Peanut Butter & Nutella Cheesecake

I love peanut butter and it has to be one of the very few foods that I would find hard to live without. During pregnancy it was so difficult and I craved peanut butter on toast, despite trying all the nut butters on the market they just wouldn't match up to the real stuff. When I saw Sian's lovely cake I immediately wanted to make something with peanut butter in (I'm waiting until my birthday to make the cake), and so, after a rummage in the cupboards and fridge, I rustled up a cheesecake. 


The family was divided on the result. Sam, who loves peanut butter on toast, didn't like the cheesecake and said that he sees peanut butter as being more of a savoury thing - he usually has one slice of peanut butter on toast and one slice of marmite on toast and alternates which he takes a bite off. He would happily eat all my Reese's peanut butter cups though! Hanna on the other hand is much like me, she just likes peanut butter, whether it be a pb & j sandwich, a peanut butter cup, on toast or crackers, or with slices of apple. She loved the cheesecake. The husband, who says he absolutely hates peanut butter, does like Snickers bars and never notices the odd spoonful of peanut butter added to a stir fry or curry. He loved the cheesecake and had the odd very small slice as a treat, due to his diabetes. On the whole the cheesecake doesn't have much added sugar in though and I'm wondering whether it could be very almost diabetic friendly due to the low GI of peanut butter. (I am of course no expert though!)
Jack, of course, refused to try it!

Peanut Butter & Nutella Cheesecake

220g Digestive biscuits
50g butter, melted
250g Ricotta
300g Full Fat Philadelphia Cream cheese
40g Caster sugar
75g Peanut Butter
85g Nutella
Cocoa Powder for dusting

• Crush the digestives in a food processor, or place them in a sealed plastic bag & bash with a rolling pin
• Stir in the melted butter and mix well
• Press into the bottom of a loose bottomed or springform cake pan - I find it easiest to put a sandwish bag over my hand and press down firmly with my fingers
• Place the base in the fridge or freezer whilst you make the filling
• Whisk the cream cheese with the Philadelphia and sugar until light and fluffy
• Divide the mixture into approximately half
• Whisk the peanut butter into one half and the Nutella into the other
• Pour the peanut butter filling onto the base and smooth over
• Then pour the Nutella filling into the pan and smooth over
• Return to the fridge for an hour or two to firm up
• Just before serving remove the cheesecake from the pan and sift cocoa powder over the top