ArjaysPies | Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Pretzel Crust

 With everything that's happening I've managed to have a bit more free time in my life. Recently my aunt gifted me a bag of pretzel sticks that she had in the back of her cupboard for the last couple months so I decided to try my hand at a sweet and salty style pie. This pie is a really simple Icebox pie that can be thrown together quickly. We start with a pretzel crust, peanut butter mouse, a simple chocolate sauce, and then your very own handmade chocolate curls.

Also this is just a little extra bonus pie I threw together for some stress baking, My Apple Nogada Icebox Pie will be up latter this month.

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 C Salted Pretzels 
• 2 T Brown Sugar
• 1/4 C Unsalted Butter

Mousse

• 1 1/2 C Whipping Cream
• 1 C Peanut Butter
• 1 C Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 C Brown Sugar
• 1 t Vanilla

Ganache

• 1 Part Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• 1 Part Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 t Vanilla Extract
• Butter to Finish

Garnish

• 1 C Chocolate Curls
• 1 C White Chocolate Curls
• Pretzels

Procedure

Step 1: The Crust

First up we have the pretzel Crust. For those that aren't as familiar with pies there are generally two types of crust. "Butter" crusts which are are a combination of fat and flour, (this is your Shortcrust, Pate Brisee, and Pate Sucree) and "Crumb" Crusts which are a combination of  fat, (typically butter), and your Binder, (I.E Graham Cracker and Oreo Crusts). So if you have every made a cheesecake or a Grasshopper Pie you have a good sense of how to make a pretzel crust already. 

Either in a Food Processor or with a Rolling Pin crush the pretzels. The food processor will provide a very small uniform texture while crushing by hand will give the individual pieces more variety. Add the sugar to the pretzel mixture and melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the mixture and stir until the butter has mixed evenly. Pour the mixture into a greased pie pan and press into the pan to shape. Pop into a 350F/176 C degree oven for about 10 minutes. As the rest of the pie is "Cold" this will help the filling set and not crumble when you serve it later. After the pie is done take it out of the oven and let cool.  

Step 2: The Filling

Now mousse sounds terrible fancy, (and therefore difficult), but it is actually one of the more easier dishes to make and a great dessert to add to your tool kit. Start by taking your whipping cream, (it should always be chilled never room temperature), and adding the sugars and the extract, use a mixer to whip the cream until you reach soft peaks. Once your whipped cream has thickened add the peanut butter, (perhaps warm it in the microwave first to make it easier to handle), and fold it into the whipped cream. Remember be gentle when your folding your mousse as overhandling will cause it to lose volume and therefore airyness. Spoon the mousse into the pie and level it using a spatula. You will want to make the surface fairly smooth as you will be adding a layer of chocolate on top to "seal" it. Allow the mousse to set in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the components.

Step 3: The Ganache

For this recipe I tested out the excellent Chocolate Sauce from James McNair's Pie Cookbook. Unfortunately due to copyright, I cannot reproduce the recipe here but I can help you modify your ganache to emulate it. (If your unfamiliar with Ganache please check out last Months article).

In this recipe we use a single pan and simply heat to mix. Once the chocolate has melted completely take off heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. This is for two reasons: One, the sauce will thicken and Two, this is too prevent melting the mousse. When it doubt let the sauce cool more. 

Take the pie out of the refridgerator and place the pan on a plate. Pour the Sauce onto the middle of the pie and spread out using a spatula. This can be a little messy which is why I use the plate to avoid having the sauce spilling onto your table, (or worse the bottom of your refrigerator). Once you finish smoothing out the sauce place it back into the fridge to set while you prep the garnish. 

Step 4: The Garnish

There are several ways of creating chocolate curls but the easiest way I have found is generally using a vegetable peeler and a block of chocolate. For this recipe I actually used Almond Bark, a chocolate substitute which is made with vegetable fats instead of Cocoa Butter. However you can also use regular milk and white chocolate if you prefer.Take your vegetable peeler and drag it across the block of chocolate in smooth sure strokes. The first couple passes may not curl properly but as the chocolate softens a little it will start curling. 

Once you have finished shaving the chocolate place aside and check on your pie. The chocolate sauce should be firm and solid. Touch the surface with one of your pretzels or a toothpick. If the chocolate comes up with the pretzels it needs more time but if it remains unmoved then its ready. Take the pretzels you reserved for garnish and place them in a decorative pattern on the top of the pie. I placed mine in a starburst pattern but feel free to experiment with different designs. Once you have finished setting the pretzels sprinkle the curls liberally around the edge of the pie. 

Step 5: Enjoy

There you go a quick and easy Icebox Pie perfect for a summer picnic or just to satisfy you sweet tooth on a late Weekend Night. Now considering that the pie is essentially 80% whip cream I would not recommend serving this Ala Mode but let me know how you would serve it. I had a great time with this recipe and is definitely in my Pie speed dial for when I want something easy. 

Comment down below to with your own tips, changes, or ideas for future Recipes. Happy Baking!