Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Pie

Happy Tuesday!  Hope things are well.  I haven't made this recipe and to be honest I probably won't get to it as soon as I would like but I just couldn't pass up sharing it.  I literally was drooling when reading this luscious dessert recipe.  If you get around to making it before I do, let us know!  Have a great week, see you Thursday!

Tighten up those straight jackets!  There is work to be done!  Look at this, how can you possibly resist? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm................................................

Caramel Peanut Butter Pie

Yields 1, 9-inch pie

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups pretzels
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Caramel Sauce:

• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup roasted salted peanuts
• 1/3 cup crème fraiche

Filling:

• 1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• pecans, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Pulse pretzels in food processor until semi-finely ground (or chop pretzels by hand).
3. Drizzle in melted butter until coarse mixture comes together. Turn out into a 9 or 10-inch pie plate and use your hands to firmly press pretzels into a packed crust.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until dry and set. Set aside.
5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook 1 1/3 cups sugar with 1/3 cup water to begin your caramel sauce.
6. Stirring frequently, cook for about 10 minutes, or until mixture is a dark, amber color.
7. Remove from heat and add heavy cream. Be careful, as mixture will bubble up.
8. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Stir continuously so caramel cooks evenly and becomes smooth again.
9. Pour into a bowl and stir in crème fraiche. Refrigerate 35-45 minutes, or until chilled, then mix in peanuts.
10. For filling: In a large bowl or mixer, beat together peanut butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until pale, fluffy and smooth.
11. Gradually add in sugar, vanilla extract and sea salt, and beat until fully incorporated.
12. In a separate medium bowl, beat heavy cream until soft-medium stiff peaks form.
13. Spoon 1/3 cup peanut butter mixture into heavy cream and fold it in. Then return 1/3 cup heavy cream into peanut butter and fold in to incorporate.
14. Repeat with remaining heavy cream in 1/3 cup increments.
15. Remove crust and sauce from refrigerator and pour caramel sauce in an even layer over the crust.
16. Then use a rubber spatula to smooth peanut butter mousse over the caramel sauce. Make sure they don’t blend together. Refrigerate 30-40 minutes, or until set.
17. Garnish with whipped cream and pecans if desired, and serve chilled. 

Recipe adapted from Cuisinart