peanut butter raspberry pie

I love a good theme. Writing a food blog means I get to celebrate important holidays like world nutella day, chocolate chip cookie day, and pi(e) day. Eating dessert is wonderful and eating dessert with a purpose is even better. Who would I be if I didn’t eat pie on March 14^th? Probably someone wishing they had pie.I had big plans to make a strawberry rhubarb pie but that’s not seasonal and I really wanted bright rhubarb and ripe strawberries for that project.  Instead I spent 4 hours before I fell asleep thinking up this peanut butter and jelly inspired pie. In college, many moons ago, I rediscovered my love for peanut butter and jelly. Soft sandwich bread with crunchy peanut butter and strawberry jam was my…jam. I’ve also been known to put peanut butter and jelly in my oatmeal or eat it directly off the spoon.

Please don’t be intimidated by my sophisticated palette. My (27-year-old) cousin eats uncrustables straight from the freezer so I feel I’m in good company.This pie has a crust made with graham crackers and peanut butter sandwich cookies to up the peanut butter decadence.  The butter and sugar help to bind the ingredients together so your crust will hold shape.On top of the peanut butter cookie crust is a fudgey layer of peanut butter, covered in raspberry jam, and then topped with a buttery crumble to add even more texture.It is rich beyond belief and I can’t wait to store it in the freezer and eat slivers of it, pretending it counts as breakfast.  My sister told me this pie may be responsible for her pregnancy weight and that’s the highest compliment I’ve ever received.

Peanut Butter Raspberry Pie

Graham cracker peanut butter cookie crust

1 sleeve graham crackers

10 peanut butter sandwich cookies (I used the target brand, knock off nutter butters)

6 tablespoons melted butter

Peanut butter filling

½ cup butter

1 cup peanut butter (I used smooth but chunky sounds wonderful)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Jam layer

¾ cup raspberry jam (or any jam)

Crumble

¾ cup flour

¼ cup butter, partially melted

1/3 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Crush up your graham crackers and peanut butter cookies either in a food processor or in a plastic bag, the old fashioned way.  Mix in your sugar and melted butter, then press into a spring form pan, or any pie pan.  I’m just showing off that I bought a spring form pan.

Bake the crust in a 325 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  This helps set the crust together. While the crust cools, whip together the room temperature butter until smooth and then mix in the peanut butter.  Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar until well-combined.  Spread this filling out into the cookie crust, once the crust is cool enough it won’t melt the peanut buttery goodness.

Stick the whole pie in the fridge for a few minutes while you prepare the crumble.  Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt, then adding in the melted butter to create large pieces of crumble.  I squeezed it together with my fingers to create some bigger pieces.

Once the peanut butter filling feels a little more solid, spread the raspberry jam on top.  Disperse the crumble on top of the jam and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Cool the pie in the fridge for a few hours or overnight for everything to set up.  I think this pie is best eaten when cool and I imagine if milk if your thing, this would be wonderful with milk (milk is not my thing).

Enjoy!