It was my husbands 34th birthday a few days ago and every year I make him something peanut butter related. It’s a running joke in the family about his peanut butter obsession and the fact that he eats so much of it, that he might develop a severe allergic reaction. He doesn’t seem to think it’s so funny…and to be honest I think it worries him slightly 😜 He even has a monthly subscription on Amazon for his addiction, and even then we still have to supplement his need for the stuff on our weekly Tesco shops. Last year was a peanut butter layer cake with a rich chocolate ganache and decorated with loads of Reese’s candy. The year before that was a Peanut Butter Pie, and this year it’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake.
Cheesecake is a bit of a specialty of mine. I LOVE a good cheesecake, and I’m not gonna lie, if you call it a cheesecake and it’s not been baked…we’re gonna have words. Baked cheesecakes are the way to go. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a dessert that’s quick and easy and just needs a few ingredients, only to have to pop it in the fridge for a few hours to set. Then, my loves, we call it a pie, or a tart, or as we call them in South Africa, a fridge tart. I digress,
I ALWAYS include sour cream in my cheesecake recipes. The sour cream adds that extra bit of fat, and it makes a gloriously smooth mouth feel that is present in every good cheesecake. Another rule…ALWAYS use full fat cream cheese. It adds to the richness and the flavour. The texture and consistency is much smoother as well. I’ve tried with different brands and trust me when I say as I always like to find a good bargain, but I’m still a firm believer that Philadelphia Cream Cheese, full fat is the way to go.
Generally I make West Coast Cheesecakes which include sour cream in the mixture as well as a sour cream topping which is added after the cheesecake is baked. You then add it to the baked cheesecake and then give it a few more minutes in the oven to set the top. I didn’t bother with that step in this particular Peanut Butter cheesecake recipe, only because the cheesecake was going to be covered in a rich ganache topping anyway. Anyway…here’s the recipe. Give it a go and let me know your thoughts!
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
- 2 packs Peanut Butter Oreos
- 100 grms Butter, melted
Blitz the Oreos in a food processor and add the melted butter. Mix together and spoon into a 9inch springform tin. You can absolutely use regular oreos or even digestives with a bit if cocoa powder…but I was kinda working with a theme here 😉
Preheat the oven to 160 C.
A slow bake is crucial for a lovely creamy cheesecake. You may want to even wrap your tin in a couple layers of tin foil and place in a water bath to get that extra moist bake. I just made sure to keep checking on my cheesecake. You really don’t want to ovebake or the cheesecake will develop a graininess and result in a dry crumb.
The beauty of this recipe is that you throw all the ingredients in to one bowl and give it a mix. Do not over mix. You really want to avoid incorporating too much air into the batter.
Ingredients for the cheesecake
- x2 280g tubs of Full fat Cream Cheese
- 250mls Sour Cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 eggs
- 250mls smooth peanut butter
- 175g soft brown sugar
Add all ingredients to one bowl and whisk until everything is incorporated. Save those 3 egg whites and make yourself a healthy omelette. You’ll feel less guilty eating a slice of this cheesecake after that…or is that just me? 😬🙈
Side note; you really want to avoid using the 100% all natural peanut butter. It messes with the recipe. I used Sunpat Crunchy….smooth is recommended for most peanut butter recipes but Kyle always insists on crunchy, so its usually what we have on hand. I do enjoy crunchy peanut butter for the added texture, and its somewhat more of a meal..but smooth just glides over your toast so much better…AMMA right?! 💕
Pour the batter into your Crust and chuck it in the oven for a good 45 minutes. To be honest guys, I never really time my cakes. I check back a lot. After 45 minutes I did turn the cake to make sure that it was all baking evenly. I took the cake out when it was still slightly wobbly in the middle as it will still continue to cook after it’s been taken out of the oven. Don’t be scared to take it out too soon. That gentle wobble is crucial for getting a perfectly baked cake! Trust me! I ended up with a lusciously smooth, creamy and pretty damn irresistible cake if I do say so myself!
I let this baby cool at room temp for about an hour then in the microwave I melted 50g of dark chocolate with 100mls of double cream.
I gave this a good mix, then poured it over the cake and spread the chocolate over the sides. I chopped up some salted peanuts, Reese’s pieces, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and minis and decorated the outer edge of the cheesecake.
Kyle was extremely happy with his birthday treat and had an extra large slice. It went down really well with the rest of the crew as well. Give it a bash guys! Let me know how you get on and please feel free to get in touch with any questions, comments or suggestions you might have. I enjoyed my slice with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and it seemed to pair just beautifully 😏 although I do suggest a cup of tea 💓
