Peanut Brittle Cheesecake

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Take a favorite holiday candy, combine it with sweetened cream cheese, roasted peanuts, shortbread and whipping cream, and you end up with this fun new holiday dessert. Make sure to bake it the day before you plan to serve it because it needs to refrigerate overnight before unmolding.

PER SERVING: 735 calories, 56 g total fat (27.5 g saturated fat), 12.5 g protein, 49 g carbohydrate, 200 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

TIP *Pulse 1 (5.3-oz.) pkg. shortbread cookies in food processor or place in plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.

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  • 12

Ingredients

  • CRUST
  • 1 1/3 cup shortbread cookie crumbs*
  • 3/4 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • FILLING
  • 8 oz peanut brittle, divided
  • 4 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • TOPPING
  • 2 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Preparation

Step 1

1 Heat oven to 350ºF. Wrap outside of 10" springform pan with heavy-duty foil. Combine all crust ingredients except butter in small bowl; stir in butter with fork until blended. With lightly floured fingers, press into bottom of pan. Bake 15 mins or until brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

2 Meanwhile, reserve about 1/2 cup (2oz) coarse pieces peanut brittle for garnish. Place remaining 6 oz peanut brittle in heavy plastic bag; coarsely crush with flat side of meat mallet.

3 Beat 4 packages cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups sugar in large bowl at low speed 1 min or until smooth. Beat in sour cream until combined. Beat in flour and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended. Stir in crushed peanut brittle; pour over crust.

4 Place springform pan in large shallow roasting or broiler pan. Add enough hot tap water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.

5 Bake 55-60 mins or until top is golden brown and dry to the touch and cracked. Center will ripple slightly when pan is tapped, but cheesecake will firm as it cools. (Topping will cover any cracks that form.) Remove pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.

6 Beat all topping ingredients except cream in medium bowl at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium-low; slowly pour in cream. Increase speed to medium; beat until firm peaks form. Swirl topping over cheesecake; garnish with reserved 1/2 cup peanut brittle pieces. Store in refrigerator.

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