Welcome X96 listeners! Here's the Peanut Butter Cup Pie and other recipes

Thanks to all of you X96 listeners for checking out this site after today's Tasty Pie Segment.  I love Kerry, Bill and Gina and enjoy bringing them pies on occasion, especially since they're being held captive in the studio for the time being.


First, if you're interested in entering the Thanksgiving Giveaway, please log into Facebook and Like the That Means We Get Pie page.  That will earn you one entry.  If you refer someone else to Like the page, have that person send an e-mail to ThatMeansWeGetPie@gmail.com, mentioning who referred them.  Both you and they will receive an additional entry into the contest.  This won't be the only contest we do.  A number of free meals are coming shortly.  So definitely sign up now.

Second, instructions on how create the Mini-Pie shells, as well as a few pie variations, is listed here.  Any pie recipe can be used to fill the shells, just make sure the filling is cooked before you fill them.  I'll be writing a mini-post about the three types of filling I did for today's show in the next week.


Third, the recipe for the classic Coconut Cream Pie is listed here, but all of my basic pies were posted yesterday, and you can find that list here.

Finally, here are complete instructions for the Peanut Butter Cup Pie, start to finish. It's a basic Peanut Butter Cream Pie with an Oreo cookie crust and two layers of chocolate ganache. To some, it sounds intimidating, but anyone can make this.  It does take some time, but each step is pretty simple and you need no special culinary training to do any of them.




 

Peanut Butter Cup Pie
Serves 8


Crust
1 package regular Oreos
1 stick butter


Scrape the filling off of the Oreos and place them in a large Ziploc bag.  Eat discarded filling…if you really want to.  Crush the cookies in the bag to your desired consistency, somewhere between very small chunks to almost powdered.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once butter is melted, add the cookies and stir until the cookies soak up the butter.  Scoop the mixture into a pie plate and press the mixture flat until the entire plate is covered.  Bake the crust in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes, then set aside to cool.




Ganache

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces dark,semi-sweet or milk chocolate (according to your taste), chopped fine

3/8 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup

Slowly melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.  Dump 6 ounces of the chocolate into the saucepan and stir until all the chocolate and butter is melted. Next slowly pour in some of the cream and mix until it's incorporated.  Keep repeating until all of the cream is included.  Finally, add the corn syrup.  Once it's all thoroughly combined, remove from the heat.  Pour enough of the chocolate into the pie crust to cover the bottom, then place the crust in the fridge to chill.  Place the rest of the ganache and the leftover 2 ounces of chocolate aside to use later (place in the fridge if you plan on taking longer than a half hour to complete the pie).

Peanut Butter Filling
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup peanut butter


Combine the sugar and the cornstarch in a medium saucepan and stir thoroughly, which will prevent lumps. Add the salt, whipping cream and milk and whisk to combine.  Separate your egg yolks at this time.  Place them in a small bowl, beat them together, and set it aside for later.


Turn the heat up on the saucepan to medium and begin to cook.  Stir the mixture continually to prevent any scalding or scorching.  After 7-10 minutes, the consistency of the mixture will change from milk to a half-way set pudding.  While still stirring the main mixture, spoon a small amount out of the saucepan and into the egg yolk bowl and immediately start stirring that as well.  Repeat this two more times.  This will warm up the egg yolks so they won't curdle when introduced into the saucepan.  After the third time, pour the egg yolks into the main saucepan and continue to stir for another 3 minutes.  It will thicken up even more.


Add the butter and vanilla and stir until the butter melts into the mixture.  Remove from the heat, add the peanut butter and mix until it melts in.


Remove the pie crust from the fridge and add the peanut butter cream, leaving about a quarter inch at the top for the final step.  Set the excess filling aside to snack on later.


Not put that small saucepan with the ganache in it back on low heat.  Add the remaining chocolate and stir until it melts into the ganache and it smooths out.  Remove from the heat and pour over the top of the pie.  Use a spatula to smooth it evenly over the top all the way to the edge.   Let it sit on the counter for 15 so the chocolate sets, then cover in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours. 


Serve with whipped cream and any other garnish you'd like.


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So make one of these tonight, or try it for your Thanksgiving dinner.  Let me know how it goes.  And please feel free to come back anytime.  We post a new recipe at least once a week, some times two, or we'll add a special feature here and there.  Either way, I guarantee it will be entertaining.