I fancy myself a relatively creative person with a very active imagination. Throw in a major passion for food and you can guess what occupies my thoughts 90% of the time.
So, when a friend says something like, "Katy, I need an idea for something to make to take to a party," my mind goes from 0 to 60 in no time at all. Pedal to the metal, baby. With no direction whatsoever, I can quickly come up with no less than 10 ideas ranging from appetizers to entrees and (obviously) desserts.
And if he/she provides a few parameters for said dish? You might think that'd tap the breaks and narrow my focus, but you'd be mistaken.
Especially if that parameter is as follows: chocolate and peanut butter.
Is there a more dynamic duo in the realm of desserts? I've come up empty-handed trying to find one; as far as my coworker is concerned, none exists. Chocolate and peanut butter are the holy grail of flavor combinations.
As her birthday approached, my head swelled with ideas. She loved the chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting I made a few months ago, but special occasions (and people) call for new recipes.
Multi-layered cake/cheesecake hybrids! Decadent candies! Cookies stuffed with cookies stuffed with cookies! Go ahead and type "chocolate peanut butter dessert" into Google and see what happens. Food-splosion, y'all.
Everything looked divine but one dessert stuck out among the others and, lo and behold, it was simple: Chocolate peanut butter pie.
That, my friends, is the simplest recipe for universal happiness I've ever seen. There's something for everyone!
Chocolate. And peanut butter. Duh.
What more could you require to be happy? Health, love, money, world peace, etc. etc. etc. I find it's easiest to stick with the simplest answer I know: chocolate and peanut butter.
Two years ago: Chewy chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
(adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman's recipe)
A quick tip: If the crust is a bit crumbly getting the first piece or two out of the pie, don't fret -- merely sprinkle the crumbs on top (like I did in the above photo) for a yummy garnish!
25 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 8-ounce block 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
1 8-ounce container non-fat frozen whipped topping, completely thawed
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the crust, crush the Oreos until they’re fine crumbs. Pour melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely
To make the filling: Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Pour filling into crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
No comments:
Post a Comment