Peanutty Pie

This recipe is from "Smoke & Spice" by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. The book is mainly about grilling and smoking-so heavy on the meat, but there are some great side dish and dessert recipes.

This pie is so, so simple and really good.

You can make a vegan version of this pie by using non-dairy whipped topping instead of the whipped cream, margarine instead of butter, vegan cream cheese, and a vegan pre-baked crust. You can also make a more low-calorie version by using fat-free Cool Whip instead of the cream, and low fat cream cheese.

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup whipping cream

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup chopped peanuts, preferably honey-roasted

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Pour in the butter and stir to combine.

Pat the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly set. Put the crust aside to cool.

Whip the cream in a bowl until stiff and reserve it. In another bowl, beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Fold in the whipped cream and blend well. Spoon the filling into the crust and sprinkle the peanuts over the pie. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours, or overnight. For an extra treat, serve with your favorite chocolate sauce.