Peanut Butter Pie

Why, my readers, why do you buy peanut butter in a jar? If you don’t have a food processor, I understand. Mashing peanuts by hand is no fun.  But if you do, you can make homemade peanut butter in minutes, and this lovely peanut butter pie in under an hour.

Alejandro and I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, as you can probably tell by the lack of sugary recipes on Local Lemons. You won’t find pints of ice cream in our freezer or hunks of chocolate in our pantry–but open our fridge and you’ll be greeted by a shelf full of nut-filled jars. Peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, pine nuts–little salty morsels that always come through in a pinch. But when nuts alone just won’t cut it, we turn to Elvis. That’s right, the king himself.

There’s a reason Elvis’ favorite sandwich was peanut butter and banana – it’s awesome. I hear he sometimes added bacon, but that’s gross, so let’s pretend that never happened. We cook it like a grilled cheese, layering crunchy peanut butter between thin slices of ripe banana, and add a drizzle of local honey for a touch of sweetness.

This pie is a play on the sandwich. A graham cracker crust holds bananas and homemade peanut butter, and it’s topped with honey-infused whipped cream. Your peanut butter will vary in texture depending on the kind of peanuts you choose. I used runner peanuts, so my peanut butter was a tad dry. If you use a peanut with a higher oil content, like Spanish peanuts, your butter will be slicker. Either way, it will taste better, and be better for you, then anything you buy in a jar.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Pie

2 cups ground graham crackers
1 stick organic unsalted butter, melted (4 ounces)
1 pound of roasted, salted peanuts (shelled, skins removed)  – use natural peanuts, without added preservatives (hint, don’t use Planters).
1/4 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup honey, separated
2 ripe bananas, sliced thin
1 cup of organic whipping cream (I used Straus Family Creamery)

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Grind graham crackers in a food processor until fine. Measure 2 cups and pour into a large bowl. Slowly drizzle in melted butter and stir well to combine. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch pie dish, and halfway up the sides. Be sure to press firmly. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Meanwhile, make the peanut butter and whipped cream (see below for recipes). When completely cool, arrange a layer of sliced banana on top of the crust. Add the peanut butter mixture and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake again for 10 minutes.

When cooled, serve with extra bananas and plenty of honey whipped cream.

Peanut Butter:
Put peanuts into a food processor and grind until it forms a paste. Scrap the sides of the bowl so all the peanuts get crushed until butter (If your not using it for pie, stop here and refrigerate). Add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1/4 cup mascarpone and pulse the processor a few times to mix.

Honey Whipped Cream:
Pour 1 cup whipping cream into a large bowl. Whisk until it holds a peak. You can use an electric mixer, but whisking doesn’t take long–5 minutes. Right when it becomes cream, add 2 tablespoons honey and continue whisking.

Where I Shopped:

All-natural graham crackers, Straus Creamery whipping cream, runner peanuts, mascarpone: Berkeley Bowl

Tagged as: dessert