With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time to talk turkey…and stuffing, and gravy, and squash, and mashed potatoes. And, of course, dessert. While pie is absolutely imperative in my opinion, sometimes it’s also nice to add something unusual to the spread.
This scrumptious cheesecake combines two traditional flavors of fall: warm spices and sweet pumpkin. While it will appeal to the pumpkin-pie purists, the peanuts and chocolate add a unique twist that will tempt any anti-pie folks sharing this delicious holiday with you.
Chocolate, Pumpkin, and Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1½ hours, plus 6 hours minimum to chill
Servings: 1 (10-inch) cheesecakes serves approximately 14–16
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for pan
- 2 cups roasted peanuts, finely ground
For the cheesecake batter and fillings:
- 1½ lbs. cream cheese
- 1 cup honey
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1½ cups pureed pumpkin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips
For the topping:
- 5 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 2 cups sour cream
- ½ cup honey
- Whipped cream, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Brush a 10-inch springform pan with melted butter. Line bottom and sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Use a food processor to finely grind the peanuts, but be careful not to over grind or you’ll end up with peanut butter. Place the ground peanuts into a bowl and stir in the melted butter. Using wet hands, press into the base of the prepared springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand-mixer, food processor, or hand-held mixer, whip cream cheese and 1 cup honey until very smooth. Add eggs a few at a time, whipping well between each addition to incorporate. Add vanilla and whip until very smooth. Divide cheesecake batter between two bowls.
- Add pumpkin and spices to one half of the batter and blend well. Add peanut butter to remaining half and whisk until smooth. Spoon alternating dollops of peanut butter batter and pumpkin batter atop the prepared crust. Once both batters have been used up, swirl lightly with a knife or skewer. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Bake about 1 hour, until cheesecake is puffed but still slightly jiggly. Leaving the oven on, remove cheesecake. Cool on a rack for about 15–20 minutes.
- While the cheesecake cools, prepare the topping. Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over boiling water, stirring with a dry spoon until smooth. Remove from heat. Add sour cream and ½ cup honey to the melted chocolate and whisk until smooth. Gently spoon topping around the edge of the cooled cheesecake. Using a spatula, carefully spread towards the center until the cheesecake is completely covered and the topping is smooth. Return to oven to bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Set cheesecake on a rack and cool to room temperature. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours. Remove from pan. For clean slices, cut servings with a hot knife.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
To choose your organically grown and fresh ingredients wisely, use the following criteria:
- chemical- and hormone-free meat
- wild-caught fish
- pasture-raised, organic eggs
- whole, unrefined grains
- virgin, unrefined, first-press organic oils
- whole-food, unrefined sweeteners
- pure, clean, spring water
- sea salt
- raw and/or cultured milk and cream products
