It’s no secret that we’re peanut butter and chocolate fans. That salty/sweetness may be our favorite dessert combination (confession: soooooo as a kid, I, the mom, would remove most of the chocolate from around the peanut butter centers of any Reese’s cups I’d procured during the holidays and proceed to smoosh all the peanut butter together and eat it in one giant ball. I know: wow). While pumpkin and fruit pies are all well and good, our first choice is something chocolate-based. This is the best chocolate peanut butter pie we’ve made, partly because the peanut butter is so prominent. It’s right there at the bottom, so it’s the first real flavor you get after the crumbly crust. Then you get the creamy, pudding-like chocolate layer, which is fabulous and extra satisfying because you’ve actually cooked it yourself and whipped it into submission (love that line from Julie & Julia!). Then comes a thick layer of homemade whipping cream (please, never use Cool Whip. See below how to make homemade whipping cream). This is truly a pie that you can be proud of.

Tip (unsponsored): We use mini semi-sweet Ghirardelli chips so we don’t have to chop chocolate.  Be sure and adhere to the direction to whisk half the hot milk into the egg mixture – don’t dump it all in from the get-go. This is called “tempering the eggs,” which introduces the eggs to some heat so the eggs can acclimate a bit before being hit with more heat. Failure to do so may result in scrambled eggs, and that would make your pie gross. Also, be sure to whisk constantly once you add the egg mixture to the milk. On this induction cook top, it took us 4 minutes and 45 seconds to reach the consistency of pudding once we added the rest of the egg mixture to the hot milk, stirring constantly. It takes us a few more minutes when cooking it on the stove top. It is done when it’s the the consistency of pudding.

To make homemade whipping cream, use a hand mixer to whip 2-3 cups of heavy whipping cream (usually comes in a milk carton-looking container in the dairy section) until soft peaks form. Then add a teaspoon of vanilla and ½ cup powdered sugar (or more, to taste). Mix again until you’ve reached the desired consistency. If your cream begins to move from smooth to clumpy, you are over-mixing).

You can make this pie in stages if you don’t have a chunk of time together: bake the crust, make the peanut butter layer later, and the chocolate layer later or the next day. Make the whipping cream just before serving.

Coffee intensifies the flavor of chocolate. If you are like us and don’t drink coffee but use tiny amounts to cook with: I’ve been known to bring a tiny sample cup of 2 T. coffee home with me from Sprouts. Tee-hee-hee. Right or wrong, I figure it doesn’t matter to them if I take it home with me to make a scrumptious pie or throw it down my gullet in the store. 1 tsp of coffee grounds would work fine too if you have a coffee-drinking neighbor. Or, just omit it!

Have your kids help you break up the chocolate graham crackers to put in the food processor (or you could put them in a gallon freezer bag to hit with a mallot). They can also help sprinkle the pie with more chocolate chips and peanuts.

Adapted slightly from: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

 

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Author: Food Network Kitchen

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 9 inch pie

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 30 chocolate wafer cookies or 14 graham cracker sheets
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Peanut butter layer:
• 1 cup peanut butter
• ⅓ cup confectioner's sugar
• Chocolate layer:
• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons brewed coffee, cooled (or 1 tsp grounds)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 Chocolate Crumb Crust
• Homemade whipped cream, shaved chocolate and peanuts, for topping (optional)

Instructions

1. Crust:
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grind the cookies and sugar in a food processor. Add the melted butter and pulse until moist. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake until firm, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool before filling.
3. Peanut butter layer:
4. Beat the peanut butter with the confectioners' sugar until smooth and spread in the crust.
5. Chocolate layer:
6. Heat the milk in a large saucepan until hot but not boiling. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in the egg yolks, coffee and vanilla. Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture until smooth, then gradually whisk the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 3 to 6 minutes (you want it to be the consistency of pudding). Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly, stirring a few times to prevent a skin from forming.
7. Pour the filling into the crust; press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill until set, at least 4 hours. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

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