Ryan’s family goes pie crazy at Thanksgiving time. Every family has a pie that they make. We end up eating about eight different kind of pies after our fantastic feast. There is banana cream, coconut cream, lemon sour cream, apple, bumbleberry, death-by-chocolate, pecan and pumpkin pie. Ryan and I do not have a signature pie, but we want to be part of the pie madness. So we held a pie-tasting contest for our friends to help us find the perfect peanut butter pie that we can present this Thanksgiving. If the pie is well received, we will have our very own family pie!

We tried 3 different recipes (I forgot to take pictures before the pies were all eaten, so these are close representations)

The pie that was the most presentable ended up being the clear loser. It had too much bitter-sweet chocolate. The other two had good elements, so we decided to combine recipes and make one amazingly delicious peanut butter and chocolate pie.

Crust:

1 3/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 36 cookies)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons packed dark-brown sugar

Pinch of salt

Chocolate layer:

1 1/3 cups milk chocolate chips (about 8 ounces)

2/3 cup chilled whipping cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut butter filling:

1 cup Skippy creamy peanut butter

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups chilled whipped cream

Topping ideas (optional):

Whipped cream

Drizzled peanut butter

Drizzled melted chocolate

Peanut butter chips

Chocolate chips

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wafter crumbs, butter, brown sugar, and salt. Press mixture firmly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake until set, 8 to 10 minutes. let cool on wire rack.

Make the chocolate layer: While the crust is baking, combine chocolate chips, cream, corn syrup, and vanilla in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium heat until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Whisk until melted and smooth. After the curst is cool, spread chocolate mixture over bottom of crust. Freeze 10 minutes.

Make the peanut butter layer: In a medium bowl, beat together peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar until creamy. Gently fold in whipped cream. Spoon mixture on top of chocolate layer. Chill at least one hour before serving. Add toppings if desired.