Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecakes

It's hard to believe that we are in the second week of November already!
I've been going through my recipes trying to figure out what I'm going to make
for Thanksgiving this year.  Mixed Potato Gratin is one of my favorite side dishes
along with my mom's stuffing of course! We're going to my brother's house with about
20 other relatives so there will be lots of food to go around!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Food, family and friends - what's not to like!
I've been so lucky to make many friends in the blogging community over the years and
this year Meghan from Cake 'n Knife and Susannah from Feast + West have invited me to
celebrate Blogsgiving dinner with them and 60+ other bloggers. Blogsgiving is based on
an old-fashioned potluck dinner party, with each blogger bringing one or more dishes to
the party, so stop by and see each of them for some fabulous Thanksgiving recipe ideas!
You can see all of the recipes as they appear here and here.

I like to bring mini bite-size desserts to Thanksgiving dinner.  You don't feel quite as
guilty eating them and you get to sample a variety of sweets!

I use this pan to make mini cheesecakes.  I love it and it makes perfect bite size
cheesecakes every time!  I made mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes a couple years ago and
they are delicious too!

I hope you enjoy all of our Blogsgiving recipes and thank you Meghan and Susannah for
hosting this fun get together!

Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecakes

Crust:
1/2 C ground salted mini pretzels
1/2 C ground graham crackers (about 4 crackers)
1/2 T granulated sugar
1/3 C butter, melted

Peanut Butter Cheesecake:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 T sour cream
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 C smooth peanut butter
1 T heavy cream

Topping:
3 oz. dark chocolate, melted
pretzel crumbs
mini peanut butter cups, chopped

Directions for crust:  In a food processor, pulse pretzels and graham crackers until
ground.  Transfer them to a bowl and add sugar and melted butter.  Stir to combine
until crumbs are moistened.  Divide between 12 mini cheesecake molds, using a
rounded tablespoon of crumbs for each cheesecake.  Press crumbs with a tart shaper
to put crust into mold.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.
Slowly add sugar and then the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, peanut butter
and heavy cream.  Mix until smooth.  Using a medium cookie scoop, fill mold
evenly with cheesecake filling.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until set.
Cheesecake may puff up while baking, but will flatten once cooled.  Let baked
cheesecake cool to room temperature in the cheesecake pan.  Transfer to fridge
and let chill for at least 1 hour.

Once cheesecakes are chilled throughout, remove them from the mold.
Spoon melted chocolate over top of each cheesecake.  Sprinkle with pretzel
crumbs and chopped mini peanut butter cups.  Serve immediately.  Chocolate
will harden as they set. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Yield - 12 mini cheesecakes

recipe slightly adapted from The Little Epicurean