PATRICIA'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP CHEESECAKE

 Our favorite locally-owned restaurant called Roxanne's Cafe offers a Reese's peanut butter chocolate pie that we really like. So much so that I have tried for several years to duplicate it. They have told me what the ingredients are but because they make several when they make it, I haven't been able to reproduce it with the same results. Until now...well almost. Wayne says he likes mine better but we won't tell Roxanne that. 

Last Friday night was our turn at hosting our small Tasty Bunch group. We meet once a month at a restaurant for dinner which has been chosen by one of the couples. After dinner we proceed to the house of the host and have dessert and more fellowship. I had several desserts I wanted to try and am not really sure what made me decide on the peanut butter pie. But after each "husband" told me what a winner my dessert was, I'm glad I chose it. I'll do the other ones next time.

I found a recipe for a frozen peanut butter pie that I started with and then I got creative. I had some peanut butter cups left from before Christmas and I had a sugar-free chocolate instant pudding mix, but I wanted to use a chocolate fudge mix so I had to go to the grocery store to get it. I wanted another sugar-free one but they didn't have it. I had placed the chocolate fudge mix in my cart when I noticed on the top shelf an instant pudding mix by Dove that was dark chocolate. (I am not paid to say this.) I just love their dark chocolate wrapped candies. Well, I immediately removed the other box and replaced it with the Dove brand mix. I think that made the difference in my end result. 

I also chopped up some of the peanut butter cups and added some whipped topping. I took the easy way out and used ready-made graham cracker crusts. I just don't have confidence in my homemade crust. Seems like the crust doesn't stick together like the bought ones do. I almost forgot to say I made two pies. What's better than that? Now I have another whole pie since I cut the one Friday night into 6 pieces. Guess my friend Fran will end up with part of the second one. But I think it will be a while. I just decided to leave it in the freezer for a week or longer. That way I will know how it stays frozen and I can make it again.

PRINT the recipe.

PATRICIA'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP CHEESECAKE

1       8-oz  1/3 less fat Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature (or cream cheese)

1       cup peanut butter (I used no-sugar-added peanut butter)

1       cup powdered sugar

1/2    cup milk (non-fat works fine)

2       8-oz tubs sugar-free whipped topping (or regular)

10     peanut butter cups, unwrapped and finely chopped (I used the smaller individually wrapped ones - just use as much as you like.)

1       (4-serving size) box of chocolate-fudge instant pudding mix (I used a Dove dark chocolate instant pudding mix)

1-1/2 cups milk (non-fat is fine)

2       graham cracker pie crusts

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese til fluffy. (Beat on high several minutes, don't hurry it. You want a lot of air in it.)

Add the peanut butter and sugar.

I sifted the powdered sugar into the mixture. Stir slowly so the powdered sugar doesn't go everywhere. Then increase the speed of the mixer to medium high or high to make it fluffy again.

Then slowly add the milk on a lower speed at first, then you can increase the speed. You want this part of the pie to not be heavy and by beating it well, it will be lighter tasting.

Clean the beaters and

stir to make sure you have the ingredients completely blended.

Fold in one of the tubs of whipped topping until completely blended.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two crusts.

Chop up the peanut butter cups (5 miniature wrapped ones) and

sprinkle over the two pies. Gently press the pieces down into the pie.

Cover and freeze for one hour.

Just before the hour is up, make the pudding using the mix with the 1-1/2 cups of milk.

Whisk until thick.

Remove the pies from the freezer and remove the covers.

Spread the pudding mix over the top of both pies. This will be a thin layer which was fine with us. If you want a thicker layer of chocolate pudding, you will need to use two boxes of pudding and 3-1/2 cups of milk.

Re-cover and return to the freezer for another hour or at least an hour before you are ready to serve.

I used the cover that comes with the prepared crust which doesn't allow for a very thick pie, so I waited until I was ready to serve them to add the whipped topping and additional chopped peanut butter cups.

Actually, I cut the pieces first and then added the topping to each cut piece and sprinkled the additional chopped candy on top. 

Get ready for an experience!