Thanksgiving Dessert: Chocolate - Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Reading this recipe from Nigella Lawson's new book ‘Kitchen’, I felt a bit taken aback. As much as I love chocolate and peanut butter together, incorporating it into a cheesecake seemed over the top. Even Nigella herself had reservations about it. She writes: “I feel a bit apologetic for the overindulgent vulgarity that is this cheesecake here. But, really, why should I be sorry? You won’t be once you’ve eaten it; though perhaps I should warn that it’s not for the faint-hearted. Unashamed indulgence, wallowingly so, is what this recipe is all about.”




So why did I try it anyway? Well, it's Thanksgiving day (which is not celebrated in Europe, but I can't resist making a Thanksgiving dessert each year) and a cheesecake seemed like the perfect Thanks Day dessert. I always like making cheesecakes, or should I say, I like serving them, because the people around me seem to get high off the cheesecakes I bake and shower me with compliments. And I am 100% sure I'll get them this time as well, because this cheesecake is a dessert-lover's dream! Rating: 5 out of 5.




Chocolate - Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Nigella Lawson - Kitchen

Ingredients for base:
- ½ (14-ounce) box graham crackers (2 cups crumbs)
- ½ cup salted peanuts
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons soft unsalted butter

Ingredients for filling:
- 2 (8-ounce) bars cream cheese
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter

Ingredients for topping:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 9-inch springform pan

*All the ingredients should be at room temperature before you start.

Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Process the crackers, peanuts, bittersweet chocolate chips, and butter in a food processor. Once it comes together in a clump, turn it into a springform pan and press into the bottom and up the sides to make the crunchy crust. Put it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- Add all the filling ingredients to a food processor and pulse until it becomes a smooth mixture.
- Pour and scrape the filling into the crust and bake for 1 hour, checking after 45 minutes. The top, only, should feel set and dry.
- Take the cheesecakes out of the oven and set aside while you make the topping. Warm the sour cream and milk chocolate with the brown sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat. Gently whisk to blend in the chocolate as it melts, then take the pan off the heat.
- Spoon and spread the topping very gently over the top of the cheesecake, being as careful as you so as not to break the surface. (Not that anything bad will happen; you'll just have chocolate marbling the cake a bit.) Put it back in the oven for a final 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and cool. (My cheesecake topping took about 8 hours overnight to set.) Slice and serve.
- Make Ahead: Make the cheesecake up to 2 days ahead. Cool and chill as directed. Do not cover until completely cold, then cover with a plate or plastic wrap, making sure that the covering does not touch the surface. Unmold and serve as directed in the recipe. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days total.
- Freeze Note: The cheesecake can be frozen for 1 month. Make sure it is thoroughly chilled then wrap, still in its pan, in a double layer of plastic wrap and layer of aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and eat within 2 days. A small amount of condensation may appear on surface of the cheesecake after thawing, but it is still fine to eat.



If you have any concerns or reservations about making a cheesecake that is
so overindulgent, just watch Nigella Lawson making it. She'll win you over.