On the last day of 2016, my sister and I had a relaxing lunch at a restaurant and marina overlooking the Back Bay on Fort Myers Beach, Florida. It was warm and sunny and breezy…..the kind of weather that makes one mellow (or was it the wine?) We watched the fork lift operators move boats from their berths and deposit them in the water where they were claimed by owners eager for one last boat ride of the year. A family who had rented a pontoon boat boarded with their picnic lunch, and we waved to them as they leisurely set their path to the distant mangrove islands.
We talked of the future and of the past in the way that sisters can. Several years ago, our sister-in-law, who often joins us for these lunches, taught us to choose a “word of the year.” This word, in many ways, is like a New Year’s resolution—it becomes a guide for the year, a mantra that can pull one back from being distracted or distraught. I have used “focus”, and “create” as my words; others have taken on words such as “smile” or “positive.” Some years, we have used a “phrase of the year”, when just one word does not explain our intent. With the breeze at our backs, my sister and I tried out possible words to use going forward in 2017.
We also reminisced. We talked about our parents, long forgotten friends, and memories of past holidays. All of which led us, when it came time to review the dessert menu, to consider choosing the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie. We have eaten our fair share of peanut butter sandwiches in our day, but never thought about putting chocolate in them (where was Nutella when we needed it?) I was envisioning that this pie would have chocolate whipped into it, or would be served on a chocolate cookie crust, or even be covered with a chocolate ganache. When it came time to place the order, as my sister (and pie blog editor), who has heard me ask the server at the many restaurants where we have ordered a pie knows, there will be preliminary questions. “What are the ingredients in the pie”; “how is the crust made?”; “who made this pie?” Between the two of us we did our due diligence, and learned that the filling for this pie had PB, whipped cream, cream cheese, and the chocolate was chocolate chips. The filling was in a graham cracker crust, and drizzled on the top with butterscotch sauce with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. The pie was made by the pastry chef at the restaurant. Thus, the pie met our recently established high standards for pies, and we proceeded to place the order. The pie was delicious! A perfect ending to a perfect afternoon. We toasted to 2017 and the one-word resolutions we had just made. Happy New Year.
People: Sisters, friends, or family who can share with you a mellow moment in the sun while enjoying a slice of pie that brings back memories.
Places: A waterside table overlooking palm trees and mangroves on a warm and sunny day. Bayfront Bistro, Estero Blvd, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 http://www.bayfrontbistro.com/
Pies: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie. Peanut butter pies are very popular right now and I see them appearing on many menus. To me, they are a rather filling at the end of a meal, but have a familiar ingredient that is comforting.
- For the crust:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup butter, melted
- For the filling:
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cups mini chocolate chips
- For the crust:
- Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and cinnamon.
- Firmly press mixture in to the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.
- For the filling:
- In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract using a hand held beater. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Add whipped cream to peanut butter mixture, folding in gently. Just keep gently stirring! It will eventually mix together.
- Gently stir in chocolate chips.
- Spread peanut butter mixture over cooled crust. Allow to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Drizzle with butterscotch sauce and add fruit and a dollop of whipped cream on the side.
