Pie #5: Peanut Butter Pie with Pretzel Crust

Everyone that I work with has been asking me when I'm bringing in some of my baked goods.  I've had to explain numerous times that I am no longer doing cookies this year as my resolution, but instead pies which really are too difficult to transport, not to mention not enough baked goods for everyone that I work with to enjoy. But then I got the idea that if a few people brought in pies, then I could make a pie and everyone can enjoy something I baked. So last Monday, myself, a fellow co-worker, and my boss brought in pies for a Pie Monday. It was a perfect day for it as by the time the afternoon came, we all felt like we had been at work for a week already. Very stressed. I think the pies lifted everyone's spirits (I know it did mine temporarily!).

Pinterest brought this pie to me (what else is new, I'm obsessed with that site) and it seemed easy enough. And yes, it was easy enough, but time consuming was not part of the description of this pie! I found the recipe a bit overwhelming the way it was structured so I modified that and am outlining that below.

This pie is RICH. It's so delicious though and I would recommend it if you're having a large gathering. No one should really eat a normal pie slice of this pie unless you're willing to cough up 1000 calories for it (yes it has that many calories). It's for that simple fact that I've nicknamed this pie "The 1000 Jumping Jacks Pie." Well worth the calories, but really, just a sliver will satisfy even those with a hunger for something salty and sweet.

Buckle in because this is going to make you want to eat your screen:

-1-

First things first: homemade caramel. It's easy. SUPER easy. Use this recipe.

I made 1/2 the recipe, but I still had left over from this recipe so the rest I put in a mason jar and used it to 1. dip in pretzels (ridiculously good) and 2. serve on the side with the pie (also ridiculously good and probably added on another 500 calories!).

-2- 

Who doesn't love pretzels? And pretzels with chocolate? My favorite. Pretzels with anything sweet is great. Time for the pretzel crust which was so simple. I pulsed pretzels in my food processor then mixed with melted butter and this is what it came out to look like once baked: 

Next time, I'd make some add'l crust so it curves up the sides a bit.

-3-
Time for the ganache. I melted chocolate as part of layer #2 of goodness: chocolate ganache. Insanity.

-4-
Now time for the good stuff: the peanut butter filling. First you make the base (peanut butter & cream cheese) then you make the whipped cream and fold it in. It's surprisingly not that sweet. It's just enough sweet for my taste. And not very peanut buttery. I didn't do an accurate measurement for the peanut butter, I sort of eye balled it, but I seem to hit it on the head because it came out just enough peanut butter tasting.

-5- The assembly: This is probably the more time consuming part because it involves patience. I found that once I got to making this pie, I wanted it all done so I could take my final product picture. It's a fun assortment of ingredients so that was part of my impatience. So the assembly is technically this:
a. bake the pie crust, let it completely cool
b. spread caramel over crust. put in fridge 10-15 mins
c. spread chocolate ganache over custard. put in fridge another 10-15 mins
d. add peanut butter filling over chocolate
Now while it doesn't seem like a lot, it really is because you know how long it takes something to cool down after it's been in an oven at 375 degrees? Sort of a while. And then to take the pie dish in and out of your fridge? It was a little over a 2 hour process.
But back to the assembly, it was still fun with a hint of eagerness.

I ended with sprinkling more chopped pretzels over the pie since I felt like it would make up for the crust not coming up along the whole sides of the dish. I'm glad I did this - it added a nice crunch! I then drizzled a mixture of the leftover chocolate & caramel. Delightful.

Here's the final product:

I loved this pie. It was hard NOT to eat it once fully assembled (I had to wait to bring it to work the next day). It was hard not to show it off every opportunity I had. I took so many pictures I was emailing/texting/walking around work showing off the pictures. This looks like a blue ribbon earning pie doesn't it? 

Though this doesn't look too great: 

I was trying to capture all the layers of goodness in this pie but it was a bit hard to. Trust me when I say that each layer was mesmerizing. I can't say enough how delicious this pie was!

There was a little left over the next day and some co-workers who indulged for a second time said it actually tasted better. So I suppose you can make it and keep it chilled for a day or two.

You can get the official recipe here, but may I suggest following the steps that I outlined here since I found it to be better time management. You'll want to carve out some time for this cake, but it is the type you can serve immediately. And like I said, I found it difficult to not want to eat it once it was all done!