Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Happy Pi Day!

Pi Day is a holiday of epic proportion in the Husband's office, with each employee contributing to the festivities. But it doesn't matter what kind of pie those other people made. This year, mine takes the cake. (Pie?)

There is is. A peanut butter pi masterpiece.

And beneath the shiny chocolate exterior? Creamy peanut butter filling and Oreo crust. Ready to dive in?

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Adapted from Kraft magazine

Makes: One 9" pie

You'll need:

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 c + 1 T peanut butter, divided

1 c milk

1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding

2 1/2 c thawed Cool Whip, divided

3 oz semisweet baking chocolate

1 oreo pie crust

Yes. I cheated. I used a pre-made crust. I don't feel great about it, but it is what it is. Let's move on.

Beat your soft cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the peanut butter until well blended. Add the pudding mix...

... and the milk. Beat on slow for a few seconds to incorporate the liquid, then beat on high for about two minutes. (Don't go directly to "high" unless you want to wear some peanut butter. Although the Husband did say that I smell good.)

Gently fold in 1 cup of the Cool Whip.

Turn the filling into the pre-made crust...

... and spread it smooth.

I forgot to take a picture. Use your imagination.

Put it in the fridge to start chilling. 

In a small bowl, place the baking chocolate and remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cool Whip, and put it in the microwave.

What?! 

Yes. I know this seems weird. Especially since the Cool Whip label literally says "DO NOT MICROWAVE." The first time I made this was a bit of a trust exercise. Just hang with me for a minute.

Microwave it for 1 minute. It will now look like this.

Appealling, right? The Cool Whip collapses into a puddle. But start stirring...

... and it becomes a smooth, chocolate gel. Microwave an additional 15-30 seconds if you still have lumps of chocolate, and stir til smooth. Let it cool for a couple of minutes, and as soon as it's no longer hot, pour/spread it over your pie.

Glistening chocolate. Aaaah. And we're not even done yet.

Put that last spoonful of peanut butter into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Use a spoon to drizzle it artistically over your pie, OR spoon it into a piping bag and decorate.

Easy as pi. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving so the filling is nice and stiff. 

Have a wonderful Pi Day!