Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 ½ cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 35 cookies)
• ¼ cup butter (half a stick), melted

Filling:

• 24 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 jar HomePlate Creamy Peanut Butter 
• 4 eggs, beaten

Ganache:

• 10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup heavy cream

Whipped Cream Topping:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar

Equipment:

• Food processor (optional)
• Electric mixer
• 9" Springform pan
• Oven-safe baking dish

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a food processor or large blender, crush the chocolate cookie sandwiches. If you don't have a food processer, add the cookies to a gallon-sized Ziplock bag and beat with a rolling pin to crush. Once the cookies are fully crushed, add the melted butter and mix well. 
3. Press the cookie crust mixture into the springform pan, covering the bottom and pressing about two inches up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and decrease temperature to 300°F.
4. While your crust bakes, prepare the filling. Using an electric or stand mixture, mix the cream cheese on high for about a minute to soften. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the cream and mix on high until everything is smooth. Every so often, scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure all ingredients are fully incorporated. It will seem a little liquid-y, but just wait for that peanut butter!
5. Next, add an entire jar of HomePlate Creamy Peanut Butter and mix well. Add the eggs and mix on medium until all the ingredients are fully incorporated and there are no lumps. 
6. Fill a baking dish halfway with water and place in the bottom rack of the oven. This will create steam and help prevent cracks in the top of the cheesecake.
7. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked crust and bake for one hour. After an hour, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional hour. 
8. Prepare the ganache. In a microwave safe measuring cup, heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, until it is steaming but not boiling. Add the chocolate chips and stir until the two ingredients are fully incorporated. Once the cake is cool, pour over the top and, using a spatula or offset spatula, spread out towards the edges of the cake to let it drip over the sides. You can use as much of the ganache as you like. Here, we covered the entire cake but you could also just do a little layer on the top.
9. For the whipped cream topping: Using your electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on high for about a minute to soften it. Scrape down the side occasionally to make sure every bit is blended. Next, add the cream and powdered sugar. Beat on high for about two minutes or until stiff peaks form. This whipped cream topping is great if you want to pipe a decoration that will hold its shape over time. But regular whipped cream will also be delicious! 
10. Top with peanuts, chocolate shavings, berries, a chocolate or peanut butter drizzle, or all of the above!