Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

oreos to be crushed

The only thing in this world that I love more than peanut butter, is when you combine it with chocolate. This pie is from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: My Home to Yours” She calls it a “torte” in her book, but I don’t really know why. “Tortes” are generally cakes, this (to me) is clearly a pie made of a short-cut “mousse”… hence “mousse pie”

whirrrr

I heard a couple people say it was “too rich” to finish a slice, I don’t have that problem. I wish I had that problem, but I don’t. I don’t use the words “too rich” when discussing food. For those of you who do, be forewarned—this is rich. Super rich. For those of you who have felt like you could kick someone in the shin just for some peanut butter-chocolatey goodness, this is right up your alley. To me, oreo crust + peanut butter mousse + chocolate ganache = heaven.

peanut butter, meet whipped cream

Despite my love for peanut butter, I despise peanuts in my sweets—so I left those out. I wanted to replace them with the new super mini reese’s cups, but of course the store was sold out. They were also conveniently sold out of Nabisco’s Famous Wafers, so I had to de-cream and crush my oreos myself. For those of you who can only find one or the other, here’s a helpful tidbit—it takes about 20 wafers to make 1 cup of crumbs. As you might expect, it takes about 10 oreos to equal that same amount. (Imagine that, 2 wafers = 1 oreo? Crazy, I know)  I’ll give you Dorie’s recipe, and put my alterations along with them.

You will need 1 large (8 – 10”) or a couple small springform pans.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ c chopped salted peanuts (I used peanut butter chips instead, although I debated using honey roasted peanuts… but like I said, I’m prejudice against peanuts in my sweet treats)
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp espresso powder (optional—I didn’t see why It was in there, so I left it out, it might actually be better to add to the crust crumbs.)
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch grated nutmeg
  • ½ cup mini chocolate chips
  • 24 oreo cookies, finely crumbled (I used a 10” pan and needed about 10 more cookies)
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I added ~2 Tbsp butter
  • to make up for the extra cookies)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • 12 oz cream cheese, room temp
  • 1 ½ cups peanut butter (not natural)
  • 2 Tbsp whole milk (I used 2% and the world did not collapse)
  • 4 oz bittersweet (I used leftover semisweet mini chips) chocolate,
  • chopped

 

1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 350F, butter your springform pan(s), line with parchment, and place it on a baking sheet. (If you are using a pan larger than 8 inches, you will probably need extra crumbs and butter). I crushed the oreos in a food processor, once they were finely crushed I poured the melted butter in while it was still whirling around. Then poured the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan, and used the bottom of a glass to press the crumbs into a thin layer and to spread them up the sides. Bake for about 10 minutes, if you start to smell it baking, TAKE IT OUT! (like I did, when I got distracted in the other room and then was intrigued by the smell of oreos perfuming our house) –This is all you need your oven for. Turn it off and let it rest J

2. For the “crunch”: Toss ½ cup of chopped peanuts (or peanut butter chips, or super cute mini reese’s-if you can find them), mini chocolate chips, sugar, espresso powder, nutmeg and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. For the filling: In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip 2 cups of the cream (note that there is a ½ cup being left out). Once it holds medium peaks, beat in ¼ cup of the powdered sugar and continue to whip until it holds medium-firm peaks. Transfer to a separate bowl and stick it in the fridge.

fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture

4. Wipe out the mixing bowl and swap the whisk for the paddle attachment. Beat cream cheese with remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar. Start slow, once incorporated mix at medium speed until cream cheese is smooth. Beat in peanut butter, milk, and ¼ cup of the “crunch”.

5. Stir in ¼ of the whipped cream to lighten, then stir in the rest of the “crunch” mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, being sure to scrape the bottom.

6. Pour mousse into the crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cover with plastic wrap once the mousse firms.

7. To finish, put the chopped chocolate (I used leftover mini chocolate chips) in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Once it starts to melt, remove the bowl and bring ½ cup of cream to a boil (make sure to stir so it doesn’t form a skin). Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir together until it’s smooth and shiny. Pour the ganache over the pie, and smooth (or tilt the pie) to cover the top. Place back in the refrigerator to set for at least 20 minutes.

8. Once ganache is firm, you can remove the sides and return to the refrigerator until your ready to serve. (It’s ok to taste the remnants)

i promise, this photo does it no justice!

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