Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake
 
 
THM:S, low carb, sugar free, gluten free (use non-contaminated ingredients)
Author:
Serves: 14-16
Ingredients
Crust:
Cheesecake:
  • 3 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese (softened)**
  • 1 pint sour cream
  • 1½ c. natural peanut butter (well-stirred and creamy)***
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2 T. THM Super Sweet Blend
  • 2 T. THM Gentle Sweet (or more, to taste)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • -
  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 tsp. cream of tartar
Ganache:
  • 75g 85% dark chocolate (3 sections from the Moser Roth brand chocolate found at Aldi)
  • ¼ c. heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ c. unsweetened almond milk
  • 2-3 tsp. THM Gentle Sweet (or more, to taste)
Instructions
  1. IMPORTANT: Bring the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs to room temperature before making the cheesecake.
  2. Crust || Whisk the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring every 20-30 seconds so the chocolate doesn't burn. (I do this in the microwave, but a double boiler works too.) Add the chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Press into a greased 10" springform pan and bake at 350* for 5 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325*.
  3. Cheesecake || Beat the first section of ingredients together until smooth. Taste and add more sweetener if desired. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cheesecake mixture until the two are just mixed together. Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the crust and smooth the top. Place the springform pan in a large piece of wide tinfoil to protect the bottom from leaking, then put this contraption into a larger pan filled with ½-1 inch of water. Bake at 325* for one hour or until set, then turn the oven off, open the oven door, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another ten minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, let it cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.
  4. Ganache || The next day, make the ganache. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler, stirring often. Add the Gentle Sweet, then whisk in the cream and almond milk 2 tablespoons at a time. Whisk until emulsified and smooth. Spread or pipe the ganache onto the cheesecake, then refrigerate to firm up the ganache. Serve.
Notes
*If you don't have my baking mix on hand, you can use THM Baking Blend but you'll need a little extra since it doesn't soak up as much liquid as mine does. The crust mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
**Using full-fat cream cheese and sour cream will help prevent your cheesecake from cracking, but they are higher calorie than the reduced-fat versions. Either will work.
***I usually use Smucker's brand from Walmart, but make sure it's stirred well and isn't really thick or the cheesecake will be dry.
Recipe by Briana Thomas at https://www.briana-thomas.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-cheesecake/