No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake with a Peanut Butter Cookie Crust

No-bake Nutella Cheesecake

Umm, guys, I can’t stop eating dreaming  wanting nutella. Well, nutella and peanut butter that is. I can’t have one without the other. I use to just eat spoonfuls of peanut butter, and be perfectly happy, but now my peanut-butter-smothered spoon demands to be dunked into nutella. I don’t know if you’ve ever dealt with peanut butter smothered spoons, but they can be quite persuasive when they want to be. Real sweet talkers. You just can’t say no to them.

It could also be that I don’t want to say no. Fine, I’ll admit it. I’m a peanutbutternutellaaholic.

And, as a pbnaholic, I accept a few things to be true. The first being that peanut butter and nutella are having their moment and I shouldn’t try to stop them. The second thing is that I accept that my spoon will now have to be dunked in both creamy substances before I can eat it. And, lastly, I accept the fact that both my jar of peanut butter and nutella are cross contaminated with each other. Surprise surprise, I can’t really find it in me to be bothered by this fact either. Really, it means less mixing for me, which means, more spoonfuls finding their way into my mouth.

Tell me how that sounds like a problem?

Exactly, my wonderful friends, it doesn’t.

No-bake Nutella Cheesecake

I know, I know, I’m fashionably late to the nutella party. My bad. I just wasn’t into it before. At all. I didn’t even want to try it. How ridiculous of me, right? But, then I finally bought a jar, had a tentative spoonful, decided it needed some peanut butter, and the rest is history. Well, maybe not, considering I can’t forget it.

Like I can’t forget these Peanut Butter & Nutella Pastry Puffs I made last week.

Like I won’t forget to buy a new nutella jar at target.

Like I’ll never forget about this cheesecake.

No-bake Nutella Cheesecake

This cheesecake. I. LITERALLY. CAN’T. EVEN.

Let me explain.

A homemade peanut butter cookie crust. I won’t even deny the fact that I made peanut butter cookies for the sole purpose of crumbling them up and using them as a crust. Or, that I made three different batches of varying sizes (large, small, and mini) just so that I would have the perfect sized peanut butter cookie as a topping for my cheesecake. What, you don’t think that’s normal? Awkward.

The peanut butter cookie crust is then topped with the most decadent and velvety no-bake nutella cheesecake in the world. Two words here people: rich and nutellaly—let’s pretend that’s a real word. Can I say one more word? Creamy. So, so, creamy. The ricotta cheese is to thank for that one. Yes, you heard right, ricotta cheese. Funny story, I had intended to add mascarpone cheese to this cheesecake, but accidentally grabbed ricotta instead. I got distracted by samples at Trader Joe’s. Can you blame me? It turned out to be a glorious mistake anyways. And, then of course, there’s whipped cream and the {perfect sized} mini peanut butter cookie on top.

No-bake Nutella Cheesecake

I repeat, I. CAN’T. EVEN.

No-bake Nutella Cheesecake with a Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
Yields: 4 large servings

Ingredients:
20 mini (or, about 9 larger) peanut butter cookie crumbs (I used this cookie recipe)
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 (8 oz.) blocks of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups Nutella
4 to 5 tablespoons ricotta cheese (depending on texture and taste use more or less)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla
whipped cream & mini peanut butter cookies, for garnish

Directions:
Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs, until just combined. Divide the crumb mixture equally between serving glasses, lightly pressing into the bottom of the glass. Set aside.
In the bowl of the stand mixer with whisk attachment whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla, to taste, beating until just combined. Scrape into a separate bowl and set aside.
Using the same bowl you whipped the heavy cream in, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add nutella, mixing until incorporated, and then the ricotta cheese–add more or less depending on how velvety you want it. Using a spatula fold in the whipped cream mixture until just incorporate. Taste your cheesecake as you go and alter the taste for your preference, if you think its to rich add more whipped cream to lighten it up.
Spoon or pipe nutella cheesecake evenly into serving glasses, making sure to smooth the tops. Let chill for about two hours in the fridge.
Top cheesecakes with fresh whipped cream and a mini peanut butter cookie. Enjoy!

 

No-bake Nutella Cheesecake

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{No-Bake} Eggnog Pudding Pie With A Rum Drizzle

Eggnog Pudding Pie

So,

I don’t know exactly what to say.

I don’t even know how it happened, really.

It just did.

Christmas miracle?

Maybe.

This is the second year that I’m posting an eggnog themed dessert to kick off the holiday season. And, yes, I know I’m about two weeks late for the kick off. It’s been busy for me. Very, very busy.

Eggnog Pudding Pie

Two things I need to point out here.

ONE. This is the second holiday season we are spending together. Awhhhh guys, have I told you lately that I love you? Cause, I totally do. And, I’m really happy you’re all apart of my life. Seriously. Thank you.

TWO. For those of you that didn’t know, I don’t like eggnog. I know, how ridiculous. Or, not really, because I’ve met quite a few anti-eggnoggers over the years. It’s just not my thing. And yet, here I am, making another eggnog related dessert. What can I say? I’m complicated like that.

Eggnog Pudding Pie

What I really wanted to make was something with gingerbread. I had been dreaming of gingerbread filled desserts—cronuts, mini pies, candies, truffles—but for some reason I kept circling back to eggnog pudding pie. It could be that I love pudding or even that I’m a huge fan of pie. But, I really think it comes down to this: there are currently three containers of eggnog sitting on the top shelf of my fridge. It’s the first thing I see any time I open the door. Those cartons, just staring at me, giving me the stink eye.

I was over it.

So, naturally, I made eggnog pudding pie.

Eggnog Pudding Pie

Each glass (aren’t these glasses the cutest things?) has a generous layer of graham cracker crust that is topped with a creamy, nutmegy (have I told you I constantly have the desire to add two g’s to nutmeg every time I write it?) eggnog flavored pudding, which is then topped with an excessive amount of whipped cream and drizzled with a rum sauce. I repeat, rum sauce.

Eggnog Pudding Pie

Basically it’s a party in glass. A really, really, festively tasty party.

You know, I may knock on eggnog by itself, but it seems eggnog desserts aren’t half bad. It may have something to do with the rum.

Okay, fine, you got me, it has a lot to do with the rum.

And, come on, is there really anything wrong with that?

Eggnog Pudding Pie

No-Bake Eggnog Pudding Pie with a Rum Drizzle
Yields: About 3 cups

Ingredients:
Eggnog Pudding Pie
2 cups light (or, regular) eggnog
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

Rum Drizzle & Topping
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
whipped cream, optional

Directions:
Eggnog Pudding Pie
In a small bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter until moistened. Spoon crumbs into the bottom of the glasses (or, the container of choice) and set aside.
Combine the eggnog, cornstarch, sugar, and nutmeg in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a bubble and whisk constantly. When the mixture thickens–it’ll be the consistency of country gravy–remove it from the heat and transfer pudding into a bowl.
Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap and let chill for about 35-40 minutes or until set.
Once set, spoon or pipe the pudding on top of the graham cracker crumbs.

Rum Drizzle & Assembly
While the pudding is setting, make the rum drizzle. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, rum, and butter. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil for 1-2 minutes, or until the brown sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
Once cooled, pipe whipped cream on the pudding and then drizzle generously with the rum sauce.

*Eggnog pudding slightly adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

 

Eggnog Pudding Pie