Black-Bottomed Peanut Butter Pie

If you like peanut butter and chocolate together, you WILL like this dessert. It’s very rich, very peanut-buttery, and seriously easy to make. It is, however, bad for your health. I’d serve this in 10-12 slices instead of 8. Very occasionally you can have too much of a good thing, and the flavor here is so delightful I don’t think it takes a huge amount to enjoy your dessert.

I had put this recipe on homebeccanomics in 2011. I realized as I scanned the original that I never even wrote out the recipe in it’s entirety – helloooo? I DID however remember how much I absolutely loved it, and I think my shaky camera, bad lighting, and scattered recipe-style caused the pie shame. Welcome to the light, pie. You deserve a spot in the high-calorie sun.

A graham cracker crust followed by a “black bottom” layer of chocolate ganache. Next up, a creamy, rich, just-sweet-enough peanut butter layer. To top it all off, a dusting of crushed honey roasted peanuts and some reserved ganache. No Cool Whip, thanks. Did you know that the first two ingredients of Cool Whip are high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil? It’s true. Let’s pass on that and take in some heavy cream, short-ingredient-list, your-grandmother-would-recognize-the-words calories. All enjoyed at the Memorial Day BBQ – hi Kate, Lins and Julie 🙂

Black-Bottomed Peanut Butter Pie

Serves 10-12

Crust

1 package honey graham crackers (9 full sheets)

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

Chocolate Layer

1 1/3 c. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

2/3 c. heavy cream

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Peanut Butter Filling

1 c. smooth peanut butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsp. milk

1 c. heavy cream

2 tbsp. granulated sugar (regular white sugar)

For Assembly

1/2 c. honey roasted peanuts, finely chopped

1. For crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In food processor (or in gallon freezer bag using a rolling pin), grind sugar and crackers to powder.

2. Melt butter in a medium glass mixing bowl. Add crumbs and mix, using rubber spatula, until evenly combined. Press evenly into 9 inch pie plate and up the sides.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until fragrant. Cool uncovered until barely warm, then cover with plastic wrap until ready to use (will be fine up to 24 hours at room temperature).

4. For chocolate layer, microwave chips, cream, and corn syrup in 30 second increments, stirring well in between each, until smoothly melted. Add vanilla and stir to combine. RESERVE 1/4 c. OF CHOCOLATE MIXTURE. Pour remaining mixture into crust. Let it splash a bit up onto the sides. Set into freezer for 10 minutes to set.

5. Meanwhile, use whisk to combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.

6. In a second bowl, beat 1 c. heavy cream and 2 tbsp. sugar with whisk attachment on electric mixer until stiff peaks form in cream when you lift mixer out of the bowl. First whisk 1/3 of the cream into the peanut butter mixture, then fold the rest in gently.

7. Scrape onto chocolate layer and smooth to edges.

7. Scatter chopped peanuts across surface of pie. Heat reserved 1/4 c. chocolate mixture until pour-able and drizzle over surface of pie in zigzag pattern. Chill up to 24 hours, lightly covered with plastic wrap.