Death by Cheesecake

I first made this cheesecake a few years ago for a friend who is (like myself) a nut for peanut butter.  I made it again for my boyfriend's birthday because one of his co-workers complained that my cupcakes were too "rich."  I told him he hadn't tasted rich yet and promised to make this cheesecake...THE richest dessert I have EVER made.  So let that be a warning to anyone who dares try it...you should only cut small pieces or risk getting sick from too much sugar.  Another note about this recipe, it makes a LOT.  I had enough in this recipe for a 12" cake AND TWO 4" cakes.  I think you could easily halve this recipe and still have enough for an 8-9" cake.

Brownie Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease spring-form pan with butter. 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.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan.

Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see below).  Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips and peanut butter chips over brownie surface.

Cheesecake Filling:
2 lbs cream cheese, softened
5 eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth. Stir in vanilla.  Pour filling into prepared crust.  Double-wrap spring-form pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in.  Place spring-form pan into a larger baking pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the spring-form pan.

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

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating.

Decoration:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
10-12 mini peanut butter cups, cut carefully in half


Remove cake from pan and put on a plate. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.

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

Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake.  (Note - the mini peanut butter cups will cut easily if they have been chilled in the fridge.)

Source: http://www.mmmmbrains.com/archives/2007_03.html#001218

Cannoli Cheesecake

For crust:
2 cups of flour
6 tbsp Crisco
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp beaten egg
10 tbsp of water
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Cut the Crisco into the dry ingredients until the mixture is no bigger than pea sized, then add the egg and slowly stir in the water until it forms a ball.  Roll it thin using flour so it doesn't stick. 

Cut the dough into even pieces. Fill a pan with a vegetable oil and heat on high. Gently place several of the cannoli pieces in the oil and fry until deep golden brown.

Allow the shells to cool and then crush them into fine pieces in a food processor until you have 2 cups of crumbs. Mix in 3 tbsp granulated sugar and press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.

Bake at 375°F until the crust is fragrant and slightly darkened, about 9 to 12 minutes. Let the pan cool on a rack. Lower the oven temperature to 300°F.

For cheesecake:
3 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, ricotta, flour, and a pinch of table salt on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle frequently, until very smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make sure the cheese has no lumps. Add the 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar and continue beating until well blended and smooth.

Add the chocolate chips and vanilla, and beat until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until blended. (Don’t overbeat once the eggs have been added or the cheesecake will puff too much and crack as it cools.) Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top.

Bake at 300°F until the center jiggles like Jell-O when nudged, 55 to 65 minutes. The cake will be slightly puffed around the edges, and the center will still look moist. Set on a rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

Unclasp and remove the side of the springform pan and run a long, thin metal spatula under the bottom crust. Carefully slide the cake onto a flat serving plate.

For chocolate garnish:
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tbsp heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.  Pour into a piping bag with your favorite tip and decorate to your liking.