I made this pie in triplicate for my coworker’s birthday, keeping one of the pies at home for a test pie to share with my dad, who is visiting, and my neighbors.
The resulting texture of this pie was less mousse-y than what I was hoping for, but packed a good peanut butter punch – or so all the taste-testers said. And can you really beat the combination of peanut butter and chocolate in pie (or any other dessert for that matter)?
I wouldn’t mind trying this pie again using a different recipe for the mousse. One that’s less dense and droopy/drippy. Despite my self-criticism, my dad thinks I could sell this pie. He’s not as much of a food snob as I am, though.
ingredients.
- Crumb Pie Crust
- 1 1/3 c. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (about 8 ounces)
- 2/3 c. plus 1 3/4 c. chilled whipping cream, divided
- 2 T. light corn syrup
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
- 6 ounces (1 c.) peanut butter chips
- 2 T. creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly ground)
directions.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Blend graham crackers, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in processor until moist clumps form. Press crumb mixture over bottom and up sides of prepared pie dish. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine chocolate chips, 2/3 cup cream, corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium heat until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Whisk until melted and smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over bottom of crust. Freeze 10 minutes.
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Microwave peanut butter chips and 3/4 cup cream in large microwave-safe bowl on medium heat at 15-second intervals just until chips soften, stirring often. Whisk in peanut butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool to barely lukewarm. Beat remaining 1 cup cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until very thick but not yet holding peaks; fold into peanut butter mixture in 3 additions. Spoon mousse over chocolate layer. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
I used two different types of cookies for the crumb crust: Trader Joe’s Vanilla Joe-Joe’s and Speculoos cookies. The clear favorite was the pie made with the Joe-Joe’s crust. The Speculoos cookies were just too flavorful which meant the flavor of the crust was competing with the flavor of the pie.
I thought maybe the whipped cream could have been ‘whipped’ a bit more, which may have helped with the overall texture of the filling. This step in the directions may have been done incorrectly. I did notice that almost every recipe for peanut butter mousse pie I found used whipped cream as the main ‘mousse’ ingredient. I believe there are better ingredients out there for use in making a mousse.
Recipe rating:
Food Snob 