Char's Decadently Rich PB/Choc Chunk Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup SF smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup almond or hazelnut meal
1 tsp. (equivalent to 3/4 cup) liquid Splenda
1 extra-large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
24 ounces cream cheese, at room temp (you want it very soft)
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons DaVinci Sugarfree Peanut Butter syrup
1 teaspoon (equivalent to 3/4 cup) liquid Splenda concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup SF smooth peanut butter
4 whole extra-large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, all at room temp
4 ounces chopped SF chocolate - white, milk, or dark

Preheat oven to 350*. Use a 9" springform or removable bottom pan. Spray pan insides well with nonstick cooking spray.

Crust:

Mix together all crust ingredients, press into bottom and about 1" up sides of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until barely starting to brown around the edges. Let cool.

Put pan in center of 2 large pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil; fold up around pan sides to prevent seepage while in the water bath.

Reduce oven temperature to 300*. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a roasting pan large enough to hold the springform (water bath).

Filling:
With a wire whisk, combine the cream cheese and Splenda until well blended, scraping sides often. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Add peanut butter and whisk til well-blended. When completely mixed (with no lumps), add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, whisking only until incorporated. Don't overmix - this is a leading cause of cracked cheesecakes and why I prefer the wire whisk to a mixer. Gently blend in your choice of chocolate. Don't overmix - this is a contributing cause of cracked cheesecakes!

Then place the springform pan into the larger roasting pan and place on oven rack - fill the larger pan about halfway with the boiling water. This is called a water bath. It is a gentler way to cook the cheesecake. You can skip this but your cheesecake will be MUCH more likely to crack and will not have the same dense rich texture!

Bake for 1 hour at 300*, then reduce heat to 200 degrees for 1 more hour. Turn oven off, prop door ajar with a wooden spoon, and leave cheesecake in until the oven is completely cool. Remove foil, and refrigerate at least 12 hours - cheesecakes continue to "age" into their flavor so don't be tempted to eat it too soon!

This is a very rich, very dense, moist cheesecake. I made it with SF white chocolate chunks but next time I'd use SF milk or dark for more contrast.

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Veni, vidi, velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.

Save the Earth - it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!

Char! That looks amazing.
I will have to do some serious Netrition-shopping in the near future and make this. Thank you so much for sharing...and please DO post this to the database. :cook:

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Trina

Vice-President of the Intergalactic Order of Brussels Sprouts Haters

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OMG that looks so good! I wish I could bake like that.

Oh, Char! This looks and sounds fantastic.

I can't wait until I have an exuse to make one!

Thanks, cybersis!

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Zowie, Char! That makes me droooooool!

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BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Wow that looks and sounds delicious. Thanks.