Cinderella Cheesecake

One of my favorite parts of having weekend houseguests is planning the menu and making delicious food. We hosted Caleb's parents this past weekend, and as I was figuring out what all I was going to make ahead of time, I was stumped on the dessert. I was browsing through recipes and asked Caleb if he had any ideas. At the exact moment I was reading a cheesecake recipe, he suggested cheesecake; so cheesecake it was! All peanut butter + chocolate lovers rejoice (um hello isn't that everyone?!): this Cinderella cheesecake is a peanut butter cheesecake inside of a brownie crust. Like most cheesecakes, making this recipe is a bit of a time commitment. As long as you plan accordingly and follow the recipe, the end result is definitely worth the time and effort.

Cinderella Cheesecake

for the brownie crust

3 (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate baking squares

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 (1 oz) bittersweet chocolate baking square, finely chopped

for the cheesecake filling

12 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter

for the topping

3/4 cup sour cream

2 tsp granulated sugar

To prepare crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Microwave 3 baking squares and butter in a small microwave-safe bowl at medium (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals.

Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Beat eggs and brown sugar in a separate large bowl at medium-high speed with an electric mixer 3-4 minutes or until batter forms thin ribbons when beaters are lifted. Add vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, and melted chocolate mixture. Beat only until blended. Stir in flour mixture just until combined. Spread 1 cup crust mixture on bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees on center oven rack 13-15 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes; freeze 15 minutes. Remove from freezer; spread remaining batter up sides of pan to 1/4 inch from top, sealing batter to bottom crust.

To prepare filling, beat cream cheese and brown sugar at medium speed with a heavy duty electric stand mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating only until yellow yolk disappears after each addition. Beat in sour cream only until blended. Beat in peanut butter until blended.

Pour filling into prepared crust. (Mixture will not completely fill crust.) Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until center is almost set. A 2-inch circle in center of filling should jiggle slightly when pan is shaken gently. Meanwhile, prepare topping. Stir together sour cream an sugar in a small bowl until smooth.

Remove cheesecake from oven. Spread topping over center of cheesecake, leaving a 2-inch border around edge. Bake for 1 minute more.

Remove from oven; gently run a knife around edge of cheesecake to loose. Cool completely on wire rack. Cover and chill 8-12 hours. Remove sides of pan. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

source: recipe from The Southern Living Community Cookbook