What’s For Dessert?

Today is National Pie Day. It’s also National Rhubarb Pie Day. As pies go, Rhubarb ranks right up there on my least favorite pie list, while for Hubby it’s one of his favorites. So hush, we won’t tell him he coulda had a slice of Rhubarb Pie today.

What do I have against Rhubarb pies? It’s more a texture thing than a flavor thing. My favorite pies are cream pies. Any Mousse Pie is heaven in a tin if you ask me. Combine chocolate and peanut butter – oh my that’s good! If you really wanted to make the Black Bottom of this pie stand out more, you could use bittersweet chocolate or a blend of bitter and semisweet.

I love a good Graham Cracker crust. Or a crushed pretzel crust with a Margarita Pie. Again, it’s the texture that draws me in. I suppose for National Pie Day we could have gone in a completely different direction, such as a Chorizo Chili Pie or  a meaty Pub Pie. But the truth of the matter is that in January, we suffer from the effects of sugar withdrawal and really crave something sweet rather than something savory. So National Pie Day was a good excuse to satisfy that urge.

Black-Bottom Peanut Butter Mousse Pie
Gram Cracker Crust
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup Butter
7 Graham Crackers
2 tablespoons Sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Melt butter over low heat. Coarsely break up the graham crackers, place in a food processor fitted with a blade. Add melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar, process until moist clumps form. Press crumb mixture over bottom and up sides of prepared pie dish. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before filling.

While the crust cools, make the fillings.

Black Bottom
1 1/3 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips (about 8 oz)
2/3 cup Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, 2/3 cup cream, corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Microwave on medium heat until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Whisk until melted and smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over bottom of crust. Freeze 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Mousse
6 oz (1 cup) Peanut Butter Chips
1 3/4 cups Heavy Cream, divided
2 tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons Sugar

In another microwave-safe bowl, microwave peanut butter chips and 3/4 cup heave cream on medium heat at 15-second intervals just until chips soften, stirring often. Whisk in peanut butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool to barely lukewarm. Beat remaining 1 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until very thick but not yet holding peaks; fold whipped cream into peanut butter mixture in 3 additions. Spoon mousse over chocolate layer.

Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Garnish
1/2 cup Chocolate Syrup
1/4 cup Peanuts

When ready to serve, drizzle pie with chocolate syrup as desired. Sprinkle some peanuts around the edge of the pie, slice and serve.

Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and avid home cook.I believe in eating healthy whenever possible, while still managing to indulge in life's pleasures. View all posts by Rosemarie's Kitchen