(Okay, is it concerning that I really had to reach to think of a non-food related example here? Obsessed much??)
How perfect is peanut butter and chocolate together? They're like, the perfect couple that everyone admires and is also a little bit suspicious of, because there's no way they're that perfect together and surely they fight sometimes? But no, peanut butter and chocolate are just that perfect together!
We have a peanut butter crust, layered with chocolate (the "black bottom"), followed by peanut butter mousse, chocolate mousse, and chopped salted peanuts.
This is also the first time I used my food processor for pastry. I've been using the method of rubbing the butter into the flour - a slow and painful process that usually involves a lot of flour on the floor instead of in the bowl! I discovered that I have a plastic dough blade that makes this a cinch, with no mess as well! Perhaps I should actually read the whole instruction booklet that came with it!
I just want to add - don't be alarmed by this recipe! There are a lot of steps but it's actually not that complicated! I think I've just split things out a lot.
RECIPE - serves 12
Peanut Butter Crust
80 gm chilled butter
2 tbsp chilled peanut butter
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3-4 tbsp ice water
Black Bottom
90 gm milk chocolate chips
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Peanut Butter Cream
3/4 cup cream
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter, softened
Chocolate Cream
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup cream
Topping
1/4 cup roughly chopped salted peanuts
Peanut Butter Crust
1. Cut the butter and peanut butter into the flour using a food processor fitted with a plastic dough blade. Gradually add the ice water, mixing until the dough forms a ball. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Remove dough from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface until pastry circle is about 10 inches in diameter. Gently lay pastry into a 9-inch pie pan. Prick crust gently all over with a fork, line with baking paper, and fill partially with pie weights or dried beans.
3. Bake about 5 minutes, then remove pie weights and baking paper. Bake another 5 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Chocolate Cream
4. Place chocolate chips in a metal bowl.
5. Melt cream in a small saucepan until it bubbles around the edges. Pour cream over chips, let stand 5 minutes, stir until smooth.
6. Refrigerate until chilled, or about ten minutes.
Black Bottom
7. Melt chocolate in microwave on 30 second bursts, stirring each time.
8. Stir in cocoa and stir until smooth.
9. Smooth over pie crust and refrigerate until the peanut butter cream is ready.
Peanut Butter Cream
10. In a medium bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Whisk in sugar.
11. Fold whipped cream into peanut butter. Pour into pie crust.
Tip: If your peanut butter is hard, you may need to microwave to soften slightly to be able to fold through the cream.
Chocolate Cream
12. Remove chocolate from the fridge and, using an electric mixer, whip the chocolate until smooth and fluffy. Pour into pie crust.
Topping
13. Scatter the chopped salted peanuts over the top of the pie.
14. Refrigerate at least an hour to allow to set before serving.
15. Enjoy!
Sources: Crust from Post-Gazette.com; Peanut butter and chocolate creams from Martha Stewart