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Guest Post: Peanut Butter Cheesecake

You can always tell that it is almost Easter when eggs and cream cheese start going on sale. Last week Safeway/Vons had an awesome BOGO free sale on the new Kraft cream cheese spread. The sale combined with the 1.50 off 2 coupon as well as the catalina make for a very inexpensive cheesecake! That combinded with the awesome finding of Nutter Butter pieces and eggs from the 99cents Only stores creates a decadent cheesecake that will serve at least 12 people for under $7.00!!!! For a cheesecake…that is a steal!!

Ingredients not pictured- sugar, flour, butter, cocoa powder, and peanut butter.

Crumb Crust
16 ounces nutter butter pieces or 1 package nutter butters
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (if using nutter butters with filling, use 1 stick of butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
4 (8-ounce) packages chocolate cream cheese, softened (if you cannot find the chocolate cream cheese scroll down for adjustments)
3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9in round spring form pan with nonstick spray. Finely pulse cookies in a food processor, add sugar, salt and melted butter and mix well. Press crumb mix into pan on the bottom and on sides. Put in freezer while you make the filling.
Prepare the filling: beat the cream cheese on high for 2 minutes. Add sugar, cocoa, powder and flour and beat on medium for another 2 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition to avoid unmixed strips of cream cheese. Pour filling into pan. Cover bottom and sides of cheesecake pan with foil (to prevent water from seeping in) and set in larger roasting pan. Pour boiling water in roasting pan so that it reaches approx. halfway up cheesecake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When cheesecake is done, turn off oven and leave the cheesecake for another 2 hours. Then remove and allow to throughly cool.
* If you are not using the chocolate cream cheese spread, substitute 4 packages regular cream cheese and 1/2 of melted chocolate.

Ganache
12 ounces chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 c heavy cream
On low heat, add all ingredients and mix until melted and smooth. Pour over cheesecake and lick the spoon. Melt 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Spoon dollops onto ganache and swirl with a knife.
Refrigerate overnight, and then enjoy with a large glass of milk!

This cheesecake is very large, and tall. It will serve at least 12 people.

Jackie is the blogger over at theseasidebaker.com and is  a full-time student and mother of three from Solana Beach, Ca, making the most out of living life on a budget!