Reese's Minis Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Kid #2 recently had a birthday and as expected, he requested his favorite meal - Shrimp Linguine Alfredo, garlic bread, green beans with garlicky mushrooms, and cheesecake.  Easy, right?  Almost - instead of our usual family favorite cheesecake, this year he specifically asked for a peanut butter cheesecake.  Now, if you've been following my blog for any length of time, you probably are aware that I don't like peanut butter desserts, but I managed to come up with this version which is a compilation of a couple of different recipes.  Although I refused to sample the finished product, all of my peanut butter loving taste testers gave it two thumbs up.  Most importantly, the birthday boy proclaimed it to be the best cheesecake ever... so who am I to argue with the birthday boy? 

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• Reese’s minis https://amzn.to/2Vo8iT0

• oreo cookies https://amzn.to/2JyWlHM

• 10-inch springform pan https://amzn.to/3lJOLLx

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/2JDL5Ky

• pure vanilla bean paste https://amzn.to/2LFg2R4

• instant read digital thermometer https://amzn.to/2VlfPBS

• insulated baking strips https://amzn.to/2W2esN8

• my food processor https://amzn.to/2W2floW

• professional stand mixer https://amzn.to/2ViwQNm

• BeaterBlade attachment https://amzn.to/2Hg80d3

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Reese's Minis Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Makes one 10-inch Cheesecake (serves 16)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

• 12 cream filled chocolate cookies (like Oreos)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 4 large eggs

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 8 ounce package Reese's Minis (reserve 16 for garnish)

Topping:

• 16 ounces sour cream

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)

Garnish:

• sweetened whipped cream

• reserved mini peanut butter cups (16)

Directions

To make the crust:

1. Position rack in the lower center of the oven. Preheat to 350F.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cream filled cookies (cream filling and all) and process until finely ground; add the melted butter and process until the mixture starts to stick together.

3. Press the crumb mixture in the bottom of a greased 10-inch springform pan.

4. Bake for about 12 minutes and then set aside to cool while you make the filling.

To make the filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment on low speed, combine the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth; add sugar and continue to beat until smooth.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the sour cream and vanilla: again, beating until smooth. Be careful to incorporate as little air as possible.

3. Pour enough batter into a 10-inch springform pan to cover the bottom crust; add all but the 16 reserved mini peanut butter cups and top with remaining batter.

4. Wrap the sides of the springform pan with insulated cake strips and place on a sheet pan (keeps the cheesecake sides from over baking).

5. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

To make the topping:

1. Whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until the sugar dissolves; set aside at room temperature until cheesecake is done.

2. After 1 hour and 25 minutes, remove the cheesecake from the oven, but don't turn it off yet.

3. Pour sour cream topping onto hot cheesecake and smooth the surface; return to hot oven for 5 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour before placing in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours (overnight is preferable).

To garnish:

1. Just before service, fill a large disposable pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip and pipe a decorative border of sweetened whipped cream around the perimeter of the chilled cheesecake and evenly distribute the Reese's peanut butter cup minis.

Tips for Cheesecake Success:

• Be sure the ingredients for the cheesecake batter are at room temperature (keep cream cheese wrapped to prevent it from drying out while it comes to room temperature).

• Mix cheesecake batter on low speed to minimize air incorporation. Too much air mixed into the batter will cause the cheesecake to puff up and deflate during baking; resulting in a cracked top.

• Cheesecakes should jiggle a bit in the center when removed from the oven (they continue to cook as they rest). It's not critical that you know this, but internal temperature in the center of the cheesecake should reach about 150F - I use an instant read digital thermometer to check.

• Cheesecakes aren't firm enough to cut until they are completely chilled (at least 4 hours - overnight is best)

• Cheesecakes will absorb lingering odors from the fridge so be sure to store in an airtight container.

• For professional looking slices, rinse knife with hot water and dry between each cut.

