Peanut Butter Brownie Pie with a Pretzel Crust

I've been continuing to enjoy Teeny's Tour of Pie, and this weekend I finally got the time to make the Peanut Butter Brownie Pie recipe that I've had my eye on for a while.  Peanut butter and chocolate is pretty much my all-time favorite combo, and when you add in pretzels...I'm in heaven!  The brownie layer is super rich and gooey, with a good balance between the chocolate and the peanut butter.  The crust is a little crumbly, but adds a nice textural element and a little salt.  At least with the pretzels I used, I didn't find the crust to add a ton of salt -- if you're a big fan of the salty-sweet combo, you might want to add a sprinkle of sea salt over the brownie layer before baking.  Either way, you'll definitely want to serve this pie a little warm, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Dessert heaven, here I come!

Peanut Butter Brownie Pie with a Pretzel Crust (adapted from Teeny's Tour of Pie)

Serves lots -- this pie is ultra rich so thin slices are best


For the crust:
1-1/4 cups pretzel crumbs (from about 2 cups whole pretzels -- the food processor is the easiest way to grind these up)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the pie:
6 T unsalted butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1. Make the crust.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, stir together the pretzel crumbs and melted butter.  Press into a thin, even layer in a pie plate.  Bake 5-7 minutes, and then let cool completely.  Pop into the fridge and chill at least 30 minutes.
2. Make the brownies.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter, chocolate, and 1/4 cup of the peanut butter in a double boiler.  Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa powder.  Let cool to room temperature.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.  Slowly whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to the egg-chocolate mixture and mix until just combined.  Pour into the prepared pretzel crust.
5. Warm the remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter over low heat until it is hot and liquid.  Dollop over the brownie batter and swril with a knife.
6. Bake 35-40 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.  Cool before serving.

I received a complimentary review copy of this cookbook.  All opinions and recipe-testing are my own.