Peanut Butter Mousse Pie with Chocolate Ganache

Light, airy, peanut butter chocolatety deliciousness. This recipe does generate a lot of dishes, but the techniques are simple and it is WORTH it. Trust me.

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie with Chocolate Ganache

adapted from Pinch Me I'm Eating

Ingredients:

crust

10 graham crackers (~1.25 cup graham cracker crumbs)

6 Tbs butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

peanut butter mousse

1 tsp unflavored gelatin

1.5 cups heavy cream, divided

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 oz mascarpone cheese

chocolate ganache

3.5 oz dark chocolate >60%

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tbs butter, melted

garnish

2-3 Tbs honey roasted peanuts, crushed

1 pinch flaky sea salt

2 Tbs honey

Instructions:

crust

1. In a food processor, place graham crackers and run until a fine crumb without chunks.

2. Add melted butter and sugar, and pulse until just combined.

3. Dump crumbs into a pie or tart pan, and press evenly around edges with the bottom of a glass or back of a spoon. Refrigerate crust until needed.

peanut butter mousse

1. In a microwave-safe dish, combine 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream with the gelatin & whisk with a fork to combine.

2. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom.

3. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, mascarpone cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whish together using an electric mixer until smooth.

4. Heat the gelatin cream mixture in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to melt the gelatin, but do NOT boil. Add to the peanut butter mixture and whisk in to combine.

5. In a medium bowl, add remaining 1.25 cups cream and whip using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

6. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to lighten it. In two more batches, fold in the remaining whipped cream, keeping as much air in as possible.

7. In a piping bag (or ziplock fitted with a star tip) set aside 1/2 cup peanut butter mousse to decorate. Note: you can do this without a tip if you simply have a ziplock bag.

8. Spread the remaining filling into the graham cracker crust evenly. Refrigerate again until needed.

chocolate ganache

1. Finely chop the dark chocolate and add to a small bowl.

2. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the cream for 10-15 seconds, or until hot but not boiling.

3. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, gently stir together using a fork or spatula to combine.

4. Add melted better and stir in until ganache is smooth.

5. Pour the ganache over top of the pie and smooth over with a spoon, making sure to cover the whole top evenly up to the edges. 

garnishes

1. Pipe remaining mousse in rosettes, or smooth swirls if not using a tip, around the edges of the pie.

2. Roughly chop the honey-roasted peanuts and sprinkle across the top of the pie.

3. Just before serving, drizzle honey over pie & enjoy!

Nuevo Latino Shrimp and Grits

My aunt sent me this recipe. and it's absolutely fire. 10/10 will make again. The hardest part is finding the tomatillos, which apparently do NOT come in cans! So I had to cheat a little bit and use a can of salsa verde and a cup of green hatch chilies.

Nuevo Latino Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients:

Shrimp:

3 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1/2 jalapeno, trimmed, sliced

1 Tbs chopped fresh oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tsp ground annatto seeds (or 2 packets of Sazón Goya)

1/2 Tsp kosher salt

1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Salsa verde:

1/2 lb. tomatillos (≈5) rinsed, quartered

1/2 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed off

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

2 medium cloves garlic

1/2 jalapeno, trimmed and sliced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

kosher salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Grits:

1/2 cup grits, white and stone ground

1 cup manchego, coarsely grated plus more for serving

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 Tbs unsalted butter, chunks

2 small poblanos (or 1 large one), roasted, peeled, seeded, chopped small

Instructions:

1. Marinate the shrimp: whisk oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, annatto seeds, jalapeno and salt. Cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours.

2. Make the salsa: put tomatillos, cilantro, onion, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice salt and 2 Tbs water into food processor. Pulse until combined. With machine running, slowly add the oil and blend until combined. If very thick, add up to another 2 Tbs water.

3. Make the grits: Bring 2.5 cups water with 1 Tsp salt to a boil in 3 qt. saucepan. Add grits in a thin stream and cook until the grits start to thicken a bit, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, adjusting the heat as necessary, and adding more water as needed 1/4 cup at a time, until grits are thick and tender, 40-50 minutes. Stir in the cheese, cream, butter and poblanos. Season to taste with salt, and keep warm.

4. Cook the shrimp: Heat just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook, flipping once until just pink throughout, 4-5 minutes total. Remove immediately and keep warm. 

5. Serve: If grits have thickened, add a little warm water to loosen them. Divide the grits among shallow bowls, and top with 2-3 Tbs of salsa verde and shrimp. Garnish with cilantro and more grated cheese and serve.

Classic Chocolate Ganache

 I've never been a fan of normal confectioners sugar and butter based frostings. Don't even get me started on fondant... Why, why ruin a perfectly good cake when you could do something like a rich creamy chocolate ganache?? Or a cream cheese frosting? My best friend in high school, her British mother taught me the English way: poke some holes in the top of a cake with a fork and pour over a can of sweetened condensed milk, then dust with powdered sugar. Give me a nice citrus glaze, or brulee the top. Put a paper doily on the cake and dust cocoa powder, then carefully remove the doily on a light cake to reveal a lacey pattern. Spread some peanut butter whipped cream topping over the cake, anything but your run-of-the-mill Royal icing.

Classic Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

8 oz. dark chocolate bar, chopped small

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Place chopped chocolate in a thick walled bowl.

2. In a double-boiler or in the microwave, heat cream until just steaming. Keep a careful eye on it up until that point then immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate.

3. Let sit for 2 minutes without stirring.

4. Gently stir chocolate and cream together with a fork until just combined. 

5. Spread ganache across cake, or pour into a bowl to let cool.