Peanut Butter Pie Heaven

Yes, yes, yes. More, please. This peanut butter pie from Joy of Cooking was so utterly delicious I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing. I've always been a chocolate/peanut butter person, from my childhood obsession with Reese's Cups and Pieces to ... still obsessed. Well, I've graduated to the occasional spoonful of organic peanut butter with a few dark chocolate chips on top. I don't buy Reese's anymore because I'm afraid they'll make my teeth fall right out of my head (I will eat them at Grandma's - but that's because she keeps them in bowls all over the freaking counter. What's a girl supposed to do?) This pie was luscious and just sweet enough, somewhere between fluffy and creamy, with a crowning layer of shivery good chocolate. It sounds like a kid treat but it's perfectly respectable for adults, as evidenced by the rate at which my mom and friends devoured it. The homemade graham cracker crust adds a nice nutty texture. I wouldn't do a pastry crust for this one. Also, I wouldn't use anything but unsweetened, natural peanut butter. Skippy or the like would be a travesty.

And save this one for holiday indulgence. Let's put it this way: cream cheese, whipping cream, and peanut butter? There's a reason it's heavenly. Oh, yum. I want some right now. Instead I'm going to the gym. Not the best way to celebrate the end of the semester, but trying to get back in the saddle after a grueling three weeks in the final paper/grading/fellowship app mode.

The Best Peanut Butter Pie Ever

Graham Cracker Crust (recipe below this)

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese (you can use light! I did)
l cup chunky or smooth unsweetened peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup cold heavy cream

Chocolate Topping
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
4 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped.

Prepare and bake Graham Cracker Crust in a 10" pie pan (see recipe below).

Beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla just until smoothly blended. In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

Using a spatula, fold half of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture, then fold in the remaining cream. Spread the mixture evenly in the cooled pie crust. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

Bring 1/3 cup heavy cream and the butter to a boil in a saucepan over high heat - keep stirring.

Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Let cool to lukewarm, then pour the glaze over the pie and spread evenly. Refrigerate l hour or up to three days.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups fine crumbs made from graham crackers
6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) melted butter, warm or cool
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or oil the pie pan. Mix ingredients together with a fork until all are moistened.

Spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Using your fingertips or the flat bottom of a drinking glass, press the mixture over the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake until the crust is lightly browned and firm to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool before filling.

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