Peanut Butter Pie

Something magical always happens when peanut butter is used in a recipe, whether it be sweet or savory.  It gives that extra depth or creaminess needed in curries or desserts.  Here is a dessert completely dedicated to peanut butter.  It's a recipe from the Homesick Texan, who's repertoire I've been browsing lately.

This is a custard style pie and is very rich, so eat only small slices.  It is not overly sweet, however, so it suits me just well.  The original recipe calls for a meringue, but nobody at my table really appreciates meringue, so I skipped it.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

2 egg yolks, beaten

2 cups milk

3/4 cup (140g) sugar

5 Tbsp (45-50g) flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup (170g) natural peanut butter

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 shortcrust, pre-baked 15 minutes
chopped peanuts for garnish

Directions
1.  Whisk together the egg yolks, milk, sugar, flour, and salt.  Cook on medium heat while whisking for approximately 5 minutes.  It should somewhat thicken, but not too much.
2.  Take off heat and stir in the vanilla, peanut butter, cinnamon, and cayenne.  The cayenne balances the flavors.  It's just absolutely amazing in this pie.
3.  Pour the mixture into the pre-baked shortcrust topped with a few chopped peanuts.  I didn't go to crazy on the garnish.  Cook at 350°F 175°C for 15-20 minutes or until the center has set.

Wait about 20 minutes before digging in.

Serve warm or cold.

I was afraid the cayenne would not work well with my guests' palates, but everyone seemed to enjoy it.  This is a nice change from the more traditional and sugar loaded pies.

Decadent and rich, for peanut lovers only!