Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Caramelized Banana Topping

Ingredients

• 7  banana firm ripe
• 0.5 cup butter unsalted diced room temperature (1 stick)
• 24 ounce cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter with only peanuts and salt) (smooth)
• 4 large eggs 
• 0.3 cup cream sour
• 0.5 cup brown sugar packed ()
• 18  graham crackers whole
• 0.8 cup sugar 
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• roasting pan
• aluminum foil
• springform pan

Directions

1. Position rack in center of ovenand preheat to 350°F.
2. Combine brokengraham crackers, diced butter, and sugarin processor. Blend until crumbs sticktogether. Press crumb mixture onto bottomand 2 1/2 inches up sides of 9-inch-diameterspringform pan.
3. Bake crust until golden,about 12 minutes. Cool crust on rack.Maintain oven temperature.
4. Beat cream cheese andpeanut butter in large bowl until blendedand creamy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add bothsugars and beat until fluffy, about 3minutes. Beat in vanilla, then eggs 1 at atime, then sour cream. Scrape cheesecakebatter into crust.
6. Stack 3 large pieces of foil on worksurface and place springform pan incenter. Fold foil snugly up sides of pan.
7. Place springform pan in roasting pan.
8. Add enough water to roasting pan to come1 inch up sides of springform pan.
9. Bake cheesecake in water bath untilsides are puffed and center is set and edgesare beginning to brown, about 1 hour 25minutes.
10. Place hot cheesecake directly inrefrigerator; chill uncovered until cold, atleast 6 hours and up to 1 day.
11. Whisk diced butter andsugar in heavy large skillet over mediumlowheat until butter melts, sugar dissolves,and smooth caramel sauce bubbles thickly,about 4 minutes. Slice bananas into1/2-inch-thick, 2-inch-long diagonal slices,discarding ends. Working in batches ifnecessary, add banana slices to skillet insingle layer and cook over medium heatuntil heated through and coated, turningonce, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Usingforks, carefully transfer banana slices totop of cheesecake, arranging in concentricoverlapping circles.
12. Let cheesecake standat room temperature up to 1 hour beforeslicing and serving.