Recipe - Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

CRUST
1 cup Choc. wafer cookie crumbs
2 One half ounce Roasted unsalted peanuts
coarsely chopped
One fourth cup Unsalted butter; melted
2 tablespoon Golden brown sugar
firmly packed
1 pn Salt

FILLING
24 ounce Cream cheese; room temp.
1 One half cup Golden brown sugar
firmly packed
One half cup Creamy peanut butter
do not use freshlyground
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
4 lg Eggs
One fourth cup Whipping cream
10 ounce Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
cut into 3/4inch pieces

TOPPING
2 cup Sour cream
One fourth cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

FOR CRUST: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter
9inchdiameter springform pan with 23/4inchhigh sides. Mix chocolate
cookie crumbs, chopped peanuts, melted butter, brown sugar and pinch of
salt in bowl until well combined. Press mixture evenly onto bottom and
1/2inch up sides of pan. Bake until crust is set, about 8 minutes. Cool
in pan on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

FOR FILLING: Using electric mixer, beat room temperature cream cheese and
brown sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla
extract and beat just until blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just
until blended after each addition. Add whipping cream and beat until
smooth. Stir in peanut butter cup pieces.

Pour filling into crust. Bake until sides of cake are set but center still
moves slightly, about 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes.

FOR TOPPING: Blend sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract in medium bowl.
Carefully spoon topping over cheesecake. Return cheesecake to oven and bake
5 minutes.

Cool cheesecake in pan on rack. Run small sharp knife around edge of
cheesecake to loosen. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Can be prepared 3
days ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Release pan sides. Let stand 20 minutes at
room temperature before serving.

* Source: Bon Appetit, June 1993 * Typed for you by Karen Mintzias