Sweet and salty, perfect together: This peanut butter pie calms all your cravings

My brother loves this pie. It satisfies the crunchy, salty, chocolaty, savory, peanut dessert cravings he has.

When he’s home from college, this is one of the desserts he asks me to make for him.

My Mom-Mom made a Jimmy Carter Cake years back. This dessert for my brother is my take on her cake.

This light, smooth peanut butter and chocolate dessert is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, especially for game day! I

And if I can whip up this pie after midnight, upon request, you can easily make it any time!

This is peanut and chocolate decadence.

Peanut & Cracker Crusted Peanut Butter Pie

Pie crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

½ unsalted roasted party peanuts, crushed

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

¼ teaspoon of salt

5 tablespoons of butter, melted

Chop the peanuts in a food processor or in a chopper, until fine but not to a paste. Next, add the graham cracker crumbs, salt, sugar and butter. Process until evenly mixed. Press this mixture into a glass pie pan. No need to butter the pan, prior. Bake in a 325 F oven for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.

Pie filling

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature

1 cup of smooth peanut butter

1 cup of heavy cream

1 cup of powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Using a mixer, combine room-temperature cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Next, add the peanut butter. Mix. Add sour cream. Combine. Now, comes the vanilla. Mix. Spoon this mixture into a large bowl.

In your empty mixing bowl (no need to wash the bowl out) add the heavy cream. Using the whisk attachment, whisk on medium to high speed until medium peaks form. Once this is accomplished, fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture; continue gently until fully combined. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, gently. Place the entire mixture into your cooled peanut butter crust.

Cover with a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pie. Let chill in the refrigerator from 4 hours to overnight. This pie gets better as it chills.

Chocolate Fudge Topper

1 teaspoons light corn syrup

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli bittersweet chips.)

2 ounces of heavy cream

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Pour the cream and the corn syrup in a small saucepan. Heat cream and corn syrup until it starts to foam or simmer around the sides of the pan. Pour directly onto the chocolate and let it stand for a few minutes. Whisk. Cool to room temperature before you put this mixture over the top of your pie. Chill until ready to serve. I use a plastic cake cover, so not to ruin the top of the pie.

Serve right out of the refrigerator if you wish.

Garnish with fresh whipped cream, caramel sauce, maraschino cherries, more crushed peanuts, etc.