you don’t have 18-inch foil, consider doing 2 overlapping layers of foil to make it more waterproof. Put water on to boil for a water bath.
2. Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process them until they’re fine crumbs. (Alternately, you can put them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they’re crumbs.) Melt the butter in the microwave, and stir the butter and crumbs together until the crumbs are the texture of wet sand.
3. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan, then refrigerate the pan while you prepare the filling.
4. Place the room temperature cream cheese in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (A hand mixer can also be used.) Beat the cream cheese on medium speed until it is fluffy and free of lumps. Add the brown sugar and mix it in, then scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl well.
5. Mix in the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt, and mix on medium-low speed until well-incorporated. With the mixer running on low, slowly stream in the International Delight Hersheys Chocolate Caramel Coffee Creamer and 4 ounces of whipping cream. (1/2 cup) . Reserve the remaining whipping cream.
6. Finally, stop the mixer and add the lightly beaten eggs. Stir these in by hand with a spatula. At first, the mixture will look separated, but keep stirring and it will all come together in a smooth, silky batter.
7. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave. Divide the peanut butter cheesecake batter in half, and add the melted chocolate to one half, stirring until smooth and homogenous. Separate out 1 cup of chocolate batter (about 4.5 oz) and place it in a piping bag.
8. To make the striped interior effect,take a large ice cream scoop and place two scoops of peanut butter cheesecake in the center of the prepared pan. Place two scoops of chocolate cheesecake right on top of it—this will push down on the peanut butter cheesecake and cause it to spread out. Continue this layering, making concentric circles with the two batters, until you’ve used all the chocolate cheesecake and have only a little peanut butter cheesecake remaining. Spread the remaining peanut butter cheesecake on top and smooth it into an even layer.
9. Pipe lines of chocolate cheesecake across the top of the peanut butter cheesecake. Take a toothpick and drag it through the lines, from top to bottom, then move over about half an inch and drag it in the opposite direction, from bottom to top. Continue this pattern across the whole cheesecake.
10. Place the springform pan inside a larger cake pan or roasting dish. Carefully pour the boiling water in a larger pan, coming halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
11. Bake at 325 F for 90 – 100 minutes. After an hour, I like to cover the top with very loosely tented foil so that it doesn’t get too dark. The cheesecake should appear set around the edges but still jiggle in the middle when the pan is tapped—it will firm up as it sits in the oven and rests in the refrigerator overnight. If it does not move when you tap it, it is overbaked.
12. Once done, turn the oven off but keep the cheesecake in the cooling oven for 1 hour. After an hour, carefully remove it from the water bath, peel off the foil, and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours. (Overnight is good, too!)
13. Release the sides of the pan, and run a thin metal spatula under the crust to remove it from the bottom. Slide the cheesecake onto a serving plate.
14. Optional step*In a small bowl melt 3tbsp creamy peanut butter and start a double boiler to melt remaining chocolate slowly drip spoonfuls along the edge for decoration.
15. Tip before beginning this step place your mixing bowl and beater in the freezer for 20 minutes. Combine ¾ cup cream with ¼ cup powdered sugar and whip to firm peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe rosettes of whipped cream all along the outside edge of the cheesecake. Decorate the whipped cream with chocolate shavings caramel sauce and peanut butter cups.
16. For the cleanest cuts, cut the cake when it is still cool, and wipe the knife off between cuts. Store the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to a week, and for the best taste and texture, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving so it loses some of the refrigerator chill.

In the end you're left with this gorgeous tasty Reese's Cheesecake <3

and one last Happy Birthday for my hubby!

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Thanks again for reading and I hope you have a great day !