One almighty peanut butter cup: A recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Pie

My first and very possibly last recipe post, for my "Peanut Butter Cup Pie", which is to say a peanut butter confection in a crunchy chocolate shortcrust and with a shiny chocolate shell. 

NB: The quantities herein make a pie of about 9" x 1" and maybe 36 oz. The edge of a peanut butter cup may be mimicked by baking the piecrust in a fluted tart pan. Best sliced chilled, and lives long and happy sealed and refrigerated. And be warned, the Peanut Butter Cup Pie is "not a reduced-calorie food", but it's nothing if not rich so that a little goes a long way. The recipe follows, in three parts.  

  

I. PIE FILLING: PEANUT BUTTER CONFECTION 

 

Combine 4 cups powdered sugar, cup peanut butter, 2/3 cup butter, teaspoon vanilla extract

Form and flatten into size and shape approximate to piecrust 

Press into piecrust, before shedding pieplate

    

II. PIECRUST: CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD 

Mix cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, pinch salt

Add 1/4 cup melted butter, egg yolk, teaspoon vanilla extract

Form into ball, wrap in clingwrap, flatten; chill in refrigerator for half an hour at least

Roll to fit pieplate, press into plate, trim excess

Bake at 360 degrees for 15 minutes, or longer as need be

 

III. PIE TOPPING: TEMPERED CHOCOLATE 

 

In double-boiler or equivalent and consulting a meat- or candy-thermometer, melt 3/4 cup chocolate and heat to 110 degrees 

Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup of that same chocolate

Stir 'til remainder has melted and temperature has fallen, to 90 degrees

Turn out onto pie filling and spread smooth