Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

From Dollars to Donuts cookbook. To see Amazon.com reviews: click here.

My pie is in the chill phase, but I can tell this recipe is a keeper.

Crust

1 cup graham crackers (about 7 whole graham crackers, crashed up)

3 tablespoon white sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted cooled slightly

Filling

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

6 oz cream cheese, at room temp.

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy cream*

1/2 cup light brown sugar

Topping

2/3 cup heavy cream*

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped, roasted, salted peanuts

Heat oven to 350*. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar together in a small bowl. Drizzle with the butter and stir with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moist. Transfer the crumb mixture until a 9" glass pie plate and using the flat bottom and side of a cup or measuring cup, press the crust evenly into the button and up the sides of the pie plate. Bake the crust until brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling

Beat the pb, cream cheese and vanilla in a stand mixer at med-high speed until light in texture and color, about 3 minutes...scrape bowl once or twice. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. In the empty mixing bowl (no need to clean/wipe), whip heavy cream and brown sugar at med speed for about 1 minute until slightly thickened. Increase the speed to high and whip until cream holds soft peaks...2-3 minutes. Add about one-third of whipped cream to the pb mixture and fold until incorporated. Add the rest of whipped cream and fold until incorporated. Spread pb/whipped cream mixture onto the cooled crust. Press plastic wrap directly against pb mixture surface and refrigerate until chill and firm, about 2 hours.

Topping

Bring the heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the chocolate to the saucepan--turn off heat and let stand until chocolate is melted--about 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth and then let the chocolate mixture cool until just barely warm. Pour the chocolate over the chilled filling, sprinkle with peanuts and refrigerate until firm...about 1 hour. If chilled for more than 2 hours, let pie stand for 3o minutes before slicing and serving.

*Lesson learned the hard way: DO NOT substitute the heavy cream. Half and half does not contain enough fat to make a nice whip.

The chocolate sauce turned out ok, just wondering what it will look like after the chilling is over.