Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

When I saw this beautiful pie my new foodie friend Chef Dennis made; I just had to share it with you!  I tweaked it just a bit, sorry Dennis; no-one's recipes are safe in my hands.  I served it on Father's Day and it won rave reviews.  I'm pretty sure my sister-in-law Erin was in love with it!  Go visit my friend Chef Dennis. 

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Pie Filling

12 ozs. cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter

1\4 cup melted butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

In a bowl mix together crumbs, butter and sugar.  Grease a 9" pie plate and line bottoms and sides with crumbs.  Bake in 350 degree F oven for 8 minutes, let cool.

In a double boiler, heat heavy cream and chocolate chips till melted and smooth.  Pour half in cooled crust and save rest to put on top of chilled pie.  If you don't have a double boiler, which is just a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, put the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted. 

Pour half of the chocolate into the cooled crust and save the rest for the top of the chilled pie.

In a mixer beat cream cheese, scraping sides till creamy.  Add melted butter, peanut butter and sugar.  In a separate bowl whip cream until stiff, fold it into peanut butter mixture.  Put this mixture on top of the chocolate covered crust, chill for a couple of hours.  Pour rest of chocolate on top of pie.  A small offset spatula works for moving the chocolate around, if you don't have one a rubber spatula should work fine.

Garnish with additional whip cream and peanut butter cups if desired.

There was one side effect from this pie; I couldn't put my fork down.

Serves 8.

Enjoy,

Gina