I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child
I don't have a huge sweet tooth -- but if there's a sweet treat out there that makes me pause, it probably has peanut butter in it. And chocolate, of course.
I had a ready-made cookie pie crust hanging out in the fridge for quite a while and Chris (who finds joy in an uncrowded fridge) asked what I was going to do with it. Right then and there, I proclaimed that we would make a peanut butter pie. And we did.
It's one of the easiest desserts you can make, yet tastes so decadent it seems like it took hours...I won't tell anyone if you don't.
Here's what you need:
- 1 cup peanut butter (not chunky)
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 8 oz. container of whipped cream cheese
- 12 oz. of Cool Whip, thawed (or about 1.5 tubs)
- 1 milk chocolate bar, chopped into small pieces
- 1 cookie pie shell (you can also use a chocolate cookie crust)
Here's what you do:
- Beat the ingredients--minus the chocolate--gently until light and fluffy. (Watch out if you use a
husband, I mean, hand mixer, asChriswe ended up with peanut butter sugar all over the walls.) - Carefully stir in the chocolate pieces with a wooden or plastic spoon.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell and smooth the top to make it look pretty.
- If your fridge is very cold, chill there for at least an hour. If not, put it in the freezer for 30 minutes first, and then transfer to the fridge for at least another 30 mins. It should be firm to the touch when set.
Then, after a wait that seems like a lifetime, cut a slice, grab a fork, and enjoy!
xoxoxoxo
Other ways to serve:
- Put a layer of strawberry jam at the bottom before adding the filling: PB&J pie!
- Put a layer of bananas at the bottom before adding the filling: PB&B!
- Stir in some cinnamon or espresso grounds for a bit of jazz
- Stir in crumbled Oreos or chop up a Snickers bar instead of the plain chocolate
- Top with strawberry-flavored whipped cream
- Drizzle each piece with hot fudge before serving