Flavours Column: Peanut Butter Pie!

Aaaagh. This pie is really really good. I didn't think peanut butter as a dessert flavour was going to be my thing. Turns out it is. I'm pretty sure this pie would be almost everyone's thing at dessert. Except if you're allergic to peanuts, then I'd recommend you avoid it. Bummer.

Photo: Swift & Click

Peanut Butter Pie
(Published in the Bay of Plenty Times, Weds 3rd July 2013)

It’s Independence Day tomorrow and as I have family in America, including an adorable niece and nephew who are growing up with cute American accents, I thought we’d make July ‘American inspired’ dessert month! I’m all for embracing new food cultures and even though we have plenty of American themed burger joints to indulge ourselves in, there is much more to American cuisine than the golden arches. The desserts over the next weeks only touch on this so I encourage you to do your own foodie research.

Our first American dessert is this indulgent Peanut Butter Pie. It tastes like a Snickers bar - rich, creamy, gooey, peanutty. Most Peanut Butter Pie recipes online use ‘Cool Whip’ (whipped frosting) as an ingredient but I’m happy to say that this one doesn’t. Eating Cool Whip is a little like eating plastic. Eating this pie, thankfully, is not. 

Thanks to Rach from Swift & Click for the photos!

Photo: Swift & Click

Peanut Butter Pie
(Adapted from Parsley, Sage & Sweet)

2 packs Oreo Cookies

6 TBSP melted butter

125g milk chocolate

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

220ml cream

250g Philadelphia cream cheese

1 cup creamy peanut butter

120g icing sugar

1 x 380g can caramel condensed milk

Squeeze of lemon juice

Throw the Oreos into a food processor and whiz to crush. Pour in the melted butter and whizz again. Press into the bottom and sides of a 23cm cake tin to form the crust. Melt the chocolate and spread over the base, sprinkle with nuts and chill in the fridge. Whip the cream and keep chilled. Beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until combined. Beat in the icing sugar then the caramel condensed milk and lemon juice, beat until smooth. Mix in a third of the whipped cream then fold in the rest. Pour into the base and chill for at least 2hrs or overnight. To make serving easier, freeze the pie for 30mins before slicing. Top with extra whipped cream, nuts and drizzled chocolate.

Weekly Tip: Make your own caramel by boiling an unopened can of regular condensed milk in a pot of water for 2.5 hours. Make sure the can is always covered by water (otherwise it might explode - hot caramel all over the kitchen = not a good thing!) and cool before opening.