More Brewer's trip pies

Sorry for additional delay... I can't seem to avoid it. Oh well.

This pie was devised by Paige at Ian's. I was asking for pie suggestions at work because I was plotting to bring lots of pies for them. I figured it would make sense for them to eat pies they would like. The Lemon Icebox Pie I wrote about previously was inspired partially in a similar way; Jack and Staci were telling me stories of such a pie that they had both enjoyed. I had many times encountered recipes for Lemon Icebox Pies, but hadn't really paid them much mind. I sort of assumed they might be a fruit curd type thing, as with a Lemon Meringue Pie. I was quite wrong and, based on the resultant pie, quite pleased that I was.

Anyway, Paige requested a chocolate and peanut butter pie. I have often attempted peanut butter something-or-others, with mixed success. On one hand, these attempts have always failed to create a cohesive pie, yet they have always been delicious. This Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie was no different. It was basically soup; delicious, peanut-butter-and-chocolatey soup.

For this pie, I baked the same Chocolate Pie that I made earlier in the summer, minus meringue, plus a peanut butter mousse. Most recipes I've come across make a point of telling you not to use natural peanut butter for these things, but I think that's just silly. However, I've found they have some consistency issues when I simply substitute my preferred peanut butter. So I went searching for a recipe that called for natural peanut butter. This one turned out beautifully, if lacking form. Then again, it's mostly just whipped cream, so it stands to reason it'd be about that consistency.

1/2 cup chunky natural-style peanut butter
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut butter, brown sugar, and salt go in a bowl. Beat them together with an electric beater and slowly add 1/4 cup of the cream. Then add another 1/4 cup and beat just to combine. In a second bowl, beat the other half-cup of cream, sugar, and vanilla until peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture in three additions, then chill. When both parts of the pie are fully cooled, spread the peanut butter mousse over the chocolate custard. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

The fact that our cooling methods for our trip were perhaps sub-par to keep the mousse solid-ish may be all that contributed to the soupy nature of the pie. I'd have to try again, making sure it's entirely chilled until the moment of serving, to be certain. Otherwise, I may substitute some cream cheese for some of the heavy cream to give it a little more firmness.