Tomi’s Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, November 6th 2016 edition. By: Blaise Doubman 

The Quest for Pie and Tomi’s Peanut Butter Pie
Blaise Doubman

Did you know that the Pizza King on Broad Street in New Castle made homemade pies? I did not until just recently! Where have I been? A friend of mine, Cindy Blackburn, told me about their homemade peanut butter pie one afternoon, and literally before I could get back to my car, I was calling Pizza King and ordering one for the next day! My Grandma Barbra has been making peanut butter pie for years, from a recipe of Paula Deen’s, and I try and stay away from it, because one bite leads to me usually finishing off the pie on my own. I even have a recipe for it myself that leads towards a peanut butter pie that is thicker and denser than most. Needless to say, the peanut butter pie from Pizza King was fabulous! It was flavorful and surprisingly light. When I picked it up, it was warm and the meringue on top was still dewy and fresh. I have asked around for the recipe, but it seems to be a closely guarded secret. If you are reading this, and know the recipe, email me! Ha! I have since tried to duplicate the recipe and have come pretty close. I will not give up though! Experimenting with peanut butter pie does not sound like such a bad job, right? I still need to figure out the secret to their crust…

I posted my research on my Facebook page, and a friend and fellow foodie of mine, Tomi White, messaged me telling me that she had a recipe she thought I would enjoy. I love sharing recipes with family and friends and was anxious to try it! Tomi lives in Texas and is a caring and loving mother, daughter, wife and friend. I really enjoy talking about food and recipes with her, so when she said that she had a recipe for the pie I was seeking, I was thrilled! Shortly after, she sent me the recipe and I immediately tried it. Let me tell you… Oh! My! It was amazing! The texture, the taste, everything about it was everything I had been looking for. Was it the combination of the whipped cream with the peanut butter, or the chocolate that added in with the final flavor, or was the secret in the chocolate crust? Whatever it was, it was delicious! Shout out and special thanks to Tomi White for allowing me to share this recipe with all of you!

Tomi’s Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie

In place of the Kahlua you can use 2 teaspoons of instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 teaspoons water. You can also substitute pure vanilla extract. The Kahlua has a coffee flavored note and will add to the chocolate, but if you are worried about alcohol please feel free to substitute. This pie is delicious prepared and served as is, but feel free to leave out the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for a smoother finish to the pie. A homemade chocolate crust can be made with chocolate sandwich cookies in place of the prepared version, or use your favorite pie crust.

16 oz. tub whipped cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 chocolate cookie pie shell

In a large bowl mix together the softened cream cheese, smooth peanut butter, Kahlua and confectioners’ sugar. Once combined, add in the tub whipped cream and beat well.

After the mixture is smooth, gently fold in ½ cup of the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Pour this mixture into the pie shell and mound it high in the middle.

Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top of the pie.

Place into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.

Ask and Answer: I received a couple of emails from readers who wanted to know if my “3-Bean Chili” could be made into “chicken chili”. Yes, of course it can be! Substitute the ground beef with cooked chicken and add in a little cumin to pair with the chicken. I like using rotisserie chicken for substitution in this recipe because it is precooked and has great added flavor.