Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce

Banana Cream Pie Murder

## Ingredients

**The Crust**

* 2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs ***(measure AFTER crushing—I used Nabisco chocolate wafers)***
* ¾ stick melted butter ***(6 Tablespoons, 3 ounces)***
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

**The Baked Topping**

* 2 cups sour cream
* ½ cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

**The Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce**

* 11.75-ounce ***(by weight)*** jar of hot fudge ice cream topping ***(I used Smucker's)***
* ¼ cup peanut butter ***(I used smooth Jif, not the crunchy)***

**The Cheesecake Batter**

* 1 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 3 eight-ounce packages brick cream cheese at room temperature ***(total of 24 ounces—I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the silver box)***
* ¼ cup peanut butter ***(I used Jif smooth peanut butter)***
* ½ cup mayonnaise
* 4 eggs
* 2 cups peanut butter chips ***(I used Reese's in an 11-ounce bag)***
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 cup miniature chocolate chips ***(I used Nestle—approximately half of an 11 or 12 ounce package)***

## Directions

**The Crust**

* Pour the melted butter and vanilla extract over the cookie crumbs. Mix with a fork until everything is evenly moistened.
* Cut a circle of parchment paper ***(or wax paper)*** to fit inside the bottom of a 9-inch Springform pan. Spray the pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, set the paper circle in place, and spray that.
* Dump the moistened cookie crumbs in the pan. With impeccably clean hands, press the moistened cookie crumbs down over the paper circle and one inch up the sides.
* Stick the pan in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the cheesecake.

**The Baked Topping**

* Mix the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. You will put on this topping right after the cheesecake comes out of the oven.

**The Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce**

* In a separate microwave-safe bowl, spoon out the hot fudge ice cream topping and add the quarter cup of peanut butter on top.
* Stick the bowl in the microwave and heat it on HIGH for 30 seconds. Let it sit in the microwave for an additional 30 seconds and then stir. Let it cool on the counter, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it.
* Preheat the oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position, while you mix up the cheesecake batter. By the time you're through, the oven should be up to temperature and ready for you to bake.

**The Cheesecake Batter**

* Place the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the blocks of cream cheese, the peanut butter, and the mayonnaise. Mix it at MEDIUM speed until the batter is smooth and creamy.
* Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
* Melt the peanut butter chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Let them sit in the microwave for one minute and then try to stir them smooth. ***(Chips may retain their shape, so stir to see if they're actually melted. If not, microwave in 20-second increments followed by 20 seconds of standing time until you can stir them smooth.)***
* Cool the melted chips for a minute or two on a cold stovetop burner or on a towel on the kitchen counter.
* Mix the peanut butter chips into the batter gradually at LOW speed.
* Add the vanilla extract and mix it in thoroughly.
* Scrape down the bowl and take it out of the mixer.
* Stir in the miniature chocolate chips by hand.
* Pour the batter on top of the chilled crust, set the pan on a cookie sheet to catch any drips, and bake it at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, but DON'T SHUT OFF THE OVEN.
* Starting in the center, spoon the sour cream topping over the top of the cheesecake, spreading it out in a circle to within a half-inch of the rim. Return the pan to the oven and bake your cheesecake for an additional 8 minutes.
* Take your cheesecake out of the oven and cool it in the pan on a wire rack. ***(This time, you can shut off the oven.)*** When the Springform pan is cool enough to pick up with your bare hands, place it in the refrigerator and chill it, uncovered, for at least 8 hours.
* To serve, run a knife around the inside rim of the pan, release the Springform catch on the side, and lift off the rim. Place a piece of waxed paper on a flat plate and tip it upside down over the top of your cheesecake. Invert the cheesecake so that it rests on the paper.
* Carefully pry off the bottom of the Springform pan and remove the paper from the crust.
* Invert a serving platter over the crust of your cheesecake. Flip the cheesecake right side up, take off the top plate, and remove the waxed paper.
* Take the bowl with the hot fudge peanut butter mixture out of the refrigerator, uncover it, and microwave the contents for 30 seconds on HIGH power. Let it sit in the microwave for 30 additional seconds and then spread the chocolate peanut butter sauce over the sour cream topping of your cheesecake. If the sauce hardens too fast when it touches the chilled cheesecake, simply microwave the sauce for another few seconds for ease in spreading. You can drizzle a little down the sides if you wish.

Yield: The number of pie-shaped pieces you can cut from this cheesecake depends entirely on you. If your guests love cheesecake, cut the pieces a little larger. If you've just had a big meal and your guests are too full to appreciate a large piece, cut smaller pieces. If you invited Mother to join you for dessert, you can depend on her to have a second piece, even if you decided to cut large pieces!