Pie of the Week: Peanut Butter Cup Pie

[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]

Halloween is the scariest time of year for recovering candy addicts like me. Places that are ordinarily candy-free are suddenly filled with tiny, fun-sized minefields, and all too often I'll be on the opposite side of a colleague's desk or perched on a bar stool at happy hour, mentally rationalizing how just one more tiny Snickers here or adorable box of Junior Mints there won't send me into a full-on sugar coma.

To curb my urge to graze on cheap and plentiful chocolate in the month of October, I look forward to one full-on indulgence each Halloween. This Halloween-appropriate pie embodies my favorites, chocolate and peanut butter, but unlike Reese's, I get to choose the chocolate, adjust the salt, and add some crunch. The crust is made from dark chocolate wafer cookie crumbs, which hold a super-rich and smooth peanut butter filling. Top it with a ganache made with my favorite chocolate (Valrhona, 66% cacao), and I have the perfect treat that requires very few tricks to make.

Get the Recipe

Peanut Butter Cup Pie »

About the author: Lauren Weisenthal has logged many hours working in restaurant kitchens and bakeries of Brooklyn and Manhattan. She is a graduate of the Artisan Bread Baking and Pastry Arts programs at the French Culinary Institute and holds a CS Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. You can follow her on Twitter at @evillagekitchen.