Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Oreo Crust:

            1-1/2 c ground oreo cookies

            5 T butter

            3 T confectionary sugar

Spray springform pan and wrap in several layers of tin foil around the bottom. Pack crust – put 3 layers of foil around it and cook 10-14 minutes at 350.

Filling:

4 8-oz cream cheese, softened

5 eggs, room temperature

1-1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar

1 c smooth (Jif!) peanut butter (not natural style; it won’t work)

½ c whipping cream

1 T vanilla

6 2-packs of Reese’s peanut butter cups

Beat cream cheese with brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, peanut butter, then whipping cream and vanilla.

Pour half into crust. Top gently with whole peanut butter cups then add remaining filling. Put springform pan (wrapped in several layers of tin foil) into larger pan with water 1” or 1-1/2” up the side and bake for 1-1/2 hours or until done.

Remove from oven and water bath and let cool completely.

Refrigerate until chilled. If you want to remove it from the springform pan, do so not, being careful to separate crust from bottom when transferring to cake plate.

Topping:

You may make your own hot fudge for the top or drizzle top with Sanders hot fudge or dark chocolate ice cream topping. Decorate with Reese’s peanut butter cups cut in half.