Peanut Butter Cookie Chocolate Cheesecake

... AKA the Stuff of Dreams!

Cheesecake-topped cookie? Cookie-based cheesecake?

I 'invented' this delightful heart-attack-on-a-plate in a spurt of creativity, borne from the monotonous drudgery of Equity and Trusts revision. What can I say? I really needed chocolate!

It's basically what it says in the title - indulgent chocolate cheesecake with a peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie base. The saltiness of the squidgy, chewy peanut butter cookie contrasts beautifully with the rich, tangy sweetness of the chocolatey cream cheese on top - Heaven!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
Ingredients
100g gluten free plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
65g caster sugar
85g peanut butter
20ml olive oil
1 egg yolk
handful of dark chocolate (70%) chunks
1-2tbps milk, if needed

1. Line a cake tin or baking tray with grease-proof paper, or use muffin cases for individual portions
2. Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl
3. Beat together the peanut butter, oil and about half the sugar in a bowl, then mix in the egg yolk
4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined - add a tablespoon of milk if the mixture is too dry
5. Spread to 1-2 cm thick on the tray/tin, and pop in the oven at 170°C for 5 minutes, while you make the cheesecake...

Chocolate Cheesecake 
Ingredients
40g caster sugar
100g Lactofree cream cheese
45g dark chocolate (70%) 
1 egg white

1. Break the chocolate into a microwaveable dish and melt at low-medium power in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time
2. Whisk the egg white and sugar with an electric whisk until thick and forming meringue-like peaks
3. When the chocolate has melted, use the mixer to quickly combine it with the cream cheese
4. Gently fold in the egg white
5. Spread the cheescake mix over the half baked-cookie (leave a 1cm margin around the edge if the cookie doesn't meet the side of the tin) and bake for another 5-7 minutes at 170°C
6. This is delicious warm from the oven, but I think it is best served chilled - After cooling, transfer to an airtight container, or a plate and cover in clingfilm, before putting it in the fridge. 

I tried out individual 'cheesecakies' in paper cases - they took a minute or so less to cook