Peanut Butter Cheesecake

by Jane Devonshire

"I make no apologies for this cake – it is laden with calories in every way! It is, however, Ben’s favourite (my son), and I make it for very special occasions. It is not difficult, as the only cooking involved is melting the chocolate for the topping. Feel free to decorate the top of the cheesecake with crushed peanut brittle, chocolates, gold leaf – whatever takes your fancy! – or just leave it plain. If desired, you can halve the mixture and make individual cheesecakes in muffin trays – they’re great fun, although a little fiddly."

Extract from Hassle Free, Gluten Free by Jane Devonshire (Bloomsbury Absolute, £22) Photography Mike Cooper

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 300g gluten-free digestive biscuits; I use 2 packs of gluten-free Hob Nobs
• 150g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 x 340g jar of gluten-free crunchy peanut butter (i like the texture but use smooth if you prefer)
• 280g cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
• 125g icing sugar
• 150ml double cream
• For the topping: 100g gluten-free dark chocolate
• 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped
• 100ml double cream

Method

1. In a food processor, blitz the biscuits to a fine crumb. Combine the blitzed biscuit crumbs with the melted butter, then use the mixture to line the bottom and halfway up the sides of the tin. Place in the fridge for 30–40 minutes until set and hard.
2. Put the peanut butter, cream cheese, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar into a food processor and whizz until fully combined; alternatively you can use an electric hand whisk for this.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the double cream until soft peaks appear. Take a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and, using a spatula, gently fold into the cream, trying to retain as much air in the mix as possible. Repeat until all of the peanut butter mixture is incorporated into the cream.
4. Add the mix on top of the crumbed biscuit base, being careful not to disturb the sides. Place in the fridge and chill for 2–3 hours until set. You can freeze this now, or keep it covered in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
5. For the topping, place the chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the cream in a pan until just boiling, then pour over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
6. Take the cheesecake straight from the fridge and pour over the ganache, working from the centre outwards. Return to the fridge for 30 minutes or until the chocolate is set.
7. Remove the cheesecake from the tin – you will probably need to carefully run a knife around the edge of the cake – and serve.