PEANUT BUTTER CUP BROWNIE BOTTOM CHEESECAKE

• FOR BROWNIE CRUST
• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract (I Used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• ⅓ cups Unsweetened Cocoa
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 6 whole Peanut Butter Cups, Cut Into Quarters
• _____
• FOR CHEESECAKE FILLING
• 2 pounds Cream Cheese, Softened
• 5 whole Eggs, Room Temperature
• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
• ½ cups Whipping Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract (I Used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)
• _____
• FOR DECORATION
• ½ cups Whipping Cream
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 6 Peanut Butter Cups, Cut In Half

Preparation Instructions

Brownie Crust:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch Springform pan with butter.

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see below).

4. Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325°.

Cheesecake Filling:

5. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.

6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

7. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth.

8. Stir in vanilla.

9. Pour filling into prepared crust.

[I had extra batter that I put in a smaller Springform pan at this point]

10. Double-wrap Springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in.

11. Place Springform pan into a larger baking pan.

12. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the Springform pan.

13. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.

14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour.

15. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat.

16. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating. I tend to make cheesecakes a day ahead to let things set.

Cheesecake tip: to get the cake off the bottom of the Springform pan, because most crusts have butter in them, you just need to heat up the bottom of the pan a bit and the cake should come off easily. I remove the sides, then hold the pan over a burner on my stove – set to LOW – for about 15 or so seconds. Whatever you can handle. Then run a long cake spatula under the cake and it should slip easily off the pan. Just be careful – the bottom of the cake is now very slippery.

17. Remove cake from pan and put on a pretty plate.

18. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.

19. Remove from heat and add semi-sweet and peanut butter chips. Stir, stir, stir until melted and smooth.

20. Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake.