Creamy rich meets slight crunch. Chocolate meets peanuts. And they live happily ever after. A blue-ribbon pie!"

Peanut Butter Pie

Prep Time: 1 1/4 hours plus chilling time
Baking Time: 15-18 minutes for crust
Serves: 8
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Ingredients

Crust:

1 ¼ c. flour (plus extra for rolling)
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
6 T unsalted butter, softened
3 egg yolks
1/3 c. powdered sugar
¼ t. salt
½ t. vanilla extract

Filling:

8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
¾ c. creamy peanut butter (natural style)
½ c. condensed milk
1 c. confectioner’s sugar, sifted
8 to 10 ounces whipped dessert topping, defrosted (3 c.)

Recommended Optional Topping:

1/3 c. Spanish peanuts (salted, skins removed), chopped
1/3 c. grated fine quality dark chocolate

Directions

Make, bake and cool the crust:

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. Make a well.

2. Into the well, put the soft butter, yolks & vanilla.

3. Using a pastry cutter, blend it til it starts to hold together. Then, using your hands, work it into a ball.

4. Lightly flour a work surface. Blend the dough by kneading it gently for 1-2 minutes, adding flour as needed. Dough will be very pliable after blending.

5. Make a ball, wrap it tightly, and chill until firm (30 minutes).

6. Spread a little vegetable shortening on a 9” pie plate, including the lip.

7. Roll out the dough to 2” larger than the top of the plate. Using the rolling pin, transfer dough to pie plate; trim to ¼” beyond edge. Fold and pinch edge.

8. Prick bottom & sides of crust w/ a fork and chill again for 15 min.

9. Add pie weights and bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes, then put on a crust protector, and turn the oven down to 350°. Bake another 5-7 minutes or til bottom is set.

10. Cool completely.

Filling:

1. Use electric mixer with paddle attachment. Combine cream cheese, peanut butter & condensed milk, mixing til smooth.

2. Add confectioner’s sugar and mix.

3. Use a large spatula and fold in the whipped dessert topping.

4. Pour into cooled crust and refrigerate at least 3 hours (until firm).

5. Garnish w/ peanuts & chocolate, if desired.

Baker’s Notes and Tips and Tricks

I sprinkled the chopped Spanish peanuts all over the pie, then put down a cutout of a peanut shape (cut from cardboard), and dusted around that with the shaved chocolate. Any design you come up with will be great!

Comments (2)

Anne

23 January 2013 at 11:52 | #

I would beinterested to learn how to make crust with organic flour, oil and other organic alternatives. Was butter the original shortening? I don't mind crust being less flaky as I'm interested in the whole ingredient aspect.

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