Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Originally published in Taste of Home April/May 2014. After a coworker shared a recipe for a great bar cookie, I made it into a cheesecake using my standard recipe and tweaking it a bit. It’s a wonderful combination of sweet and salty.
Originally published in Taste of Home April/May 2014. After a coworker shared a recipe for a great bar cookie, I made it into a cheesecake using my standard recipe and tweaking it a bit. It’s a wonderful combination of sweet and salty.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- filling:
- topping:
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
- 32 nutter butter cookies 16 ounces
- 3 packages cream cheese softened, 8 ounces each
- 1 package peanut butter chips melted, 10 ounces
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts coarsely chopped, divided
- Carbohydrate 65.02897275 g
- Cholesterol 113.8682875 mg
- Fat 46.662775 g
- Fiber 3.84799997848645 g
- Protein 17.1998430625 g
- Saturated Fat 18.402355525 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (203g)
- Sodium 530.66621875 mg
- Sugar 61.1809727715135 g
- Trans Fat 11.7490964375 g
- Calories 727 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 325degrees. Place a greased 10-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan.
- Place cookies in a food processor; pulse until finely crushed. Transfer to a bowl; stir in melted butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in melted chips, milk and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
- Bake 45-55 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Top with marshmallows; bake 2-3 minutes longer or until marshmallows are softened. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer.
- In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, corn syrup and butter; cook and stir over low heat until blended. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Sprinkle 1 cup peanuts over cheesecake; top with peanut butter mixture.
- Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove rim from pan. Sprinkle remaining peanuts over top.
Why does a water bath matter for density?
Water surrounds the springform pan to insulate the custard from direct, aggressive oven heat. Without this moisture-rich thermal buffer, the outer edges of the cream cheese filling overcook and crack before the center reaches the proper temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Pouring one inch of hot water into the larger outer roasting pan creates gentle, uniform steam circulation that prevents the proteins in the cream cheese and eggs from seizing up into a grainy texture.
How do you achieve structural stability in the crust?
Processing the sandwich cookies into uniform crumbs ensures the melted butter distributes evenly without forming greasy pockets that refuse to set. Pressing the mixture firmly into the bottom of the ten-inch pan creates a dense foundation capable of supporting heavy layers of dairy, melted confectionery chips, and chopped dry-roasted peanuts without crumbling upon slicing.
Can this dessert accommodate dietary modifications?
Swapping standard ingredients for gluten-free sandwich cookies maintains the necessary structural integrity for the base. Selecting certified specialty brands ensures guests with celiac disease safely enjoy every slice while keeping the textural contrast intact.
