Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

We had the pleasure of meeting Ryan's parents and spending the night their house a few months back. Ryan's mom, NANA spoiled us while we were there! We were there long enough for her to cook two huge, gourmet meals that were delicious. She had this cheesecake and I loved it. I have made it two times and not one bite has been leftover either time. It is so good and looks really fancy. She has recently started a blog and is always posting yummy recipes.

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

6 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

FILLING:

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, divided

6 peanut butter cups, cut into small wedges (I used the small ones and cut them in half)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat peanut butter on high for 30 seconds or until softened. Spread over crust to within 1 in. of edges.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour 1 cup into a bowl; set aside. Pour remaining filling over peanut butter layer.

In a microwave, heat 1/4 cup fudge topping on high for 30 seconds or until thin; fold into reserved cream cheese mixture. Carefully pour over filling; cut through with a knife to swirl.

Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

Microwave remaining fudge topping for 30 seconds or until warmed; spread over cheesecake. Garnish with peanut butter cups. Refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12-14 servings.

Note: Reduced-fat or generic brands of peanut butter are not recommended for this recipe