Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two 12-mold muffin tins (24 molds total) with paper liners and lightly spray the liners with non-stick spray.
• Place 4½ cups Rold Gold Pretzels Festive Shapes in a food processor or blender and pulse until very fine crumbs. (You will only need 2 cups of crumbs for the crust; any extra crumbs are excess.)
• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the pretzel crumbs, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 6 ounces melted unsalted butter. Stir until evenly combined.
• Divide the crust mixture evenly among the 24 prepared liners. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of each liner to form the crust.
• Bake the crusts in the preheated 325°F oven for 5 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
• In the bowl of a food processor (or using a hand mixer), process 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese and 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (both at room temperature) until completely smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes.
• Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.
• Add 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks (at room temperature) and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Mix just until combined, about 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the processor/mixer and use a rubber spatula to stir the filling several times to ensure it is evenly blended.
• Divide the filling evenly among the 24 crust-lined molds, filling each mold until almost full.
• Bake the cheesecakes at 300°F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the oven door closed for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature. Once cooled to the touch, transfer the pans to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
• After chilling, remove the individual cheesecakes from the pans and place them on a serving tray or platter.
• To make the ganache, place 12 ounces finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 cup heavy cream just until it begins to boil. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and whisk vigorously until the mixture is melted and completely smooth.
• Spoon a small amount of the chocolate ganache onto the top of each chilled cheesecake, then place one Rold Gold Festive Shape pretzel (24 total) on top of each cheesecake.
• Refrigerate the finished cheesecake cupcakes until ready to serve. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.