Peanut Butter Pie

I have always been one of those girls who is adored by her boyfriends’ (and boy-friends’) mothers. Sometimes it’s been a good thing, and other times it’s been detrimental (might even have caused a guy or two to turn tail and run – I have no idea why, ha ha). There have even been occasions where I was more disappointed about losing the mom than losing the guy. Regardless, if I got nothing else, I got some good recipes along the way. This peanut butter pie came from one of those wonderful moms, and is one of the best recipes in my dessert repertoire.

I’ve taken this pie to countless dinners and parties over the years, and it never fails me. It’s become one of Eli’s favorites, and for good reason. Anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter (and don’t we all?) gobbles this up and comes back for more. The best I can do to describe it is to say it’s a cross between a Reese’s peanut butter cup, a Tagalong Girl Scout Cookie, and peanut butter ice cream. Yum. Just yum.

The original recipe involves Cool-Whip and standard peanut butter. I’ve modified it to meet my “as natural as possible” standards, substituting real whipped cream and natural peanut butter in place of their polymer-filled and partially-hydrogenated counterparts. I think my version is an improvement, but of course, if you prefer Cool-Whip, by all means have your plastic and eat it, too. And no, it’s not low-fat in any sense, but the recipe takes well to reduced-fat peanut butter, fat-free Cool-Whip, fat-free cream cheese, and Splenda, if you feel the need to go that route. I’d rather have a teeny slice of natural than a big hunk of chemical, but that’s just me.

Peanut Butter Pie

For the crust:
1-1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or chocolate graham cracker crumbs)
6 tablesoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you’re starting with whole cookies, either place them in a zippered plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, or put them in the bowl of a food processor, and process. In the bottom of a pie plate, stir together the cookie crumbs, butter, and vanilla with a fork, and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake 6-8 minutes, and cool completely before filling.

For the filling:

16 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces softened cream cheese (room temperature is fine)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
3/4 cup raw sugar dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons milk (warm gently in the microwave if necessary)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Using a mixer, whip the cream on high until stiff peaks form. Remove to a separate bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well until fully combined. Fold in the chilled whipped cream. Pour into the prepared crust and top with chocolate sprinkles or a dusting of cocoa powder. Chill in the freezer until firm but not frozen (about 1/2 to 1 hour). Serve immediately. If you’re making this for a party, or it will inevitably sit out for a while before being eaten, freeze completely, and take it out of the freezer an hour or so before serving.