Recipe: Cappers Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

CAPPERS CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

"This pie is so smooth and creamy, we thought we'd died and gone to heaven. Alison Mackie Capps, pastry chef at Cappers in Raleigh, piles the filling up 3- to 4-inches. (I suggest being a little more conservative and making two pies. Double the crust recipe and use two 8-inch pie plates.)"

FOR THE CRUST:
Makes one 8- or 9- inch pie crust. (Double recipe for two pie crusts.)

1/3 cup sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Hand mix ingredients for the crust and press into bottom and up sides of pie plate.

Bake for 8 minutes.

FOR THE FILLING:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
12 ounces cream cheese, softened

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat all ingredients for the filling together until light and fluffy. Spoon into cooled pie crust(s).

FOR THE TOPPING:
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 (two-per-pack-size) Reese's Peanut butter cups, chopped

Melt chocolate, butter and 1/2 cup sugar over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in heavy cream and vanilla until smooth. Spread over pie. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with Reese's cups and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie or two (8-inch) pies
From: CarolB,FL - 08-25-97