Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Crust Pie {an ode to total indulgence}

en español

I also missed a heartbeat! And yes. You heard right. Now, please, could we drizzle some salted caramel sauce all over it? All right. That’s it. I can peacefully die of happiness now. Really, I never thought that I would live to see something like this. Such an amazingly irresistible, indecently scrumptious piece of awesomeness as this peanut butter cheesecake brownie crust pie can be. But there’s a reason for everything and today’s post is a little more special than usual. Although you will have to keep on reading to find out why…

You know how much I love cheesecakes. Brownies can’t be left behind though. And peanut butter also features in this recipe with a stellar role. But then we have a serious case of salted caramel sauce addiction on top of all that… There’s just so much.

Actually, it’s been a while since I last posted something this fiercely exquisite, if ever. Well, I might have exaggerated a tad bit… I could name a few that totally blew my mind the moment they started to take shape in my head. But much as I would love to list out my favorite recipes (I’ll save that for another time), I would be really delighted to hear about all of yours.

Truth be told, I couldn’t but prepare a really festive recipe this time. And, as things are, it just so happens that on this day, two years ago, this blog was born. After the first year, I couldn’t believe it had survived and there it was. And now, yet another year has passed. There have been a few changes since the beginning; a shadow of certain knowledge starts to take effect little by little (now I know a few things I completely ignored when I begun, as for example, that you just can’t over mix most batters or you’ll end up with a rather tough bite). However, the excitement when clicking the “publish” button; the enthusiasm when racking my brain in search of a new recipe; so in short, the old spirit, remains the same.

Well, the same but prouder. I can safely say that nowadays there are thousands of you out there reading (and sometimes even trying) my recipes every day. And nothing can make me happier than that. So thank you very much for being there and I hope you keep on enjoying yourselves around here for a long, long time, as I’m determined to keep on swamping your screens with tons of sugar and spice and all things nice 😉

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Crust Pie

Imprime

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

Author: Pemberley Cup & Cakes by Rosa

Type of recipe: Pies & Tarts

Cuisine: American

Yield: 12

Ingredients

(All ingredients must be at room temperature unless otherwise noted)

For the brownie crust:

5⅓ oz (150 g) good quality dark chocolate (either semisweet or bittersweet)
½ cup or 1 stick (115 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (15 g) powdered cocoa
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 medium eggs
¾ cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder

For the peanut butter cheesecake filling:

¾ cup (180 ml) whipping (heavy) cream
½ teaspoon oure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon icing (confectioner's) sugar
1 cup (245 g) creamy peanut butter
1 cup - 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese
¾ cup (150 g) superfine sugar

For the salted caramel sauce (optional):

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
½ cup (120 ml) whipping (heavy) cream
1 ½ teaspoon coarse or flaked sea salt (or fleur de sel)
Flaked sea salt to garnish

Method

For the brownie crust:

Preheat oven (electric) to 350F degrees (175ºC) and adjust the oven rack to the center position.
Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a large, heatproof, mixing bowl in 20-30 second increments, stirring with a rubber spatula after each, in the microwave at 50% power.
Add the granulated sugar and cocoa into the chocolate/butter mixture and mix until totally combined. Allow to slightly cool.
Meanwhile, butter thoroughly a regular 9-inch (23 cm) round tart or pie pan. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
After the chocolate/butter mixture has cooled enough (room temperature-ish), add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition.
Add in the vanilla and mix until totally combined.
Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt mixture.
Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and gently tap the bottom against the counter to flatten the top surface.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center should come out with only a few moist crumbs.
In the meantime, wrap the bottom of a similar tart pan (only one inch smaller) in foil and butter thoroughly the foil with a pastry brush. Set aside.
Once the brownie is baked, remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and immediately press the second tart pan into the top surface. Keep both pans pressed together and let cool.

For the peanut butter cheesecake filling:

Meanwhile, put heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until soft peaks begin to form.
Add vanilla and icing sugar and beat on medium-high speed until firmer peaks form. Cover and set aside.
In the bowl of our stand or hand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl), mix cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth, lump-free and totally combined for 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as well as the paddle, with a rubber spatula scraping the sides as needed.
Gradually, and with the mixer running, add the superfine sugar and mix for 4 minutes more.
Gently fold in the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until totally combined, making sure it is completely lump-free and smooth.
Pour the mixture onto the cooled brownie crust trying not to smear the edges (just for the looks, you know). Depending on your decorative mood, you can use a spatula, the back of a spoon (that's what I chose) or even a piping or pastry bag and a decorative tip of choice to arrange the filling.
Cover (avoid touching the surface) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (even better overnight) before serving.

For the salted caramel sauce (optional):

Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a large whisk or wooden spoon. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt. WARNING: Be very careful not to burn yourself when working with melted sugar.
As soon as sugar is melted, immediately add the diced butter. Be careful here as the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added. Stir the butter into the caramel until both are totally combined.
Then, gradually drizzle in the heavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
Immediately, remove from the heat and stir in the salt until dissolved.
Allow to cool down for 10-15 minutes and then transfer to a glass jar. Allow to cool completely before storing. Store for up to 2 weeks to one month in the refrigerator.
Just before serving our pie, drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top for the finishing touch.

Store covered and refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Notes

- Salted caramel sauce thickens considerably when cold, so you may need to warm it up for a few seconds before using right from the fridge. You can use the microwave (a few seconds would suffice) or over a water-bath.
- You can top your peanut butter cheesecake brownie pies with chocolate syrup instead, also dust with some powdered cocoa or scoop a dollop of whipped cream, crème fraîche or even ice-cream!