Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
These delicious little cheesecakes combine chocolate and
peanut butter. Use plain or chocolate graham crackers for the crust,
and make them in a mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms or lined
muffin cups.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, plain or chocolate
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
PREPARATION: Heat
oven to 375°. Lightly spray a mini cheesecake pan with baking spray or
line a standard muffin pan with foil liners or double paper liners.
Combine graham crackers with brown sugar and melted butter.
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Pat into the bottom of lined muffin cups or mini cheesecake
pans, about 1 1/2 tablespoons in each cup. A small glass bottom, a
pestle, or other tool will make tamping easier. Bake for 5 minutes; set
aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy; beat in sugar and then the eggs. Beat in vanilla just until blended.
Melt chocolate in a bowl or double boiler insert over simmering water.
Put about 1/3 the cream cheese batter in a separate bowl; stir in peanut butter until blended.
To the other half of the cream cheese, add the melted chocolate.
Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of the peanut butter batter into each
muffin or mini cheesecake cup. Spoon about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of the
chocolate batter over the peanut butter batter. Gently swirl the
chocolate batter into the peanut butter batter with a toothpick or
small spatula.
Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until set.
Cool in pan on a rack then chill thoroughly before removing from cheesecake pan.
Makes about 24 mini cheesecakes.