Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a favorite dessert for kids and adults alike, but when it includes ingredients like chocolate and peanut butter, it becomes way too kid-friendly to resist! But aware of the fact that you should not let your kids indulge in large portions of dessert every now and then, I was happy to find this toned-down bite-sized cheesecake version, courtesy of Technicolor Kitchen, which uses digestive biscuits as a base for the chesecake, and instead of making one giant recipe, you can make these small cheesecake bars which are great for a sweet tooth, without resulting into overindulgence.

This recipe calls for good quality sour cream, because it forms the basis of the sweet and creamy filling, as well as the topping. Also, make sure you use only smooth peanut butter for the filling, otherwise you'll end up getting a lumpy texture, not the smooth and velvetty one seen in the photo above. These are ideal for a potluck or picnic as they can be individually wrapped and stay fresh for a few days, more if refrigerated.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients
Yields 12 bite-sized pieces

For the Base:
140g digestive biscuits
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the Filling:
300g cream cheese
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

For the Topping:
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan then line the bottom and sides with 2 pieces of foil, leaving a 2inch overhang on two opposite sides. Butter the foil as well.

Base: process the biscuits until ground then add the butter; process again until mixture resembles wet sand. Turn it out into the prepared pan and press into the bottom to make the crust. Put in the fridge while you make the filling.

Filing: place the cream cheese, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, sour cream, peanut butter and vanilla in the clean bowl of the food processor and process until very smooth. Pour into the base bake for 1 hour, though check after 50 minutes: the top only should feel set and dry.

Take the cheesecake out of the oven while you make the topping.

Warm the sour cream and chocolate with the brown sugar gently in a small saucepan over a low heat, whisking to blend in the chocolate as it melts, and then take off the heat. Spoon and spread the topping very gently over the top of the cheesecake, then put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

Once out of the oven, let the cheesecake cool completely in the pan over a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Carefully lift cheesecake from pan using foil overhangs and cut into 16 squares.