Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

I love cheesecake..... my hubby's birthday was coming up and knowing that he LOVES peanut butter when I ran across this recipe, I just knew I had to make it for him. It was YUMMO! I love the peanuts in the topping and in the crust...they added a bit of saltiness which is good in a rich cheesecake. I think next time I make this I will add a few more peanut butter cups... but it was still yummy.  I followed the recipe almost exact, but I did tweak just a bit taking some things that I had found on other recipes that sounded delish and adding to this recipe. If you make this just have plenty of friends around to help you eat it, it's rich so you can't eat a very big piece! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
**Please note--this is a Plan ahead cheesecake, it needs to chill for at least 4 hours

For the Crust:
4 1/2 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers
1 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar

To make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combined the crushed graham crackers, sugar, and peanuts with the melted butter. Pat the crust mixture into a 10-inch springform pan. Be sure to pat crumbs up the side of the pan. Bake the crust for 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool

For the Filling:
4 (8oz) packages cream cheese
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 Reese's Peanut Butter cups, broken into small pieces (I might try 2 packages mini reese's next time I make this)

To make the filling:
Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Next add the sugar, peanut butter and whipping cream; mix until smooth.
Stir in the vanilla, then gently fold in the peanut butter cups with a rubber spatula.
Pour the filling into the crust. Place in a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil (you want this to be one piece and fold up the sides, you are going to place the cheese cake in a water bath and don't want water to seep into the spring form pan) Place the aluminum protected spring form pan into a larger baking pan. Place in the oven and pour hot water into the bigger pan until it comes 1 inch up the spring form pan. Bake at 275 for 1-1/2 hours or until firm and lightly browned. (if cake is not quite set, turn oven off and let sit in oven for another half an hour) Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and aluminum foil.

For the topping:
1 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup  unsalted peanuts

Combine Sour cream, sugar and peanut butter , mixing until smooth.  Spread over cheesecake and return to the 275 degree oven for 5 minutes.
Let cool for one hour on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on the top. Refrigerate for another 4 hours before serving.
Enjoy!!!