Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake - Gluten free

This recipe is brought to you from our forum member ClintNeufeld
Thank you Clint for the great recipes!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
1 1/2 hours | 30 min prep | SERVES 12

CRUST
2 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

FILLING
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
Stir together crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press mixture onto bottom of a 9-in. springform pan.
Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Turn oven temp up to 450 degrees F.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl on med. speed w/a mixer until smooth.

Place peanut butter and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high for 45 seconds. Stir. If necessary microwave at High for an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until peanut butter is melted when stirred.

Add peanut butter mixture to cream cheese mixture, beating until blended.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla.
Pour mixture into prepared graham cracker crust.

Bake 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temp. to 250 degrees F; continue baking 40 minutes.
Remove from oven to wire rack, with a knife loosen cake from side of pan.
Cool completely; remove side of pan.

Prepare chocolate ganache, by heating milk in a saucepan and taking off heat, then adding chocolate. Stir gently until chocolate has melted. Add butter in pieces, stiring until the butter is all melted.

Spread ganache over the top, covering completely.
Refrigerate before serving, at least 1 hour.

The original recipe from Recipezaar (http://www.recipezaar.com/67162) called for peanut butter chips, which I refused to do. I tried it with 2 cups of peanut butter instead, and I think that was too much. So I reduced it in this recipe to 1 3/4 cups, instead. Use your own discretion.

The original recipe also called for a "chocolate drizzle"... Heck with that, if I'm eating something like this, it's all or nothing! So I used my chocolate ganache, and the amount on top was just about perfect.

This is another very rich recipe; a little goes a long way. I'm not responsible for any blown diets! At the same time, if you're feeling deprived because you're on a gluten free diet, this should fill a few cravings!