Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

It's no secret that I love peanut butter and chocolate together, because duh.  Who doesn't?

So you'd think that Reese's Cups would be my favorite, and I know it's inexplicable, but they're not.  Maybe at one point in time they were, but for some reason, they've fallen out of my favor.

I know what you're thinking - who could possibly care what candy some random blogger likes or doesn't like.  I don't really have a good answer for you to be completely honest.

However! If you are in the same boat as me and you've found that you've eaten around all of the Reese's Cups in your bag of leftover Halloween candy, then this recipe is for you.

It's peanut buttery and chocolatey and cream cheesy with a cookie/graham cracker crust and a swirl to boot.  Seriously, I don't know what more you could ask for from a cheesecake or any dessert for that matter.

If you ate all of your Reese's Cups already, then you could throw some cut up Snickers on top or if you're just not having the whole thing, these cookies with candy bars all wrapped up inside of them are what you're probably searching for to use up that leftover candy.  Just a hunch.

PEANUT BUTTER CUP CHEESECAKE
For the Crust:
1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. crushed Oreos
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
For the First Layer:
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
For the Second Layer:
3 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. hot fudge topping, divided
Topping:
6 Reese's Cups, chopped

1.  Mix together all crust ingredients until well combined.  Press with the back of a fork into a 9 inch springform pan - cover the entire base of the pan and work the crust up the sides about 1 inch.  Bake at 350˚ for 7-9 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack completely.

2.  Heat up peanut butter until soft then pour into the cooled crust.  Set aside.

3.  Beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs together until smooth and fluffy.  Remove 1 cup of this mixture into a separate bowl and set aside.

4.  Pour the cream cheese filling on top of the peanut butter.

5.  Heat up 1/4 c. of the hot fudge topping to soften then stir into the reserved 1 cup of cream cheese filling.

6.  Pour chocolate-cream cheese mixture on top of the cheesecake then run a knife through the top inch of the cheesecake to swirl the 2 layers.

7.  Bake at 350˚ for 50-60 minutes (it will be a little soft in the center still - it will continue to cook.  If you overcook it, it will crack in the center like mine did!).  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

8.  Heat the remaining 3/4 c. hot fudge topping and pour over the top of the cheesecake.  Top with the Reese's Cups.

9.  Refrigerate overnight and serve cold.

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