CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUP CHEESECAKE

A couple of months ago, I tried several times to reproduce a pie that a cafe we often eat at makes and serves. They call it a Reese's Peanut Butter Pie. I finally decided to give up ... at least for a while. When the farkle group was meeting at my house last week, I found this recipe called Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake in a new cookbook I got at an estate sale the Friday before. 

The Healty Exchanges Cookbook is called Dessert Every Night! by Jo Anna M. Lund with Barbara Alpert. It contains "more than 200 mouth-watering, easy-to-make puddings, pies, cakes, cheesecakes, cobblers, cookies, brownies, and breads that are as good for you as they are good to eat". The person who owned the cookbook had marked this recipe and had written "Good" on a post-it at the bottom of the page.

The pie was similar to the one I had tried to reproduce except for the cream cheese. I had asked at the cafe and they told me it did not have cream cheese in it. Since the gathering was going to be small (only 5 of us in all), I thought a pie would be perfect for me to try.

I did decide to top the pie with the leftover whipped topping and even place a few chocolate chips and peanut butter chips on top. That's what Roxanne's does to their pie.

You don't have to use the sugar-free products, but I would recommend that you use the instant dry milk.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUP CHEESECAKE

1         (8 - ounce) package fat-free cream cheese
6         tablespoons reduced-fat chunky peanut butter
1          teaspoon vanilla extract
1          (4 - serving) package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1-1/3    cup nonfat dry milk powder (divided)
2          cups water (divided)
1/4       cup sugar-free whipped topping
1          (6 - ounce) chocolate pie crust (I used a graham cracker pie crust)
1           (4 - serving) package sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix

In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spoon until soft. (If the cream cheese is at room temperature, this is easy to do.)

Blend in the peanut butter and vanilla.

Add the dry vanilla pudding mix, 2/3 cup dry milk powder, and 1 cup water. 

Mix well using a wire whisk.

Blend in whipped topping.

Spread mixture into pie crust.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry chocolate pudding mix, (I did this first) and 

then the remaining 2/3 cups dry milk powder, and remaining 1 cup of water. Mix well with wire whisk.

Spread mixture evenly over peanut butter layer. (This layer will be a lot thinner.)*

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve.

*I refrigerated the pie at this point. (the day before I planned to serve it). 

This is how Jo Anna planned to serve it. And you could also. 

But...the next morning I spread the rest of the whipped topping (8 - ounce carton) on top. Then I placed a few chocolate chips and peanut butter chips on top. I returned it the refrigerator and served it that afternoon.

I was concerned (always am when I cut the first piece) that the serving might not come out clean, but they did.