Bon Appégeechee: It’s Like Butta, Baby: Peanut Butta Chocolate Chess Pie

I’m not a baker. I don’t pretend to be. It is a skill that I do my best to sharpen, as I do enjoy eating delicious desserts. However, this Chocolate Peanut Butter Chess Pie will make a baker believer out of anyone. The classic combined flavors of chocolate and peanut butter are blended into a custard that is baked to a lush texture encased by a textured graham cracker crust.

I couldn’t get enough of this pie, but you must take heed. It is best to be shared with good friends. That way, you don’t have to feel guilty about eating it all alone.

You will impress yourself, and them.

Richly exquisite for minimal effort, I’m sure you already have all of the ingredients in your pantry!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chess Pie

Adapted from Love& Olive Oil
Yield: Serves 10 – 12, even 14 comfortably

Special Equipment: 9” Spring-form baking pan

The Method: The Ingredients

The Crust

non-stick cooking spray

1 ¾ cup of chocolate graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup of original graham cracker crumbs
½ cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, melted

Pie Filling

½ cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into ¼ tbsp. cubes

8 oz. dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 ⅔ cups of organic cane sugar (white granulated is fine)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt
6 large brown eggs (white is fine)
½ cup of creamy peanut butter

The Madness: The Assembly

Preheat oven to 325˚F

Assemble the crust.

To prepare the spring-form pan spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Set the pan aside.

You can turn packs of whole graham crackers in to crumbs by either breaking the crackers into smaller pieces then adding them to your food processor. Intermittently pulse processing the crackers on low for a minute or two will create the beach sandy texture you’re looking for in the crumbs. If you have a bit more aggression that needs to be released, feel free to place the whole crackers in to a zip lock freezer bag. Whack and roll away until you achieve the same granulated beach sandy feel. I used the food processor, but to each his or her own.

Keeping It Real Disclosure:

I ran out of chocolate graham crackers just as I was rounding 2 full cups of crumbs. I had some left over original graham crackers, so I finished up with those. You can use all of one, half of the other. No judgment.

Melt the butter for the crust over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are evenly moistened.

Press crumb mixture into the prepared spring-form pan. Try to work your fingers across the buttered graham cracker crumbs to spread them across the pan and about an inch up the sides of the pan in an even manner.

Be sure to place the spring-form pan onto a cookie sheet. The last thing you want is to have butter leaking on to the bottom of your hot oven. Well, it may not be the last thing you want, but it is a pain in the tail when that does happen. Bake for approximately 8 – 10 minutes, until your crust has set. Remove the crust from the oven, and set it aside to cool completely.

Assemble the filling.

Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure that the bowl sits OVER the simmering water, and does not touch the simmering water. Melting the chocolate only takes a minute or two. Stir to check consistency. Once the chocolate and butter have melted, remove the bowl from the double boiler, and whisk in the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking the mixture until each egg is fully incorporated. Once the last egg has been added, whisk the mixture until the chocolate is glossy and smooth.

Melt the peanut butter either in the microwave or on top of the stove until smooth reserve 2 tbsps off to the side. Spread the peanut butter in an even layer in the bottom of the cooled crust. Top the peanut butter later with the chocolate egg custard mixture.

Drizzle the reserved tablespoons of melted peanut butter on top of the chocolate mixture. Use a toothpick or skewer to draw circular motions through the peanut butter to create a design.

Return the spring-form pan to the sheet tray, baking the pie mixture for 40 – 50 minutes. The closer to 40 minutes, the more lava-like the custard will be, closer to 50 minutes creates a more fudge brownie appearance.