Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cheesecake

And for our second cheesecake of the week (oh, to say that every week), we have a peanut butter and chocolate layered cheesecake with a chocolate ganache. I found the idea for the filling for this recipe in a holiday cooking pamphlet, but made up the rest as I went along. I don't follow directions very well.

The ganache is optional, but yummy. Plus, it can cover a multitude of sins. Like cracks. You know, if you happened to get one down the middle of your cheesecake. Not that I speak from experience.

This cheesecake is to celebrate the birthday of one of my best pals, Dave. This is a milestone birthday for Dave, so he deserves a special cake. Especially since he lets me yammer on about food whenever I want. So happy birthday, Davey!

It's a shame I'm not good with icing. This would have been just stunning with "Over the Hill" written across it.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cheesecake
Serves 10-12

Crust:
1½ c. vanilla wafer crumbs
1/3 c. cocoa
½ c. powdered sugar
5 1/3 Tbsp. (1/3 c.) butter, melted

Filling:
1 c. chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 c. peanut butter chips, melted and cooled
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
¾ c. sugar
1/3 c. sour cream
3 Tbsp. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs

Ganache:
¼ c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
½ c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, cocoa, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork until well combined. Press mixture into bottom of a 9" springform pan.

3. Using a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add sour cream, flour, salt, and vanilla, and beat until well mixed.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until just mixed after each addition.

5. Divide batter in half. Add melted chocolate chips to one half and melted peanut butter chips to the other.

6. Mix each bowl of batter thoroughly.

7. Pour chocolate batter over crust and spread carefully. Top with peanut butter batter and spread even more carefully.

8. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until outside is baked, and center is starting to set. Cool until cheesecake is at room temperature.

9. In a small saucepan, heat whipping cream, vanilla, and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a light boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. (It will combine eventually.)

10. Pour ganache over cheesecake and spread carefully. Top with grated chocolate, if desired. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate cheesecake until serving. Cut into a crumbly mess and enjoy.

Fudge Truffle Cheesecake

This is it, the chocolate cheesecake to top all chocolate cheesecakes. I have been making this cheesecake for years -- I forget where the original recipe came from -- and it is seriously unbeatable. It's rich and incredibly dense, as all good cheesecakes should be. And because it's flavored with melted chocolate, it doesn't taste overly bitter or cocoa-y.

A few tips for creating a perfect, crack-free cheesecake:

• Don't add crack. Ha! I kill me.
• Bring all your ingredients to room temperature.
• Add your eggs individually, and mix until they're just combined.
• Add a pan of water on the rack under the cheesecake while baking.
• Do not overbake. Take the cheesecake out even while it looks like the middle isn't yet set.

I'm making this cheesecake to celebrate the birthday of Michelle, who is the office manager where my hubby, dad, and brother work. She keeps the office warm, cheerful, and smelling of something other than boys and popcorn. And for this, among many other things, she deserves a cheesecake. Happy early birthday, Michelle!

Because this is a birthday cake, I suppose it would be rude to cut a piece to photograph (and taste-test), right? Right?

Sigh. I thought you'd say that.

Fudge Truffle Cheesecake
Serves 10-12 (sometimes 4-6)

Crust:
1½ c. vanilla wafer crumbs
1/3 c. cocoa
½ c. powdered sugar
5 1/3 Tbsp. (1/3 c.) butter, melted

Filling:
2 c. chocolate chips, melted and cooled
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla (the real stuff, not that "vanilla-flavored" nonsense)
4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, cocoa, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork until well combined. Press mixture into bottom of a 9" springform pan.

3. Using a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, and mix. Add melted chocolate and mix.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until just mixed after each addition.

5. Pour batter over crust in pan. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until outside is baked, and center is starting to set.

6. Cool until cheesecake is at room temperature, and then refrigerate several hours before serving.