Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mousse Cheesecake

Are you looking for a crazy, decadent, over-the-top in deliciousness, dessert?  Well then look no further.  Seriously.  I have you covered right here.  This cheesecake is heaven.  I am a lover of all things  peanut butter and chocolate (who isn't though, right?!), so this was right up my alley.  You know, when my husband and I were dating, he claimed to be a hater of cheesecake.  I thought he was completely nuts and it was almost a deal breaker for me.  I mean, how could I be with someone who wouldn't share a slice of cheesecake with me?!  Thankfully, I have since converted him (yeah, I'm taking credit for it) and he now loves it...as long as it is high quality and totally rich.  And let me tell you, he loved this!  He even had a piece for his after-church snack today and he does NOT do left overs of any kind!  My favorite part was the peanut butter mousse.  It balanced perfectly with the rich chocolate and ganache layers to create a little bit of heaven in every bite.  Make this as soon as you can, but make sure you have someone to share it with...and maybe a tall glass of milk.  This is insanely delicious!  You will love it!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mousse Cheesecake

1-1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (like Oreos)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Mousse Layers

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

5 ounces cream cheese softened

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1-1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped, divided

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 milk chocolate candy bar (3.5 ounce), chopped

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2/3 heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter.  Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan.  In a bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth.  With a spatula, fold in 1-1/4 cups of the whipped cream.  Spread over crust.

Place bittersweet and milk chocolate in a bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring sugar and milk just to a boil.  Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Cool to room temperature.  Gently fold in remaining whipped cream.  Spread over peanut butter layer.  Cover and freeze for 2 hours or until firm.  

For ganache, place chocolate in a bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a boil.  Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Cool to reach spreading consistency, stirring occasionally.  Spread over cheesecake.  Refrigerate until set.  With a knife, loosen cheesecake from the springform pan and remove rim.  Serve.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe Source:  Adapted from Taste of Home

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Peanut Butter-Banana Whoopie Pies

My family has been hit majorly hard with a bug this past week!  I was sick the entire time we were in Disneyland!  We have been home for days and I still can't kick this thing!  I was even stuck in bed on my birthday for the whole day!  I didn't even have the strength to make myself a cake!  It was a sad sad way to enter the last year of my 20's!  I guess I will just have to find another excuse to make a decadent and yummy dessert!  Anyways, this sickness has caused me to be useless in about every facet of life right now...except laying on the couch and ingesting rather large amounts of popsicles...I've got that down okay.  I have not cooked a real meal for my family in what seems like an eternity!  I'm hoping to get back to that tomorrow.  So for tonight I will leave you with these delightful little whoopie pies that I baked up several weeks ago.  I think peanut butter and banana are a match made in heaven and these combine both flavors perfectly.  This was my first experience with whoopie pies and I thought they were a pretty fun little treat to throw together, and I'm excited to try out many more combinations!  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter-Banana Whoopie Pies

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Filling:
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  In a small bowl, combine banana and buttermilk.  Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with banana mixture.  Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until set.  Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and butter until fluffy.  Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Spread filling on the bottoms of half of the cookies, about 1 Tablespoon on each.  Top with remaining cookies.    Dust with additional confectioners' sugar.  Store in the refrigerator.  I would suggest removing pies from the fridge about 10 minutes before consuming. They are much more delicious when closer to room temperature than cold.

Recipe Source:  Taste of Home

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Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

 I baked these sweet things up a couple of weeks ago, and I'm not quite sure what has taken me so long to post them.  They are good...really good.  These are the second of the two decadent peanut butter desserts that I mentioned in this post a couple of weeks ago.  I don't know about you, but I love me a good peanut butter cookie.  Now stuff one of those peanut butter cookies with a mini Reese's peanut butter cup, drizzle it with some milk chocolate, and that good peanut butter cookie has now become down right irresistible.   Like I said, these are really good.  Make them!  Please!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

*Just a couple notes about this recipe.  The dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before baking, so make sure to plan ahead.  Also, it says to bake on an ungreased cookie sheet, but I always grease because I am terrified of stickage (yes I just made that word up), and they turned out beautifully.  Also, the original recipe said that reduced-fat or generic brands of peanut butter are not recommended for this recipe.  I don't know why...just thought I should pass that along to you, lest you make these and they turn out bad and I am blamed...haha!

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 package (13 ounce) miniature peanut butter cups

Drizzle:

1 cup (6 ounce) chocolate chips (the original recipe called for semisweet, but I used milk because that's   the best chocolate there is...in my ever so humble opinion.)

1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon shortening

In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Combine the flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Roll into 1-1/4 inch balls.  Press a miniature peanut butter cup into each; reshape balls to make sure the chocolate is completely covered.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.  

For drizzle:

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and shortening; stir until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled cookies. 

Recipe Source: Taste of Home 

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Peanut Butter M&M Cupcakes

I have two delicious, decadent, and incredible peanut butter treats that I could share with you tonight, and it was a tough choice which one to go with!  They are both crazy good and totally unhealthy!  Just keepin' it real here.  But, come on people.  I said peanut butter M&M cupcakes...as in a peanut butter cupcake stuffed with whole peanut butter M&Ms that soften on the inside during the baking process, but somehow are still able to keep their crunchy candy coating shell, that are then topped with an insanely creamy and rich chocolate frosting.  How can that be healthy?!  It cannot.  So step off the healthy track for a minute (if you are on it; if not, even better), eat an M&M cupcake, and realize it was totally worth it!  I strongly encourage you to eat these babies with a tall glass of milk.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter M&M Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 (18.25 ounce) Yellow or white cupcake mix
1 cup sour cream (light is fine, don't use fat free)
3 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 cups peanut butter M&Ms

Frosting:

1/4 cup melted butter (no substitutions)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated or regular milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.  Combine all cupcake ingredients, except M&Ms into a large bowl.  Using an electric mixer on medium low speed, mix for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl frequently.  Turn the speed to high and beat for another 3 minutes.  Gently fold in the peanut butter M&Ms.  Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full.  Bake 18-22 minutes or until tops are golden.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the chocolate frosting by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl and beating them together on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.  Top each cupcake with frosting and, if desired, an extra M&M.

Recipe Source:  Adapted from Our Best Bites.

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