CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER PIE

 

When the little kid in you is craving something sweet at the same time as the much more sophisticado foodie in you, it's time for peanut butter pie.  Creamy, cheese-cakey, moussey filling shot through and through with the glorious nutty smoothness of peanut butter and tiny bits of bubbly chocolate treasure all piled into a classic graham cracker crust.  Yes.  YES.  YESSS!  Please.

This recipe is a combination of one of Mom's old recipes schmucked together with one of Paula Deen's  delectable concoctions that's easy peasy to whip up and always promises divinely sweet results.

While I was making this nuttily delicious dessert Paul McCartney's Admiral Halsey kept repeating in my mind, for obvious 'butter pie' reasons. Soon I was humming and singing to myself, "I had another look and I had a cup of tea and a butter pie. The butter wouldn't melt so I put it in the pie."  Peanut butter pie!

The next time I turned around that music gremlin that dwells so happily in my mind led me on to Ob-la-di Ob-la-da.  That one stuck with me in all the right ways as I tootled about the kitchen pressing buttery graham crumbs into a crust.  "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da life goes on,brah!"  

And maybe because I was already in touch with my inner kid, chopping up chocolate bars and cooking with peanut butter, AND singing out of tune with complete abandon, I remembered a version of Ob-la-di that made me smile instantly.  Oh you've just gotta' see this!!  There's an impossibly cute little boy on youtube that plays the ukulele and sings and I double-dog dare ya' not to be charmed into giggles or chuckles watching his Ob-la-di.  See!! 

This peanut butter pie is already fun and you haven't even started yet!

And that's what it's all about, having fun in the kitchen.  So throw on some great tunes and get into making a gloriously rich, nutty, candy kissed dessert that will make everyone go mm..mm....mmm.

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Here we go....................Make your graham crust either in a 10-inch pie plate or 9 or 10-inch springform pan.  Chill. Chop the Aero bars.  Beat whipping cream til stiff.  Keep chilled.  Plop cream cheese, peanut butter and icing sugar in large bowl of electric mixer and whip 'til gorgeously light and fluffy.  Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture.

 

Fold in chocolate bits and scoop filling into prepared crust.

 

Chill for at least 4 hours. Garnish with sweetened, vanilla scented whipped cream, slice into small wedges and serve. 

 

CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER PIE

1 1/3 cups graham wafer crumbs
About 1/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups whipping cream
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup smoothy peanut butter
1 cup icing sugar
2 regular size (42g) Aero chocolate bars, chopped into little pieces

1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
More chopped Aero bar for garnish

Combine graham crumbs and melted butter.  Press into bottom and up sides of 10-inch pie plate or 9 or 10-inch springform pan.  Chill.  Whip 1 1/2 cups whipped cream until stiff peaks just form. Chill. 

Plop cream cheese, peanut butter and icing sugar into large bowl of electric mixer and beat until light, fluffy and smooth.  Fold in whipped cream until blended.  Fold in chocolate pieces.  Scoop filling into prepared crust and chill for at least 4 hours.

Beat 1/2 cup whipping cream with sugar and vanilla until fairly stiff peaks form.  Pipe or spread on top of pie.  Sprinkle a few more chopped Aero pieces on whipped cream.  Slice into small wedges and serve.