Peanut Butter Pie

You always take a risk when you make a dessert for the first time and there is company coming. And you also take a risk when you make said dessert out of tofu, especially after the last failed attempt (thank heavens Kendall still married me after that infamous first date dessert). 

But with this dessert, there is no risk. Unless you count eating the whole thing in one sitting. That could be risky.

Picture this: peanut butter mousse on graham cracker crust topped with chocolate fudge and peanuts. YUM. 

 I changed the recipe quite a bit to accommodate my sugar-free needs, so I made my own graham crackers for the crust and topped it with fudge instead of chocolate ganache. But you could certainly use store-bought graham crackers and chocolate ganache to speed things up a little if you're in to that kind of thing!

 The PB filling should be very creamy, with no lumps at all.

 The whipped cream doesn't have to necessarily be as thick as actual whipped cream, but it should whip up nicely so you can fold it into the mousse.

Peanut Butter Pie

Adapted from Minimalist Baker and Oh She Glows

Crust: (Lemon Bar crust works well here, too)

1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (see recipe below-needs to be made ahead)

4. 5 T melted coconut oil or butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a standard glass pie pan (8 inches x 1 1/4 inches).
2. Add graham crackers to a food processor and process until you achieve a semi-fine meal. A little texture is fine. Add melted butter and pulse to combine.
3. Add to greased pie pan and press down with your fingers to flatten. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, make the filling.

Filling:
12 oz firm silken tofu, slightly drained and patted dry
1/2 C creamy salted peanut butter
1/4 C agave or maple syrup
1 14 oz can full fat coconut milk OR coconut cream, chilled overnight (do not shake the can)

1. Add tofu, peanut butter, maple syrup or agave to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more agave for added sweetness or a pinch of salt if your peanut butter wasn't very salted.
2. Next, scoop out the hardened cream from the coconut milk or cream and whip into whipped cream in a large, chilled mixing bowl.
3. Fold the peanut butter-tofu mixture into the whipped cream.
4. Pour filling over crust and put in the freezer to chill. Once it's fairly chilled and slightly firm (about 1 hour), prepare the chocolate topping.

Chocolate Topping:

1/4 C coconut oil at room temperature (soft but not melted)

1/8 C peanut butter

1/4 C cocoa powder

1/4 C honey or other liquid sweetener

1/2 T vanilla

scant pinch of salt

1. In a medium bowl, combine coconut oil and peanut butter. Mix until well combined and add the rest of the ingredients.
2. Stir very well and let it soften so that the consistency is closer to that of chocolate ganache or melted chocolate chips.
3. Spread over the top of the pie in a thin and even layer.
4. Top with crushed, salted roasted peanuts if you feel like it, and put back in the freezer to set. 20-30 minutes before serving, remove from freezer and serve. This is important because it softens the filling so it's more like custard or pudding that has set up nicely instead of frozen yogurt or something.
After the initial chill, make sure you cover the pie with plastic wrap to keep it fresh. That is...if there's anything left!!

Whole Wheat Graham Crackers

Adapted from Completely Delicious

Note: For the peanut butter pie, this makes way more than you really need. But you might like the leftovers! I know I did!

3 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C vegan butter, at room temperature
1/3 C date sugar
1/3 C honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C almond milk

1. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter, date sugar, honey and vanilla until pale and creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture in 4 additions, alternating with the almond milk. Scrape down the bowl between each addition.
3. Divide the dough in two and shape into 2 rectangular disks. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to several days.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough out at a time into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Use a sharp knife or pastry wheel to cut the dough into roughly 3-inch squares.
5. Place the squares onto the prepared sheet pan 1/4 inch apart. Bake until edges just begin to turn brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They won't be ask crispy as regular graham crackers--more like cookies.
Graham crackers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1-2 weeks.