Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake

A few years ago I fell in love with Reese's Peanut butter cups. I don't exactly remember when I had my first, but I suspect it was shortly after the birth of my first baby, whilst living in America. I craved peanut butter during that pregnancy but laid off it, as was the advice at the time due to allergies. I've since discovered Reese's Nutrageous bars, which are amazing, although I haven't had one for ages. I've also made my own peanut butter cups and featured them previously on this blog.

A while ago I had a conversation with fellow blogger Heather about a peanut butter cream pie, which I think she'd eaten in a Perkins Restaurant in Florida, and I promised I would try and recreate one, one day. This isn't quite a cream pie as it doesn't have a pastry crust or cream on top, and neither does it have the layer of chocolate ganache that a peanut butter cream pie in Perkins has, but surely a peanut butter cheesecake has to be a good substitute when the real thing is over 4000 miles away. Next time I think I'll add a layer of chocolate ganache, and maybe a layer of peanut butter or mini peanut butter cups, but I must say that this was pretty damn good as it was.

   

Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake - makes a 20cm cheesecake

200g digestive biscuits, crushed

50g butter, melted

400g full fat cream cheese

450ml double cream

60g caster sugar

250g peanut butter

8 Reese's peanut butter cups, halved

caramel sauce (optional)

• Mix the crushed biscuits and butter together and press into the base of a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin & place in the fridge to firm up
• Whisk together the cream cheese, double cream and caster sugar until well combined and smooth
• Whisk in the peanut butter, until stiff peaks form
• Spread the filling over the base and level off
• Place in the fridge overnight, until fully set
• Remove from the tin before serving and decorate with peanut butter cups & caramel sauce