Sugar Ant's kitchen: Ty's Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie

     My husband is what you would call a chocoholic. If they had meetings for his condition I would definitely sign him up for them. I know you probably think I am exaggerating but it is so true. Have you seen the commercial with Cookie Monster waiting for his cookies? That's my husband. Anytime I am in the kitchen working on new recipes the first thing he asks me is if it is going to contain chocolate. If he was a poet I bet he would write odes to the beauty that is chocolate. The man has a one track mind but that's okay. I love making him desserts, well I just love him period.

     Back to this chocolate recipe. The other day I was working on a recipe for a cake, which I will share later, when the hubby came into the kitchen and asked once again for something chocolate. This got me thinking. I did not want to have to make a trip to the store so I started exploring the cabinets and the fridge for ingredients. I saw that I had some Oreos on hand as well as chocolate chips, peanut butter, cream cheese. I thought to myself what could I do with these items? It then came to me. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie! I made something similar not too long ago but the recipe I used did not come out quite right. If you are wondering where the recipe was from it was from the book, Lick the Bowl Good. It was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie and it was one of the recipes I was not happy with. The mousse never set and remained runny. I wanted something similar but less fussy.

     This pie was very easy to make but still delicious. It only takes a few minutes to put together and the rest of the time, it needs to chill. I put mine in the freezer and my husband is enjoying it as a frozen treat. It is almost summertime here in Arizona and yesterday we hit over 100. How I am dreading the next few months because it is going to be so hot and I will have to find ways to keep cool. Anyway, the pie was hubby approved and he is happy he has something chocolaty to eat. Maybe he will even share it. Haha, somehow I doubt that but you should share it with the chocoholic in your life.

Ty's Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie

Melissa DeWees

Inspired by Monica Holland

Ingredients

for the crust

12 Oreos crushed
3 T of melted butter

for the filling

1 c of peanut butter
3/4 c powdered sugar plus 2 T divided
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 c melted chocolate chips cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c heavy cream

Topping

1/2 c of chocolate chips melted.

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 F
Crush Oreos in a food processor into crumbs and then add the melted butter to the cookies and pulse until combined.
Press the crumb mixture in a 9 inch spring form pan very firmly. I lined mine with parchment paper and sprayed it with cooking spray for easy release.
Bake for 10 minutes until fragrant and set aside to cool.

In a mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

While its whipping melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring after 30 seconds until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar to the peanut butter and cream cheese mixture and mix until combined.
Add the melted chocolate and mix until combined. It will look a little grainy but it will become smooth again when you add the whipped cream.
In another bowl beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form and then add the powder sugar and vanilla and whip it for a few more seconds. Do not over whip or you will end up with butter.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture and pour into the spring form pan.