A Visual Step-by-Step Recipe

By Cara Miller

Slow Cook your way to your Valentine's Heart this year with this chocolate & peanut butter sensation! With minimal ingredients, a slow cooker, aluminum foil and mini-springform pans we've created this visual recipe for you to follow!

Ingredients

Crust:

•   1 cup chocolate or regular graham cracker crumbs
•   2 tablespoons brown sugar
•   3 tablespoons butter

Filling:

•     12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
•     2/3 cup brown sugar
•     2 large eggs
•     1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
•     1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
•     1/2 teaspoon vanilla
•     1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted (semisweet or milk chocolate)

Supplies

• 6qt. Oval Slow Cooker
• Mini Spring Form Pans (www.paderno.com has heartshaped pans)
• Aluminum Foil

1. Prepare Crust bottom by combining cookie crumbsor graham crums with melted butter and brown sugar.  Pat down inside your mini springform pans. I used a spoon to keep the crumbs even in the pans.

2. Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and cream in stand mixer or use a hand held mixer until smooth. Then add eggs beat for 2 minutes, then vanilla & peanut butter mix for another 2 more minutes. Be sure to use a spatual on the sides of your mixing bowl to loosen up the cream cheese on the side.

3.  Next create aluminum foil racks to set your pans onto in the Slow Cooker.  If you have a rack that will fit on the bottom of your Slow Cooker that will work as well.  This will help to alleviate your crust from getting too hot and burning.

4. In a seperate bowl melt chocolate chips in microwave. Set aside for a moment.  Pour or scoop all but 1/2 cup of the batter into your springform pans. Next add melted chocolate chips to remaining batter and add to the batter in the springform pans.

5. With a knife gently swirl the chocolate batter in the pan, be careful not to hit the bottom of the pan and upset the crumb bottom.  Set the pans on top of the racks inside your Slow Cooker.

6. Cover and cook on high for 2* hours (*time will vary in different slow cookers). Turn heat off and leave for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until cooled enough to remove or use oven mitts and set on counter. Cool completely before removing from pan.

7.Chill before serving, and store leftovers in the refrigerator. Decorate with Valentine chocolates and other embellishments. Enjoy!