The Curvy Carrot

Oh, no, I didn’t.

I promised you dessert with chocolate.  A dessert that I dream about making.  A dessert that provides an opportunity to snatch up that bag of mini Snickers at the grocery store so I can nibble on them while I am making the dish. A dessert that makes me cover it up in the fridge or freezer so I eat my salad first before eating a piece for dinner.  Oh, yeah.  This is one of THOSE desserts.

So, this dessert has an awfully long name.  But, it’s a great name because it describes everything that is going on with it.  And, yes, there are a whole lot of awesome things going on with it.  A buttery graham cracker crust?  Check.  A chocolate ganache bottom layer?  Check.  A light and whipped peanut butter mousse?  Check.  Chopped bite-sized bits of Snickers bars on top?  Oh yeah.  And…don’t forget an extra drizzle of chocolate ganache on top.  I stared at this dessert when it was done and embarrassingly said, “Booyah!”

But I have an admission:  I may have not whipped my mousse enough.  After it chilled in the fridge a bit, it firmed up but not as much as I liked.  So, I turned this culinary mistake into an “exploratory opportunity”.  I decided to freeze the mousse instead.  Best. Mistake. Ever.  It turned into an ice cream pie (almost).  Everything happens for a reason, right?

Snickers Black Bottom Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

Servings: approximately 8 pieces

Ingredients

For the crust:

Nonstick cooking spray

7 graham crackers, coarsely broken (I used honey flavor…oh my goodness)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

For the “black bottom”:

1 and 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup chilled whipping cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the peanut butter mousse:

1 and 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream, divided

1 cup peanut butter chips

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

For the topping:

1 11.5 ounce bag of mini Snickers candy bars, coarsely chopped (or less, if you prefer to eat them while chopping, as I do)

Leftover “black bottom” ganache for drizzling (just reheat in the microwave if it hardens), if desired

Instructions

1. For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a 9-inch glass pie pan with cooking spray.

3. Using your food processor, pulse the graham crackers until coarse crumbs form.

4. Add the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and pulse until the mixture resembles moist sand.

5. Using your fingers, press the crumb mixture into the pie pan.

6. Bake until lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

7. For the “black bottom”: In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, 2/3 cup whipping cream, corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla for about 3 minutes, whisking occasionally to smooth out the chocolate.

8. Spread the chocolate (don’t use all of it, keep some extra for the leftover chocolate ganache drizzle if you desire) over the bottom of the crust and smooth with a rubber spatula.  Freeze the pie crust for about 10 minutes to harden the chocolate.

9. For the peanut butter mousse: In a separate microwave-safe bowl, microwave the peanut butter chips and 3/4 cup whipping cream at 15-second intervals, stirring occasionally until the chips soften.

10. Once the chips have melted, whisk in the peanut butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Set aside to let cool, about 10-15 minutes.

11.  In a separate bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup of whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar until thickened “but not yet holding peaks” (**this is where I went a little too easy on it.)

12. Gently fold in the peanut butter mixture into the whipped cream.

13. Pour and spread the peanut butter mousse over the prepared crust, spreading gently with a rubber spatula. **I did not use all of mine.

14. Freeze or chill the mousse until firmed, about 10 minutes.

15. Once firm, top with the chopped Snickers pieces and drizzle with re-heated leftover chocolate ganache.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appétit, via Epicurious.