Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Pretzel Crust

I'm not really a pie person.  But, there are a few times a year where it's practically required to make and/or eat pie. I grew up eating, and actually loving, lemon meringue pie.  I like a good pumpkin pie as well.  Come to think of it, maybe it's just the crust I can't get on board with.  Yes, crusts are beautiful and buttery and flaky, but to me, it's just plain, boring and almost tasteless.  I often just eat the filling right out of the shell.

Anyway, over the years, I've embraced pie more and more and have found my favorites that I can make over and over and genuinely enjoy.  Take this blackberry pie for example.  So good! And this egg nog pie, just in time for the holidays.

This pie today takes the cake!  It's everything you want in a dessert...chocolate, peanut butter, smooth and crunchy, salty and sweet.  The whole shebang!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Pretzel Crust
for the crust:
2 cups finely crushed pretzels (4 cups whole pretzels) 
13 Tbsp. butter, melted 
1/4 cup brown sugar 
1 9-inch deep dish pie pan 

for the chocolate filling:
8 oz. good quality dark chocolate (use a bar, not chips) 
16-20 large marshmallows 
1/2 cup milk 
1 cup heavy cream 
1 tsp. vanilla 

for the peanut butter whipped topping: 
1 cup heavy cream 
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter 
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar 
1/2 tsp. vanilla 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients for crust. Press firmly into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool completely. 

In a double boiler over medium low heat, melt chocolate, milk and marshmallows. Whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and cool. Whip 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff and fold into cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in vanilla. Pour into cooled crust and chill. 

In a mixing bowl, whip remaining cup of heavy cream until stiff. In a separate bowl, whisk about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Spread the whipped topping on top of the pie and chill until ready to serve. 

Garnish with chocolate curls and crushed pretzels, if desired.