Annie's Peanut Butter Pie

From: Chef Annie Baker, Mustards Grill, Napa, CA. This recipe was awarded a $500 runner-up prize in the 2008 Peanut Advisory Board Chefs' Recipe Contest. Yield: 1 pie, 10-12 slices.

Chocolate Cookie Crust:

2¼ cups chocolate cookie crumbs

3 oz. butter, salted, melted

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Coating:

¾ cup creamy peanut butter

⅔ cup milk chocolate morsels

Pie Filling:

½ lb. cream cheese, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

For crust: Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter in an appropriate bowl. Blend together until completely incorporated. Compress the mixture firmly into and up the sides of a 10" pie pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm and set. Cool quickly per HACCP procedures to 40°F or below. (Shelf life is 72 hours.)

For chocolate-peanut butter coating: Melt chocolate with peanut butter over a double boiler. Blend until smooth and incorporated. Pour into a chilled chocolate cookie crust and rotate the shell to coat up the sides of the crust to the top edge. Cool quickly per HACCP procedures to 40°F or below. (Shelf life is 48 hours.)

For pie filling: Place cream cheese in mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Stop mixer and scrape bowl and paddle. Add granulated and brown sugars, vanilla and salt and continue mixing for 5 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape bowl and paddle. Add peanut butter and mix for an additional 2 minutes. Remove bowl and fold in whipped cream just until fully incorporated. Pour finished pie filling into prepared and coated chocolate cookie crust. Shake filling to evenly distribute. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to overnight. Cool quickly per HACCP procedures to 40°F or below. (Shelf life is 48 hours.)

PHOTO: PEANUT ADVISORY BOARD