Peanut Butter Pie with a Pretzel Crust. You know you love me.

 The single serving size, if you ask me. Oh so delicious.

I made this a while ago (oh, hello theme) but, clearly, never got around to posting the recipe. I'm not sure why.

The recipe was delicious! I'd been wanting pie for ages (and, in fact, want pie right now. oh man and I have some reeeeeally awesome pie recipes I'd like to try so I'm relatively certain that when Pie Making Fever hits, nobody is gonna want the cure) and was perusing the world wide web for new ideas. And lo, there it was. Peanut Butter Banana Pie! With a pretzel crust! How delicious sounding!

The original recipe was found on Once A Chef Always A Chef. And to see it, you should click that link.


Now. That pie looked real good and I have no doubt at all that it was, but it wasn't the pie I made exactly. No, I tinkered a little - such as there were no bananas. I like bananas. I don't think anyone here doesn't, but we didn't have any, and that usually ends the discussion at eleven at night when I will be damned if I am going over to Jewel for something like bananas.


That and some other small changes and I still was pretty pleased with my pie. Was it everything I wanted? Well. I've been wanting either a coconut cream pie or, you know, a coconut cream pie (or, lately, for me to discover a way to make a Fiona Apple Pie that totally makes sense for it to be called that and not just an apple pie cleverly named and by golly, I'ma gonna find a way...) so in that respect, no. Because it wasn't a coconut cream pie. But I adored it and it was happily devoured by all. So I'm going to go with Success on this one.

Also, this crust is freakin' amazing.

Crust:

- 2 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed. Like, really really really crushed up. Don't skimp on this. It matters. You don't want chunks.
- 3 TBS brown sugar (that was my intention. it became molasses/white sugar. with a little more molasses. see: previous comment about the damn Jewel)
- a dash of vanilla (optional.)
- 3/4 cup melted butter


Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Delicious, hmm? Save a little for crumbling on the top of the pie if you like. Spread in pie pan, keeping it even and working all up the sides. I had enough for what I imagine is a standard sized pie pan (not deep dish) and two little tartlets. Oh, god, the adorableness...

Anyway. You'll want to chuck those babies (gently) in a 350 F oven for around ten minutes. Let the crust completely cool before you fill it with the delicious filling.

The Delicious Filling:

- 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter
- one package of cream cheese at room temp (three oz)
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- one container of whipped topping (twelve oz), thawed (okay, here I used spray whipped topping. because I am allergic to CoolWhip. I'm sorry. No, I really am, I really want to eat some of that right now.)


Combine the peanut butter and the cream cheese. Add about a third of the whipped topping and the powdered sugar and beat that mixture like a redheaded step-child. (you do know I'm a redhead, right? so I can say that.) You want a smooth blended peanut butter delight, so do this right. Then sweetly fold in the rest of the whipped topping until they all get along. Put in the crust.

You can top this with whatever you want or add something in the middle like, well, the original recipe said bananas but I imagine loads of things would work. Anything chocolatey would have been a great welcome, but that's just me. This doesn't even need it.

Just like it didn't need the extra whipped topping I ate on top of it. But, oh man, did I ever.

Chill the pie for a few hours before serving. Overnight, if you like. It's totally fine.

Either way, you're gonna really like this. I'm imagining.

Buckeyes!

Buckeyes.

The state tree of Ohio, the mascot of Ohio State University, and an utterly delicious (though quite sweet) peanut butter and chocolate dessert-treat.

"Oh, it's like a Reece's Cup," is the inevitable response by the unknowing masses and it takes actual restraint to not shriek in horror - as it is, I still flinch. Because while, yes, the two main ingredients are the same - a buckeye is not at all like a peanut butter cup.

Well, okay, there are similarities. But as anyone from Ohio can tell you, they are not the same. And I spent a summer making them by the dozen to introduce this delicious treat to my friends and co-workers. The picture is the only photo I have from my frantic, extended buckeye sessions.

Now, these are the best buckeyes I have ever had and not just because they are a recipe adapted from one my mother gave me (and no idea where hers came from).

Beth's Delicious Buckeyes

- one cup creamy peanut butter
- six tablespoons softened butter
- two - three cups of powdered sugar
- three tablespoons of cooled coffee
- dipping chocolate

Stir the butter and peanut butter together until well blended, then gradually add powdered sugar. Mix well, until the mixture can hold a ball. Add coffee, mix until creamy (bit still holds a ball shape when rolled in between your palms).
Clearly, now you roll the mixture into balls - about the size of a malted milk ball, though really it is entirely up to you. Place on waxed paper (or foil), then chill in the fridge.

Use a toothpick to dip the chilled peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate, you should leave a small circle at the top undipped, much as in the buckeye nut. Place in fridge for about fifteen minutes and, once the chocolate is hardened, put yourself in a wonderful sugar coma.

* Depending on how creamy you actually like the mixture to be, decrease the amount of powdered sugar. You could also add a flavoring, if you wanted, to the mixture or infuse the chocolate if you wanted to try something new(er).