Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake

By á-43062

from Delish.com

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUST
• 15 chocolate graham crackers
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• FOR THE CHEESECAKE
• 4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 c. creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• Reese's, for garnish
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
• 6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Details

Adapted from delish.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the Crust: Butter a 9" springform pan. Wrap bottom and sides of pan in a double layer of aluminum foil. Set rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. In a food processor or blender, grind chocolate graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add sugar and salt and pulse to combine. Transfer to a medium bowl, add melted butter, and use fork or fingers to blend mixture until crumbs are evenly moist. Press into bottom and about a third of the way up the sides of springform pan. Freeze 10 minutes.

3. Place pan on baking sheet and bake crust for 10 minutes. Set on rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

4. Bring a medium saucepan or teakettle full of water to a boil.

5. Make the Cheesecake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl with a hand mixer), beat cream cheese on medium, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until completely smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar and salt and beat, scraping down bowl as necessary, until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add vanilla and beat for 30 seconds. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition and occasionally scraping bottom and sides of bowl. Add peanut butter, heavy cream, and sour cream and beat on low until completely smooth and streak-free, about 1 minute.

6. Pour cheesecake batter into cooled crust and smooth top. Place cheesecake in deep roasting pan and set on middle rack of oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until top is just starting to brown and crack, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn off oven, prop door open with wooden spoon, and let cheesecake slowly cool in water bath for 1 hour.

7. Remove roasting pan from oven, then carefully lift springform pan out of water and remove foil. Set cheesecake on rack and let come to room temperature. Once completely cool, loosely cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

8. Make the Chocolate Ganache: When ready to serve, carefully remove sides of springform pan. Place chocolate in a clean, dry medium bowl. In a small saucepan, warm cream until just barely simmering. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit 10 minutes, then add salt and stir until smooth. Pour ganache over cheesecake, spreading it evenly and allowing some to drip down sides of cake. Sprinkle with chopped Reese's.