Today is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day!
I am a huge fan of peanut butter. It makes a sandwich that I have never outgrown … as well as the best desserts!
When thinking what peanut butter treat I would enjoy to celebrate the day … the Peanut Butter Pie at Hog & Hominy Restaurant instantly came to mind!
“Peanut butter can be enjoyed either savory or sweet,” explains fellow peanut butter lover Andy Ticer, co-owner of Hog & Hominy.
“Hog & Hominy was a restaurant that we wanted to showcase Memphis and Tennessee. So when we thought about the desserts, we thought about Elvis and that was a loose correlation to the Peanut Butter and Banana Pie,” adds Michael Hudman, Andy’s partner.
Personally I think the marriage of peanut butter and banana makes a better pie than that sandwich The King of Rock-n-Roll was so find of.
And what peanut butter to use when making a peanut butter pie?
“I prefer crunchy peanut butter on my sandwich because I like the texture of the crunchy peanut butter and the soft bread,” explains Michael.
But for the pie?
“For the pie we use the smooth because we try to emulate the Reese’s peanut butter cup filling.”
Tricks for making the perfect pie?
“We whip the peanut butter with a paddle attachment to get it as smooth as possible with the sugar.”
“And you also need to take your vanilla pudding thicker than normal because it needs to holds it shape for the structure of the pie,” recommends Andy.
“But not clumpy!” Mike chimes in on that tip for the perfect pie filling!
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Happy Peanut Butter Day!
Hog & Hominy Peanut Butter Pie
For the Crust:
- 12 oz Nilla Wafers, crushed in a food processor
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
For the vanilla filling:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeded
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
For the peanut filling:
- 1 lb creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 bananas, sliced
- 1 cup Whipped Cream
- 1 cup broken peanut brittle, crushed with a rolling pin into small pieces
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the crust, pulse the cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Pour into a bowl, add the butter, and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch pie pan. Bake until the crust is a shade darker and firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
To make the vanilla filling, in a heavy saucepan, combine 6 tablespoons of the sugar and 2 tablespoons water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Add the milk, cream, and vanilla bean and bring to a simmer. remove from the heat. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, egg, cornstarch, and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until pale in color, about 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour half of the milk mixture into the egg mixture. Whisking constantly, pour the warmed egg mixture into the saucepan and then place over medium heat. using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes; do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into a bowl to cool.
To make the peanut filling, put the peanut butter and both sugars in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed just until the mixture is evenly blended and is firm enough to shape a small amount into a ball in your palm. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Wash the mixer bowl and return it to the stand. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment.
Put the cream in the mixer bowl and mix on high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a bowl. Put the cream cheese in the mixer bowl, fit the mixer with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium speed until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the peanut butter mixture and continue to mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream just until incorporated.
To assemble, use a rubber spatula to spread a layer of vanilla pudding in the cooled crust. Arrange a layer of sliced bananas on top of the pudding, then spread a layer of the peanut butter filling on top of the bananas. You’re looking for the pie to be half pudding and half peanut butter with banana in the middle. Smooth the top with the rubber spatula and refrigerate for 3 hours.
To serve, cut the chilled pie into wedges. Put the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a small fluted tip and pipe the whipped cream decoratively onto the pie. Top each slice with crushed peanut brittle and serve right away.
Serves 8.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Collards & Carbonara by Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman.
