Retro Chocolate-Bacon-Peanut Butter Pie with Bacon-Peanut-Shortbread Cookie Crust, Peanut Butter Mousse Filling, & Chocolate Ganache Topping Garnished with Crushed Peanut-Candied Bacon Crumble & Bourbon-Maple Whoop

Retro Chocolate-Bacon-Peanut Butter Pie with Bacon-Peanut-Shortbread Cookie Crust,
Peanut Butter Mousse Filling, & Chocolate Ganache Topping Garnished with
Crushed Peanut-Candied Bacon Crumble, & Bourbon-Maple Whoop

The title is a mouth-full isn't it? Well, trust me, your mouth will absolutely be full when you take a bite of this over-the-top pie. I have always loved peanut butter pie and it's kind of a retro, diner classic that my taste buds drifted towards as a child. When I ate it in the past, it was almost always made with an Oreo cookie crust and a simple dollop of whipped cream, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and make a bad-ass peanut butter pie... with BACON y'all. Lots and lots and lots of bacon. I mean there's even bacon bits in the crust. And by the way, the Bacon-Peanut-Shortbread cookie crust is the best part. It's peanut buttery and studded with crispy bits o' bacon that just makes my heart melt. It just has the best texture. I love the crust so much that I divide & conquer this pie into thirds, starting with the crust first. Oh yeah baby, this is what dreams are made of. The peanut butter filling is nothin' special, but so simplistic & delicious. It's creamy and silky, and sticks to the roof of your mouth like you're just eatin' a spoon of peanut butter out of the jar at midnight. Yes, I know we all do it. And what's better than peanut butter & chocolate? Nothin' y'all. So I knew that I had to add a thick layer of chocolate ganache to finish the pie, making it taste like a huge Reese's Cup. But that wasn't enough for me was it? Apparently not, since I made a ridiculous Roasted Peanut-Candied Bacon Crumble to shove into that chocolate ganache topping. I know that y'all can feel your chests start to tighten, but don't turn away now folks, it's just gettin' good. Finally, you hav'ta top your slice of pie with a big ole' dollop of homemade Bourbon-Maple Whoop (or whipped cream as some people call it). And you can taste that Bourbon mixed in there, and that's the only way it should be. I mean I think it's a state law in Georgia that you have to add in booze and bacon into any & every recipe that you can, and I'm totally on board because this pie is to. die. for. But, don't get me wrong, it's as rich as can be, so cut you a small slice, ya'hear? Glad I cleared that up. You can serve this just refrigerated, where the peanut butter is ooey-gooey, or you can do what we do, and freeze it, so it tastes like ice cream pie. Yum yum yummmm!! Enjoy :)

Isn't this pie just gorgeous?

Look at the Roasted Peanut-Candied Bacon Crumble Topping

You gotta have the whoop, y'all!

For the Bacon-Peanut-Shortbread Crust:

1C Peanuts, Unsalted & Dry-Roasted

½C AP Flour

¼t Salt

¼t Baking Soda

¼C Light Brown Sugar, Packed

¼C Sugar

2T Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1 Large Egg Yolk

¼t Vanilla

6 Slices of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cooked until Extra Crispy

For the Peanut Butter Mouse Filling:

1C Heavy Cream

8oz Cream Cheese

1C Creamy Peanut Butter

1C Confectioners’ Sugar

14oz Can of Sweetened, Condensed Milk

1t Vanilla

1t Fresh Lemon Juice

For the Chocolate Ganache Topping:

1C Dark Chocolate Chunks

½C Heavy Cream

For the Crushed Peanut-Candied Bacon Crumble:

½C Roasted Peanuts, Crushed

½C Candied Bacon

1t Rendered Bacon Fat

For the Bourbon-Maple Whoop:

1C Heavy Cream

¼C Grade B Maple Syrup

2-3T Bourbon

Directions:

1. Spray a pie pan with Baking Pam and set it aside. 

2. For Bacon-Peanut-Shortbread Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse extra crispy bacon in a food processor until there are very fine pieces. Remove the bacon into a small bowl, and then peanuts into the same food processor and blend until a peanut butter forms, about 2 minutes. In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda until incorporated. Using an electric mixer, beat together both sugars, peanut butter, small bacon pieces, and butter until well combined and mixture resembles wet sand, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until well blended, about 3 minutes (the mixture will be clumpy). Gradually add in the dry ingredients with your hands and beat until just combined (it will be crumbly, but do not over-mix). Gather dough with your hands, place into the prepared pan, and press evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Set this aside to let it cool completely before adding the peanut butter mousse filling.

3. For the Peanut Butter Mousse Filling: Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.  Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth. Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture (helps lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream).  Fold in the remaining whipped cream.  Pour the filling into the piecrust. Refrigerate for a couple or until the peanut butter filling has hardened enough to spread on the chocolate ganache.

4. For the Chocolate Ganache Topping: In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream just to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until smooth. Pour or spoon the ganache over the top of the chilled (or hardened) peanut butter pie filling. Smooth the top with a spoon. While the ganache is still melted, sprinkle the crushed peanut-candied bacon crumble over the top. Refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours or overnight.

5. For the Crushed Peanut-Candied Bacon Crumble: In a small bowl, toss together the crushed peanuts, candied bacon pieces, and bacon fat until thoroughly incorporated. Sprinkle this over the top of the chocolate ganache topping.

6. For the Bourbon-Maple Whoop: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and maple syrup together on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Whisk in the whiskey 1T at a time. With the mixer on high speed, continue whipping until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

7. Cut a slice of the peanut butter pie (refrigerated or frozen) and serve with a dollop of the Bourbon-Maple Whoop on top. Enjoy!

source: peanut butter pie for mikey.