The classic chocolate and peanut butter pair work together perfectly in this rich cheesecake! A cookie crumb crust holds the fudge and cheesecake fillings made with local, Indiana ingredients. Skip the peanut butter cup and have a slice of this instead!

Ingredients:

For crust:

• 9 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (cookie portion), processed into crumbs
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chunked into pieces
• 2 oz. semisweet chocolate, chunked into pieces
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and still hot

For fudge layer:

• 1 cup Seven Sons Farms heavy or whipping cream
• 7 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. B.Happy Chunky Peanut Butter

For cheesecake layer:

• 2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup B.Happy Chunky Peanut Butter
• ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 3 Seven Sons Farms large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

For ganache:

• ⅓ cup heavy or whipping cream
• 4.5 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. smooth peanut butter (optional)

Optional garnish may include a peanut butter frosting and finely chopped honey-roasted peanuts (frosting recipe follows): ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter beaten with 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter; scant ¼ cup powdered sugar. This can be used to write on cake.

Directions:

Make the chocolate crust: double-wrap the outside of a 9-inch spring form pan with 3=inch high sides with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Make sure that bottom and sides of spring form pan are sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

In a food process, blend the cookies, chopped chocolates and brown sugar together until finely ground. Drizzle in melted butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together, scraping bowl if necessary.

Transfer crumbs to prepared pan and press crumb mixture half-way up the sides of the pan, then evenly over the bottom of the pan. Chill crust until next step is completed.

Make the fudge layer: Bring cream to a simmer in a large saucepan. Remove from heat; whisk in chocolates and peanut butter until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into bottom of chilled crust and spread in even layer. Freeze until layer is firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 °F.

Make cheesecake layer: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, peanut butters, and sugar in a large bowl until well-blended and fluffy.

Beat in sour cream, then eggs one at a time and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour over fudge layer.

To place in a water bath: Place foil-wrapped pan in a roasting pan large enough to hold it. Fill roasting pan with enough hot water to come up one inch on the sides of spring form pan and carefully transfer to middle oven rack.

Bake cake until slightly firm to touch and the top appears dry, about 80 minutes. Transfer to rack in fridge until fully cool, about three hours.

Make ganache topping: Heat cream in a small saucepan until simmering. Off the heat, whisk in the chocolate and peanut butter. Pour ganache onto chilled cheesecake and spread to the edges.

Return cheesecake to the fridge until ganache sets, about 30 minutes.

To serve: Remove foil from outside of cheesecake pan, if not already completed. Gently cut around between edge of cheesecake crust and spring form pan to make sure it isn’t sticking. Unhinge the sides. You may serve it on the base or without by carefully sliding a knife under the bottom crust to loosen it from the base and slide it onto a serving plate.

Decorate the cake using the frosting recipe, if desired – making sure the ganache has first set.

Submitted by: Davy Shuey
Indiana Grown Culinary Creations Contest