Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 1/2 cups chocolate graham crackers crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, melted

Filling:

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Topping:

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup semi-sweet chunks, chocolate chips, or bars, chopped
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 Reese's peanut butter cups, rough chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Crust:

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan.  In a mixing bowl, combine the chocolate graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the butter and mix well. 

Press onto the bottom and sides of spring-form pan.

Bake crust for 10 minutes.

Filling:

Using a kitchen-Aid mixer, or electric mixer, combine cream cheese and peanut butter together for 5 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the cream cheese/ peanut butter mixture, and combine for 5 minutes more until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until firm. 

Carefully fold the cream mixture into the cream cheese/ peanut butter mixture until well blended. 

Spoon mixture into pie crust. 

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours

Topping:

Combine the sugar and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to just a boil.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate, butter and vanilla.  Whisk the mixture until smooth and the chocolate and butter have melted.

Cool mixture slightly.

Pour topping mixture over pie, and evenly spread from edge to edge.  SAVE 2 TO 4 TABLESPOONS OF TOPPING MIXTURE TO DRIZZLE OVER PEANUT BUTTER CUPS.

Sprinkle peanut butter cups evenly over top.

Drizzle the saved topping over peanut butter cups.

Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight before serving.

IMPORTANT:  After refrigeration, and while pie is still in the spring-form pan, cut around the edges of the finished pie.  Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water.  Snap the clip on the pan and  release your peanut butter cup pie. 

Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water again to cut each slice.