First, a brief complaint.  I hate when recipes call for “chocolate wafer” cookies.  There are two kinds of chocolate wafer cookies and the recipe never says which, so I have to read through the recipe and try to deduce which it is talking about.  This drives me mad.  Several times I have just tossed a recipe because I couldn’t be bothered figuring out which type of chocolate wafer cookie they wanted.  For today’s recipe I was able to figure it out, and it’s the Nabisco (round chocolate disc) version.  Goya Maria cookies work equally well.

Now that I’ve gotten that off of my chest, we may move on.  Today’s recipe is for a Peanut Butter Icebox Pie.  I have found that many so-called icebox pies still call for a baked crust, which in my opinion partially defeats the purpose if you’re looking to keep your oven off in the heat of the summer.  This one has zero baking, so I will definitely keep it in mind this summer when the temperatures are high.

Additionally, for the recipe below I made individual bite-sized pies, with a tin specifically for this purpose.  I have found it to be a great “not just another kitchen gadget” purchase.  But, if you don’t have one or don’t want one, this recipe can be made in a pie dish (slice as normal), or in lined cupcake tins.  The pies are very rich, so consider using mini cupcake tins or filling them only part way.

A word of warning: the crust gets hard, so if you make this in a pie dish that you need to portion allow the pie to thaw out just a bit before cutting

Peanut Butter Icebox Pie

• Servings: 12
• Time: 4hr 30mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients
Crust
30 chocolate wafer cookies (the Nabisco kind, or Goya Maria)
1 T sugar
6 T unsalted butter, melted

• Grind cookies to a powder in a food processor.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in sugar and butter until well combined.
• Press crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of individual cheesecake tins, cupcake liners, or into the bottom of a 9-inch pie or tart pan.
• Refrigerate for a bit to firm the crust.

Filling
½ c (3 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
½ t light corn syrup
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 c creamy peanut butter
2 T vanilla extract
¾ c brown sugar, firmly packed
1 ½ c heavy cream
Hot Fudge, optional (store bought)

Instructions

• Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in a double boiler.  Stir in corn syrup.  Drizzle chocolate in a thin layer over the bottom of the chilled pie crust.  Return to refrigerator.
• In an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar until well combined.  Set aside.
• In another bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks form.  Gently fold together peanut butter mixture and cream until evenly combined.
• Pour mixture into prepared crust.  If using cupcake liners, don’t fill too much – these are very rich.
• Freeze for at least 4 hours.
• Just prior to serving, add a dollop of hot fudge sauce if desired.
• Store covered in the freezer for up to 3 days.  Thaw slightly before cutting.

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Calories (not including hot fudge): 500 (for your naughty days)