Add ingredients for base to a food processor and blitz together until mixture resembles a crumb (about a minute or so). When it clumps together in your fingers easily it is ready.
Remove blade from food processor and use a teaspoon to fill each hole in a 12 hole mini silicone muffin tray. Use damp fingers to firmly press crumbs into base of mold. Add additional crumbs, pressing down into mold so that base is approx. half the mold and there is half left for the filling
If there is any mixture left over from the base that doesn’t fit into the molds, roll it into yummy snack balls.
Filling
If your cream cheese is verry soft and pliable you won’t need a food processor to mix the ingredients together (I didn’t use the food processor to make this filling as my cream cheese was at room temp)
Add softened cream cheese, peanut butter and honey to a mixing bowl and use a spoon to mix together
Use a small spoon to add filling onto base, pressing in with back of a spoon to make sure there are no air bubbles. Smooth off the tops with the back of a knife.
Cover with foil and let them set in the fridge overnight for for 6 to 8 hours
Removing from Molds
Use a butter knife to go around the edge of the mold of each cheesecake to loosen, cleaning the knife in between each one. Then gently use knife to lift each cheesecake out onto a plate for decorating
Decorating
Don’t attempt to add the toppings until the cheesecakes have set properly otherwise the filling will still be too soft.
Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl until only just melted (no boiling or overly hot)
Use a teaspoon held at about 30 cm/1 foot height to drizzle chocolate lines in a zig zag pattern back and forth, then add a few granulated peanuts on top before chocolate sets.
Storage
Store cheesecakes flat in a single layer in an air tight container for upto 5 days in the fridge
Notes
Medjool Dates: the soft, juicy and almost caramel like texture of the medjool dates are perfect for making cheesecake bases. Make sure to remove the seeds from the dates before putting them into the food processor, or alternatively you can buy dates that have already been putted.
Walnuts: Doesn’t matter if you buy whole walnuts, or the ones that are already crumbled. You can substitute walnuts for pecans also.
Peanut Butter: Use a good quality natural or sugar free peanut butter at room temperature. I prefer to use smooth peanut butter but you could certainly use a crunchy peanut butter also for extra texture in the filling. The peanut butter adds to the creaminess of the cream cheese and gives it an extra richness.
Honey: this is how the cheesecake is sweetened. Peanut butter and honey work together beautifully and the honey is subtle and understated in this recipe as the hero flavour is definitely the peanut butter.
Cream Cheese: I left my cream cheese out on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours to come to room temperature before making the filling so that it was pliable enough to work with, without having to use a food processor. I don’t recommend microwaving cream cheese to soften it and this will affect the overall consistency. Letting it soften naturally at room temperature yields the best results.
Sugar Free Dark Chocolate: I tend to use a sugar free chocolate bar melted in the microwave for 30 to 50 seconds. If you can’t find sugar free chocolate, you can use 70% or 80% dark Chocolate
Granulated Peanuts: this is for decoration on top and you really don’t need many. Make sure to not use salted peanuts as this will take the sweetness away and will make them too salty. If you can’t find granulated peanuts in the shop, buying unsalted peanuts and chopping them up will also work, or you can add a little crumbled walnut instead.