Last time we talked, I promised you a peanut butter pie recipe in time for Thanksgiving, and I’m going to deliver that for you right now. Most of the time when I share a recipe with you, I’ve either made it a thousand times, or I’ve tested it for ingredient accuracy and technique. Because I trust you in the kitchen, we are all going to be flying by the seat of our pants on this one. It will be a journey we can enjoy together.
Stephen and I had a piece of this pie at the Glacier Brewhouse in Anchorage, Alaska on our trip there last summer. The waiter recommended it as the “thing” to get there, and boy, was he right! Stephen and I both declared it a Lifetime Top 5 Dessert. It’s the perfect blend of sweet chocolatiness from the ganache and saltiness with a hint of crunch from the peanut butter. A match made in heaven! They serve the pie in randomly shaped pieces with the ganache poured over the top.
(I just told Stephen I’m writing about “that” peanut butter pie in Sweet Tea this week, and he said, “That peanut butter pie was a special thing.”)
I asked the waiter if the chef had ever shared the recipe for the pie publicly, and lo and behold, they had! In a post celebrating National Pi Day—that’s March 14th (3.14) every year for those of you who don’t live in a house full of math nerds—Glacier Brewhouse shared a small batch version of their famous Peanut Butter Pie. Squee!
I’m planning to make this for our Marietta Thanksgiving Dinner next week, so I’ll let you know how it goes. The crust and peanut butter filling look straightforward, but I won’t lie, I’m a little intimidated by the ganache topping. The recipe calls for using not one, but two double boilers. I’m going to have to figure that out. Also, it looks like they use weight to measure ingredients, so I’ll have to get out my trusty food scale.
Here’s the recipe. Hit the link for more detailed information. Let me know if you try to make it too.
Glacier Brewhouse Peanut Butter Pie
Pie Crust
9 oz Oreo Crumbs
2 oz Granulated Sugar
6 oz Unsalted Butter, Melted
In a mixing bowl, combine crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter while hot and mix until it holds together when you squeeze it.
Line a 10 inch pie pan with parchment paper and pack crumb mixture on bottom and sides until firm and around 1/2 inch thick.
Freeze for 1 hour.
Pie Filling
8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
8 oz Powdered Sugar
9 oz Crunchy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peanut butter until well incorporated.
In a clean mixing bowl, whip heavy cream and vanilla until medium peaks form.
Mix whipped cream and peanut butter mixture until incorporated.
Spread evenly over frozen crust and freeze.
Ganache (aka here’s where things get interesting.)
18 oz Ground Block Semi Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
4 oz Granulated Sugar
1 TB Unsalted Butter
Whisk cream and sugar in a double boiler over heat until sugar is dissolved. Add butter and bring to a simmer.
Melt the chocolate in a separate double boiler. (I’m considering doing this step in the microwave. I’ll let you know how it goes.)
Off heat, whisk cream into melted chocolate until completely smooth.
Allow to cool a bit before serving. You’ll want it to be warm for serving.
Assembly
At this point it looks like you can choose your own adventure. When they serve this at the restaurant, they cut an oddly shaped piece of pie and pour the ganache over it. The frozen pie makes the ganache set up like a shell on the top and sides. They also suggest serving the ganache on the side as a dip, and you can sprinkle chopped peanuts or crushed peanut brittle on top of everything. You can see more of their serving ideas here.
I’m going to experiment with it. I may try just pouring the ganache over the top of the pie filling for a third layer and see what happens. That’s what I’d do if I was making it to take to a friend’s house. It’s all going to depend on what the ganache acts like once I get it made. If you decide to make this pie, let me know how it goes for you!
I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving holiday wherever you are!
Until next time,
Karla