Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

I got this recipe out of one of my Taste of Home magazines. I made it a few weeks ago for a friend and it was everything I hoped it would be...and more :)

Crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup crushed Oreos
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup Creamy Jif Peanut Butter

Filling:

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, divided
6 Reese's Cups, cut into small wedges


In a bowl, combine cracker crumbs, cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat peanut butter on high for 30 seconds or until softened. Spread over crust to within 1 inch of edges.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour 1 cup into a bowl; set aside. Pour remaining filling over peanut butter layer.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 1/4 cup fudge topping on high for 30 seconds or until thin, fold into reserved cream cheese mixture. Carefully spoon over filling; cut through filling with a knife to swirl. Do not put the knife all the way the through the mixture because you will then be swirling into the crust.

Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

Microwave remaining fudge topping for 30 seconds or until warmed; spread over cheesecake. Garnish with peanut butter cups. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan and serve!

SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS

Don't use reduced-fat or generic peanut butter for this recipe. If you do, the cheesecake does not set well.

When making cheesecakes, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. They mix more easily and give the finished cake a smoother texture. Make sure you combine the cream cheese and eggs thoroughly before adding any extracts or sour cream because lumps are impossible to remove after the liquid ingredients have been added. Make sure to use your mixer at low or medium-low so as to only allow a minimum amount of air being whipped into the batter. The center of the finished cheesecake should be soft, but not wobbly.

This recipe was simply amazing :) As a peanut butter cup lover, this recipe rocks :) And yes, I tried a small piece of this one because I simply couldn't pass it up! It was well worth the extra cardio :)