Thursday, February 17, 2011

Peanut Butter Chocolate Love Pie

This gift-worthy pie has an Oreo cookie crust filled with a layer of creamy peanut butter, followed by another layer of decadent milk chocolate mousse.  Top it all off with a semi-sweet chocolate shell and some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for the perfect finishing touch.  If Peanut Butter and Chocolate went on a date, this amazing pie would be the result. 


Ingredients You Will Need:

For the Peanut Butter Filling:
  • 8 oz. plain cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups smooth (creamy) peanut butter
  • 1 ¼ cups whipped topping
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter (melted)
For the Chocolate Mousse Filling:
  • 1 ½ cups miniature marshmallows
  • ½ cup 2% milk
  • 9.5 ounces of milk chocolate pieces (a broken up Hershey’s bar will do just fine, as will any solid milk chocolate candy bits)
  • 1 cup chilled whipping cream (heavy cream)
For the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Shell:
  • ½ cup half & half
  • 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips 
Directions:
Step 1: Put a medium glass or metal bowl in the freezer.  You will need this later.

Step 2: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, unsalted butter, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar in a large bowl.  Mix until everything is well blended and small peas form.  

Step 3: With a spoon, mix the whipped topping, vanilla, and other 1/2 cup of sugar.  Mix this into the peanut butter mix. Store the finished filling in the fridge until it is needed later.

Step 4: Heat the marshmallows, 2% milk, and milk chocolate bits over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until marshmallows and chocolate melt and blend.  Placing the saucepan on a pot holder, chill this in the freezer until it thickens. 

Step 5: Wait 10 minutes before the next step.  This will give the marshmallow and chocolate mixture time to cool down and solidify.  Maybe during this time you can clean up the mess you made during steps 1 through 4. 

Step 6: Take the chilled bowl from step 1 out of the freezer and pour the whipping cream (heavy cream) into it.  Beat the cream with an electric mixer until it becomes stiff—less like a liquid and more like whipped cream. 

Step 7: Take the marshmallow chocolate mixture out of the freezer.   Fold this into the whipped cream you made in step 6.  Store the finished chocolate mousse in the freezer until it is needed in a few minutes.

Step 8: Pour the half-and-half into a saucepan and bring this to a boil.  Reduce the heat, and then stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until smooth and melted.  Store finished glaze in the fridge until it is needed later. 

Step 9:  Put the Oreo cookie crust on a flat surface.  Spoon a layer of the peanut butter filling into the crust, but only enough so that the crust is half full.  Using a butter knife, spread the filing out so it is even.  Make sure to leave room for the next layer and the glaze. There will be some filling left over, which you can reserve for now*.

Step 10: Next, spoon a layer of the chocolate mousse on top of the peanut butter layer.  Use a clean butter knife to spread the filling out evenly.  Do not fill the pie crust completely to the top.  Leave room for the thin semi-sweet chocolate shell.  You will also have some chocolate mousse left over, which you can hold onto for now*.  

Step 11: Stir the semi-sweet chocolate mixture to mix.  Spoon a moderately thin layer on top of the pie, so that the chocolate mousse is completely covered.  Use a butter knife to carefully spread the semi-sweet chocolate so that it is evenly distributed. 

Step 12: Unwrap about 15 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  Using a sharp knife, cut each cup in half.  Using the cup halves to form a border around the pie’s top, place each peanut butter cup so that the cut side is face-down and the top part of the cup is facing outward (see picture). 

Suggested Wine Pairing: Thousand Islands Winery's Raspberry Isle.  A fruity dessert red, its luscious berry flavors are the perfect companion to the pie's peanut butter and chocolate.  Think of it like a chocolate-dipped peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I bet you always wished for one of those in your lunch box!  

*Bonus Step! (Optional): Melt some of the extra semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for about 30 seconds.  Stir to blend, then melt for another 15 seconds or until the chips melt completely.  Place a  (heart-shaped) cookie cutter on a small piece of wax paper on a small plate.  Pour a layer of the melted chocolate into the cookie cutter so that it fills up like a mold, but only so that the chocolate becomes about as thick as a slice of American cheese.  Place this in the freezer for 10 minutes.  When you take it out, your shape should pop out easily and will make the perfect garnish to your pie!  

What Will You Do with All that Extra Pie Filling?!? 
You don't want perfectly good pie filling to go to waste (that would be a shame!), but this recipe makes enough for almost two pies.  First, you have the option of filling another pie crust, perhaps of a different flavor (graham cracker?).  You will not have any of the final chocolate glaze left, but you can always cut up more Reese's Cups and sprinkle those on top.  

You could also use the filling to make other fun desserts.  Get creative!  For example, you could make little dessert shooters using all those shot glasses you have lying around (you know you have them!).  Start with a thin layer of cookie crumbs, and then alternate with layers of peanut butter filling and chocolate mouse, separating each layer with more cookie crumbs.  Top it off with a Reese's cup or chocolate kiss!  I suggest you serve each of these sweet "shots" accompanied by a spoon so guests know that these shots are for savoring and not to be swallowed as quickly as possible (like a less-savory kind of shot--vodka anyone?). 

2 comments:

  1. Looks delicious!! And the presentation is superb!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, H! I will have to make you one someday so you can experience it firsthand :)

    ReplyDelete