Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

I don’t think most people realize how easy it is to make a pie. Many varieties don’t require fruit-slicing, baking, nor much time spent slaving away in the kitchen.

My favorite pie cookbook is Betty’s Pies Favorite Recipes, which I purchased in Duluth, Minnesota, when I ran the Grandma’s Marathon there last Spring. Betty’s Pies is a Duluth landmark, and I’ve been fascinated with making pies ever since vising and reading Betty’s cookbook, which contains many of her little stories and tips from a lifetime of pie-making.

I made the following pie from Betty’s cookbook this past weekend, and it’s one of my new favorites. It’s very quick and simple, not to mention fanstasically delicious, and the nice thing is that you can keep it in the freezer until you find yourself needing to pop out a treat for unexpected visitors or attend a potluck. This one’s definitely a keeper and will certainly be a summertime favorite. Enjoy!

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie
1 chocolate pie crust (purchased)
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Blend sugar, peanut butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream to form soft peaks. Fold half the peanut butter mixture into the cream–then fold in the other half. Pour into pie shell and freeze 3 hours or more. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.