Recipe: Candace's Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie (From New Basics Cookbook)

Hi Chris:-) Here is the recipe that you requested from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.

CANDACE'S CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE
Yield: 8 portions

"Our long-time friend Candace Strong is known for her sit-up-and-take-notice baking for the Kalamazoo Country Club. She likes flavors to really leap out at you, and we do too. This treat is scrumptious - just a thin wedge will do."

FOR THE CRUST:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING:
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cupd peanut butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream

TOPPING:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 oz. good-quality unsweetened chocolate*
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prepare the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a mixing bowl, and stir together thoroughly. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.

3. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Then set it aside to cool completely.

4. Prepare the filling: Mix the cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar together in a large bowl until well blended.

5. Whip the cream with an electric mixer until stiff, and fold into the cream cheese mixture. Spoon filling into the cooled crust.

6. Prepare the topping: Combine the sugar and cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer without stirring, for 6 minutes.

7. Remove the pan from the heat, add chocolate and butter and stir until melted. *(I would think that having the chocolate chopped into small pieces would help it to melt more easily but this isn't mentioned in the original recipe.) Then stir in the vanilla.

8. Carefully pour the topping over the pie, and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours.