They say you marry your dad.
By way of peanut butter, I sure did.
My dad’s birthday’s today; Dave’s is Sunday. They’re both Virgos, so in reading the traits and observing these men, I shake my head and smile. Like daddy, like husband.
Peanut butter. They welcome any dessert with this real or artificial substance on or within. Back and forth we exchange our newest find.
Two men I care for deeply, care equally for peanut butter. Through the years, I’ve made more than my fair share of peanut butter desserts, but one stands alone
Frozen Peanut Butter Pie
What makes this pie special?
A chocolate crust filled with whipped peanut butter
A thin ganache layer sprinkled with crushed peanuts. With or without, this pie shines
A warmed, then cooled and thickened swirl of milk/sugar/peanut butter/and vanilla
Airy whipped cream folded into the milk/sugar/peanut butter/and vanilla. Makes my dessert heart throb
Listen to your fluttering heart’s cravings, then garnish and freeze to the temperature of your bite liking
After a run through like that, the pie’s chance of making it to dad or Dave is slim to none. Peanut butter pie isn’t a personal favorite, but every make reminds me how I’ve been missing something extraordinary.
How to make a clean slice?
Fill a glass with hot water.
Set a small paper or dishtowel to the side.
Dip a chef’s knife into the water for a few seconds, careful to wipe, then cut.
Do the same for each slice of pie.
Do you like your slice chilly? Me too.
Or on the softer side?
Either way, you’re one pretty pie peanut butter.
True story. We were trying to come up with a middle name for Aviana, with a straight face Dave asked, “How about Reese, like Reeses?” He must’ve been simultaneously daydreaming about his favorite snack. Coupled with other reasons too, she became Aviana Reese, and perfect her name remains.
Frozen Peanut Butter Pie - Birthday Edition
Ingredients:
One 9 - inch crust
- 30 chocolate wafer cookies, broken into pieces
- 1 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 Tablespoons butter, melted (sea level = 4 Tablespoons)
Ganache
- 2 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate - chips or chopped into small uniform size pieces
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon peanuts - chopped for topping
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup raw or granulated sugar
- 1 cup smooth or natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream - whipped
Garnish
- chopped peanuts, macadamia nuts, cookie crumbs, or whipped cream
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Chill a medium-sized (preferably glass) bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer.
- Butter your pie pan with a light coat, then set aside. In a food processor, pulse chocolate wafers, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt until the crumbs are fine.
- Transfer to a medium bowl, then add the melted butter. Stir well with a fork, spatula, or hands. Coat the crumbs until the butter's even in distribution.
- Spread the crumbs even across the bottom of the pie plate. With your hands, a tart tamper, or the back and side of a small measuring cup, press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.
- On the center oven rack, bake the crust for 6 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack until thoroughly cooled.
Chocolate Ganache
- If deciding on this extra touch, make sure the pie shell has cooled completely before beginning ganache. To cool the crust faster: after about 10 minutes on the wire rack, the pie shell can be transferred to the refrigerator for the remainder of cooling time.
- Place chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate in a small heat safe bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium/low heat, add the heavy cream. Watch carefully until small bubbles begin to form along the edge. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand undisturbed for 3 minutes, then stir until smooth. The ganache may be thin at first. If so, wait for it to thicken, then add to the middle of the pie shell and with an offset spatula or spoon, spread the chocolate across the bottom.
- Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and place in the refrigerator.
Peanut Butter Filling
- In a medium saucepan, warm the milk and sugar over low heat, making sure the mixture never comes to a boil. Stir until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl, place on a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Stir occasionally, then refrigerate until thickened or to quicken the process, the large bowl can be placed in a bowl of ice water.
- Using an electric stand or handheld mixer, start at low speed and beat the cream with increasing speed until it starts to thicken. Increase to high speed and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Avoid over beating.
- Fold one third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Do your best to incorporate, then fold the remaining whipped cream until evenly combined.
- Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator and carefully spatula the filling into the crust. With an offset spatula, spoon, or knife, smooth the peanut butter layer over the ganache and against the crust edge.
- Garnish with crushed peanuts, cookies, chocolate shavings, whipped cream, macadamia nuts, slivered almonds. Pie Guy suggests meringue. Place in the freezer. After 10-15 minutes, tent loosely with foil. The perfect time to eat or serve this pie seems to be after 3 to 4 hours in the freezer. If after or overnight the pie and chocolate will be on the frozen side. No worries, given the temperature of your freezer and the pie, slice right away or let sit in the refrigerator or out for your best judgement of time. Slice, serve, and enjoy for yourself or share with those you love most.
Notes
- the only change at 6,300 altitude, is using 5 tablespoons of butter in the crust vs. 4 at sea level.
- the crust can be made ahead, cooled, and covered.
- The pie's delicious with or without, but I like to sometimes add extra pizzazz.
- Many recipes warn against using natural peanut butter, but I like the texture a.k.a grit, so try and usually have success. This didn't say not to and worked well as a creamy peanut butter.
- for the best whipped cream, use a medium-sized deep glass bowl.
- place the bowl and beaters in the freezer for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
- whipped cream can be made early, covered, and refrigerated for up to a few hours.
I like peanut butter but not as much as Dave and her dad. I made this for company and got raving comments. I, myself, loved the peanut butter pie. Because of the great taste and comments from this pie will make it again.
Go, Jennifer
MOM 😚
Awww! I was happy to hear you were making the pie and especially how everyone loved. Thank you mom ♥️