But, you know, calories don’t count if the dessert is a mini. And you share it with a friend. And you square dance enough.
Mini Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pies With Maple Whipped Cream
Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
- 16 ounces peanut butter sandwich cookies
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cookies in a food processor and process until they become crumbs. Add melted butter & salt and process until all the crumbs are moistened. Use eight 4-inch small tin pie pans. Press 1/4 cup of crust mixture into each mini pie pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
*You can use any size pans or ramekins for pies as long as they are oven-safe and singles since this pie is made to be served from the tin. For example, mini 3-inch pie tins are perfect for parties or large gatherings (makes about 16) and a regular pie pan is perfect for a single pie to serve at a family dinner.
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 – eight-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 9 oun½es powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups maple whipped cream (recipe below)
Place cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and salt in a bowl. Whip together with a mixer until completely combined and fluffy. Using a spatula or large spoon, gently fold maple whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until mixed in. After pie crusts have cooled, place about 1/2 cup of filling onto each pie crust. Spread filling out so that the top is flat. There will be room still for the chocolate topping.
Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
Melt chocolate over low heat in a double boiler. Whisk in heavy cream until completely melted together. The color will turn back to a nice dark brown again when everything is combined. Pour about 1/4 cup of chocolate onto each pie. Gently spread where needed so it covers the peanut butter filling completely. Chill pies on a level tray in the fridge for about an hour or until the chocolate topping is firm. If serving later, it’s best to keep them in the fridge until served.
Maple Whipped Cream
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple extract
Whip heavy whipping cream until it reaches soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and maple extract and whip until it reaches stiff peaks. One cup should go into the peanut butter pie filling (see directions above) and the remaining two cups are for decoration. If saving for later, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for up to two days. If the whipped cream loses its stiffness, it can be rewhipped until stiff peaks are reached again. When ready to serve pies, place whipping cream into a decorating bag with a border decorating tip. Decorate stars around the edges of the pie and place a swirl in the middle of the pie. If desired, place a cookie into the middle swirl on each pie.