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Prince William's Favorite Chocolate Biscuit Cake

I had been waiting for an opportunity to make The Royal Touch Chocolate Biscuit Cake by Darren McGrady (chef to Queen Elizabeth) since I first heard about it around the time of William and Katherine's wedding.  Father's Day was just such an opportunity - my husband loves all things chocolate, and we had all the kids home for dinner so I knew I wouldn't have a lot of leftover cake through the week. 

Most of you probably know by now that this is the cake Prince William requested as his Groom's Cake.  It's apparently a favorite of Queen Elizabeth's as well - Grady reports she ordered it every time Prince William would join her for tea. 

Although this is a no-bake cake, you'll need to prepare it at least 4 or 5 hours ahead of time.  It stores nicely in the refrigerator for several days once made (sits well covered at room temperature for several days too).  Chef McGrady suggests serving it chilled, but my family enjoyed it best at room temperature.  Either way, it's incredibly rich so serve very thin slices with plenty of coffee, tea, or milk.

Coincidentally, I just learned that today is Prince William's birthday. I wonder if he’ll be enjoying this cake?

Prince William's Chocolate Biscuit Cake

makes one 6-inch cake (I used an 8x4 silicone loaf pan) or 8-12 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• Softened butter for greasing pan

• 8 ounces McVities tea biscuits, broken into pieces (or digestive biscuits - click here for a recipe to make your own)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar (caster sugar)

• 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

• 1 egg, beaten

• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (for icing)

• Cinnamon for dusting

Directions

1. Lightly grease a 6" spring form pan; set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until mixture has lightened in color.

3. Melt 4 ounces chocolate in a double boiler.

4. Add butter and sugar mixture to the chocolate whisking constantly.

5. Add the egg and continue to whisk.

6. Fold in biscuit pieces until they are completely coated with the chocolate mixture.

7. Spoon the chocolate coated biscuits into the prepared pan.

8. Press firmly with the back of a spoon to fill in any gaps (tap the pan on the counter to help settle the biscuit pieces) - the bottom of the cake will be the top when turned out. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

9. Unmold cake and rest, bottom side up, on a wire rack.

10. Melt remaining 8 ounces of chocolate and pour over the cake.

11. Spread smooth with an off-set spatula.

12. Allow chocolate coated cake to sit at room temperature until chocolate is set.

13. When set, run a spatula under the cake to remove from wire rack (chocolate makes it stick a little).

14. Transfer to a fancy serving platter; slice and serve.

Notes

• My 6-inch spring form pan seems to be missing in action, so I used an 8x4 silicone loaf pan which worked perfectly (and I think neat slices offer a more elegant presentation). An added bonus - chilled chocolate doesn't stick to silicone at all.

• One 8x4 cake will serve 16 1/2-inch slices.

• McVities (aka digestive biscuits) are a sandy textured wheat cookie from the UK. I found them here in the US in the international aisle at Wegman's. Graham crackers, arrowroot cookies, or chocolate wafers would all be nice substitutions. Or you can make your own - click here for the recipe.

• You can make your own superfine sugar from white granulated sugar - just blitz it in your food processor.

Darren McGrady:  A chocolate biscuit cake is not a traditional cake in the fresh-from-the-oven sense. It's essentially a chilled chocolate-butter mousse speckled with crushed cookies, then glazed in chocolate. "I used to prepare it for both [Prince William and the Queen] when they had tea together," explains McGrady via his blog . "The Queen would request the cake in the menu book for Sunday tea when she knew her grandson would be joining her from Eton."

McGrady says when afternoon tea included the chocolate biscuit cake, the staff knew not to dare touch the leftovers (it keeps well for several days in the fridge). "Her Majesty loves this cake so much she takes a mental picture of how much she is sending back to the kitchens each day," continues McGrady. "I remember her on one occasion instructing her page to call the kitchen to ask who had been eating her cake."

adapted from Darren McGrady, Eating Royally