We went to a Mommy and Me at a local outdoor shopping square, and I have to be honest. It was pretty uneventful. There was a stage where a bunch of mothers were singing along to a CD player blaring “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” The rest of the square was littered with local vendors trying to lure us into their stores. That was slightly more appealing, but I couldn’t justify walking into adorable boutiques with breakable items while I was dragging sticky people around.
By the time we got home, I was having a major sugar craving. Luckily, this cheesecake was at the ready in my freezer. I made it a couple of weeks ago, served half of it to guests, ate a couple of slices, and froze the rest. And boy, has it been coming in handy for those hot tired days when I come home ready to collapse!
As is the case when I make cheesecake, this guy is over the top. Yes, this cheesecake is male. He’s covered in Rolo, Snickers and Reese’s minis. And hot fudge. Hel-lo, lover.
The base is my usual go-to for cheesecake. Along with the usual graham cracker crumbs and butter and brown sugar, I melt in peanut butter chips. It’s like a cookie holding up my cheesecake. Because we don’t want anything to be flimsy, ya know?
And yes, the base of the cheesecake is a little lighter. But it has to be. How else could I justify piling on all that candy? So there. Consider this indulgence slightly less indulgent. But it’s still pretty insane. Even with freezer condensation. I love frozen cheesecake.
Evening has come to my happy home, and as the children shriek away, the remaining cheesecake (maybe a slice at this point) sits in the freezer, ready for me when I need it. Tomorrow, Camp Mommy is going mini-golfing. I’m pretty sure the cheesecake will be reappearing at about three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.
So give this a shot! It’s summer vacation. We all need a break!
Crust:
Filling:
Topping:
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan and place on a cookie sheet.
Melt the butter and peanut butter chips in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth, and then mix in the brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs until the mixture is moist and crumbly. Press the crust firmly into the pan, working the crust slightly up the sides.
Bake the crust for 5-10 minutes until set.
While the crust is baking, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add the egg whites, egg, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice and beat once more until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in half of the package of each kind of mini chocolate candy.
Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust and bake for 50 minutes. Do not open the oven while baking or cracks will appear on the surface. The cheesecake should be golden at the edges and firm in the middle.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool. Sprinkle the remaining peanut butter cups, Rolos and Snickers evenly over the surface and then drizzle with hot fudge sauce.
Chill for three hours (or preferably overnight). Slice into wedges and serve!
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