CRISPY PHYLLO PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE CUPS

Courtesy of Eric D. Aber, Chef/Owner Home Grown Cafe

Ingredients

20 oz. Cream cheese      
8 oz. Cream       
2 oz. Powdered sugar     
20 oz. Peanut butter      
45 Athens Mini Fillo Shells    
0.5 oz. Vanilla extract       
16 oz. Chocolate, dark     
2 oz. Peanuts, chopped     

Let the cream cheese come up to room temperature. In a chilled medium bowl, whip cream and sugar together until peaks form. Refrigerate immediately. In a large bowl, mix softened cream cheese with peanut butter and vanilla. Gently fold in whipped cream. With a rubber spatula fill the shells and scrape off any extra so the filling is level with the top of the shell. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a small metal bowl, melt chocolate over hot water (160-180ºF) until it reaches 114ºF. Remove from heat and let cool to 80ºF then bring the temperature up to 88ºF and hold there.  One at a time dip the filled shells into the chocolate so that bottom half of the shell is covered and the top half is left exposed, like a black and white cookie. Top with the chopped peanuts. Set onto a wire rack to cool.

TIPS
Can be frozen then thawed slightly and served Semifreddo.