#3397 - Killer Butterfinger Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 18 Oreo cookies; 1/4 cup butter (melted)

Batter: 3 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened); 1 cup white sugar; 3/4 cup Breakstone's sour cream; 1/2 cup Jif creamy peanut butter; 2 tsp. vanilla; 3 eggs

Topping: 5 regular size butterfinger candy bars (some for batter and some for topping)

Grease a 9" springform cheesecake pan with Pam. In a blender or food processor add the Oreo cookies a few at a time and beat them until you have crumbs. In a bowl add Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter--stir to mix. Press the mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the greased cheesecake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, then set aside. Unwrap all of the Butterfinger candy bars, break them into smaller pieces and place them in a blender or a food processor a few at a time--beat until they are chopped. Batter: in a mixer add cream cheese and white sugar--beat. Add sour cream, peanut butter and vanilla--beat. Add eggs--beat just until mixed. Remove bowl from mixer. Measure the chopped Butterfingers in a measuring cup--add 3/4 of the chopped Butterfingers to the cream cheese mixture--stir to mix. Pour the batter into the Oreo crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. Sprinkle the remaining chopped Butterfingers all over the top of the cheesecake. Optional: drizzle caramel ice cream topping over the top of the cheesecake before sprinkling the chopped Butterfingers over the top of the cheesecake.