Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cheesecake

I can't really take credit for this recipe. At all. I didn't make a single part of it. It wasn't even my idea. I'm pretty sure my only contribution was taking pictures. And eating. But it's so good that whether I had a hand in it or not, I've got to share it.

So my friends and I like the show Supernatural on the CW. And by like I mean completely and utterly obsessed. Show quoting, marathon watching, convention going (DallasCon!) obsessed. When Kelli suggested that we have a Supernatural Marathon weekend, I was totally game. Especially when we decided that dessert was most definitely involved. My vote was for pie (if you watch the show, you understand), while Tommy voted for cheesecake. So, of course, we made both. Sorry Sam and Dean (and Cas. And pie.), you might be the stars of the show, but this cheesecake was the star of the weekend.

Since Kelli doesn't do much in the way of baking, Tommy and I packed up half our kitchens (mixers, waffle irons, ingredients, and all), and took our baking and cooking shows on the road. Pretty sure the neighbors thought I was moving out with the amount of stuff I was hauling to the car. But it was so worth it. We fired up the mixer and the DVR and set off on a Supernatural baking adventure, with Tommy leading the charge, Kelli as sous chef, and me just playing paparazzi.

Layer upon layer of deliciousness. We're talking 8 layers here. EIGHT! In all their peanut butter and chocolate glory. 

Mountains of peanut butter cups. And surprisingly we only sacrificed 3. For quality control purposes only, of course. 

Oh the unveiling anticipation! Pretty sure we opened the fridge to check on it about 85 times in the 4 hours it took to chill.

Brownies + hot fudge + peanut butter cheesecake + brownies + peanut butter cheesecake + whipped cream + peanut butter cups + hot fudge = HOLY MOTHER OF YUM. And don't even try to calculate how many calories are in this. It's probably about a week's worth of the recommended daily amount. So we just won't talk about that.

We ate our slices standing at the counter. If no one was watching, I might not have even bothered with slices. I probably would have just taken a fork and dove in. But I'm a bit more civilized in the presence of company. (Well, that is if you can overlook me standing on a chair like a crazy person taking pictures.. That's just what happens when you invite a food blogger to a party.)

So, whether you're reveling in your fandom with good friends, or celebrating the upcoming Valentine's Day (with company or alone--either way works), this cheesecake is not to be missed! It's easy to throw together, practically no-bake, and honestly, we're probably not still going on that whole New Year's resolution thing, so what are you waiting for? You NEED this cheesecake.

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Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cheesecake
From Cookies and Cups
Makes one 10-inch cheesecake



1 (19.5-oz) package brownie mix (prepared according to package directions)
1 cup hot fudge sauce, slightly warmed, divided
2 (8-oz) packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
12 peanut butter cups, chopped

1. Bake brownies in a 9x13 baking pan according to package directions. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
2. While brownies are cooling, make filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine heavy cream and powdered sugar, whipping until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. In the mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add peanut butter and beat until well combined. Add sweetened condensed milk, mixing until completely incorporated. Reserving 2 cups of the whipped cream for the topping, fold remaining whipped cream into peanut butter mixture until smooth and evenly incorporated.
3. When brownies have cooled, slice into about 12 bars. Set 3 bars aside. Crumble remaining bars and press into bottom of a 10-inch springform pan to form the crust. Pour ¾ cup of slightly warmed hot fudge sauce onto brownie base, spreading to within an inch of the edges. Spread half of peanut butter mixture onto the base, smoothing the top. Crumble remaining 3 brownies into bite sized pieces and sprinkle over top of peanut butter mixture. Top with remaining peanut butter mixture, spreading to the edges and smoothing the top. Spread remaining whipped cream over the top of the cheesecake, and sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups. Drizzle with remaining ¼ cup of hot fudge sauce.
4. Chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, up to overnight. Once chilled, remove from the fridge. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to release. Remove sides of the Springform pan and slice to serve.