Brownie Sundae Cheesecake

I made this recipe from Hershey’s Kitchens for a family celebration. It’s a longer process than most cheesecakes as you first bake the brownies that are then poked into the creamy cheesecake before it is baked. But Oh My Gosh! YUMMY! There was not a bite of this left.

One thing I noticed about this cheesecake in comparison to other cheesecakes I’ve made… This one was super creamy and very springy. I’m not sure how else to describe the texture; you’ll have to make it yourself to understand what I mean.

Directions:
1) Make your favorite brownie recipe – or use the one below.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8 or 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Cut 1 cup of 3/4 inch pieces. (Ah! Snacking brownies left over!)

2) Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST, below.

Combine 1-1/2 cups (about 45 wafers) vanilla wafer crumbs, 6 tablespoons powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons HERSHEY’S Cocoa and 6 tablespoons butter or margarine (melted). Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1/2 to 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 minutes; cool slightly.

Ingredients for the cheesecake:
4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/4 cup REESE’S Chocolate Peanut Butter Topping (note: I could not find the chocolate peanut butter topping. I melted 1/4c fondue chocolate- both Hershey’s and Baker’s make this- with 2T peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or so)

3) Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared crust.

4) Sprinkle brownie pieces over cheesecake surface; push pieces into batter. Drop topping by teaspoonfuls onto surface of cheesecake. With knife or metal spatula, swirl gently through batter for marbled effect. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan; cool.*

* I prefer to cool my cheesecake completely and refrigerate it before removing the springform pan. This is, of course, personal preference. I find it is easier to remove the pan after the cheesecake is chilled.

Watch my video about cooking your cheesecake in a waterbath to keep it from cracking.