Comfort Foods...Still

Our weather is still in the 50s during the day. Not that I'm complaining. I dread DC summers. The heat, the humidity, it's awful. I'm making the best of the weather by keeping up a comfort food diet. In the past week I've tried two new (to me) dishes: brownie bottom peanut butter cheesecake and homemade macaroni and cheese. I just winged the mac and cheese recipe, but I used the recipe below for the cheesecake.

Brownie Bottom Peanut Butter Cheesecake
(adapted from here)

For the Brownie Crust
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 mini peanut butter cups, halved
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a springform pan.
2. Stir together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl.
3. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well.
4.Spread in prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see below).
6. Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle halved peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over pieces. Turn down oven to 325°.

For the Cheesecake Filling
2 lbs cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
12 mini peanut butter cups

1. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add sugar, peanut butter and milk; mix until smooth.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Pour filling into prepared crust
6. Double-wrap springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in.
7. Place springform pan into a larger baking pan.
8. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
9. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour.
11. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably 24 hours) before decorating with the peanut butter cups.

The flavor of the cheesecake was relly good, but I thought it was a little dry. If I make this again (and Chuk would like me to) I will probably only bake it for an hour.