No Bake Rocky Road Cheesecake

Today was KMOV TV Great Day St. Louis day and here's the recipe for this easy to make no bake cheesecake.

Ummmm cheesecake – everyone's favorite. But getting it to come out is another matter. Do you use a water bath or not? How do you prevent it from cracking? Or do you just give up and buy one? What if you could make a great cheesecake and not have to worry about the baking part? We're not talking about just any cheesecake, but rocky road with chocolate, salted peanuts and marshmallows finished with a gravel top of peanuts and chocolate and caramel sauce? Now there's no reason not to make one. Oh, and you can tell everyone you baked this perfect cheesecake and soak in all the compliments. No one will know this was a no bake cheesecake except you and me!! And I'm not tellin'!!

Another cheesecake to check out is the Definitive Bailey's Cheesecake - although a traditional cheesecake, it is supberb!

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Chocolate Crumb Crust
1 ⅓ cups graham cracker crumbs (buy them in crumbs or run the crackers through a food processor (170 grams or 6 ounces)
¼ cup cocoa (25 grams or 1 scant ounce)
½ cup unsifted powdered sugar (55 grams or 2 ounces)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (114 grams or 4 ounces)

Spray a 9" cheesecake pan or springform mold. Set aside.

Sift the cocoa and powdered sugar together in a bowl. Add the crumbs, mixing well. Add the butter and toss with a fork until the crumbs are completely coated. Place the crumbs in the bottom of the pan and press them in firmly. Set aside.

Rocky Road Cheesecake
⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips (100 grams or 3 ⅓ ounces)
½ cup roasted and salted peanuts (58 grams or 2 ounces)
⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips (85 grams or 3 ounces
1 cup 40% or heavy cream
2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 – 12 ounce can condensed milk (Not Evaporated)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup mini marshmallows (45 grams or 1 ½ ounces)

Melt the ⅔ cup chocolate on half power in the microwave or in a double boiler and set aside.

Chop the peanuts and remaining chocolate chips coarsely. Set aside.

Whip the cream to fairly stiff peaks. Remove from the bowl and set aside.

Place the cream cheese in the mixing bowl and beat until soft and light. Slowly add the condensed milk in about 4 additions, scraping often. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla.

Fold in the whipping cream and then the chopped chocolate, peanuts and marshmallows.

Pour over the chocolate crumb crust. Smooth the top.

Gravel Topping – optional but really, really good!
½ cup peanuts (58 grams or 2 ounces)
½ cup chocolate chips (75 grams or 2 ½ ounces)
Caramel Ice Cream Sauce

Place the peanuts and chocolate chips in a food processor and pulse until they are cut in resembling gravel. Spread over the top evenly.

Freeze the cheesecake 6 hours or overnight.

Remove from the pan. This is easily done if using either pan by using a hair blower on high to go around the sides of the cake. If you are using a cheesecake pan place the cheesecake on a can such as a 28 ounce can of tomatoes and slide the side down. Go under the crust with a log straight spatula and transfer to a serving plate. For how to photos go to https://pastrieslikeapro.com/2013/10/apple-crisp-cheesecake.

Let it sit at room temperature about 30 minutes to make cutting easier. Serve drizzled with caramel ice cream sauce.

Serves 12 to 14