Mini Reece's Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Mini Reece's Peanut Butter Cheesecake - yes, I did this.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 14 crushed Oreos (1 sleeve of Oreos from Costco thru food processor)
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts (send thru food processor)
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Filling

• 1 lb cream cheeses, softened
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup whipping cream (I used sour cream)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (diced into small pieces)

Topping (simple ganache)

• 5 ounces milk chocolate chips (or three 1.5 ounce Hershey bars)
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 24 cup mini-muffin pan w/ mini-muffin papers.
2. Crush Oreo cookies in food processor, put in small bowl. 
3. Grind peanuts in food processor, then combine w/ crushed Oreos and melted butter. 
4. Pat a scant teaspoon into each mini mini muffin cup liners. [Smush down with a tamper, your fingers, or ..]
5. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs to cream cheese, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl.
6. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
7. Dice peanut butter cups into small pieces. 
8. Drop a few pieces into each cup before filling w/ cream cheese mixture.
9. Drop a rounded teaspoonful or so of filling into each muffin cup. (Or small cookie scoop)
   Option: After filling each cup, place 1/8 piece of SIX regular size Hershey bars (in pieces, perhaps w/ diced Reese's cups) on top of each mini cheesecake. Sprinkle w/ extra cookie filling crumbs. You can skip the ganache frosting.
10. Place both pans in pre-heated over, cook for about 15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, let cool a  minute or two in the pan.
12. Remove mini cheesecakes from pan, cool on wire rack.  (Can also place in refrigerator after cooled.)
13. Melt chocolate gently in a microwave. (Break up Hershey bars first if using them.) Blend in 1/4 cup sour cream.
14. Using pastry brush, spread ganache over tops of COOLED mini cheesecakes. Refrigerate overnight.

Carole's Notes:

The alternate version may look like this:



The recipe is lightly adapted from http://grinandbakeit.com/reeses-peanut-butter-cheesecake-nests-not-just-for-spring