Peanut Butter Matzah Crunch Pie
…because I love alliteration. And peanut butter! And the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement officially declared kitniyot kosher for Passover back in 2015, and I, for one, have never looked back. The fluffy filling here is reprinted from a Smitten Kitchen pie, which is adapted from a Jennifer Perillo recipe. The base is where things get Passover-y; it’s my matzo-ified version of a classic graham cracker crust. And the whole thing…is delicious. Fluffy, cloud-like, with just the right amount of crunch from the crust (you can’t taste the matzo—it’s just a chocolate cookie feel. But I will say that it ends up being ever so slightly tougher to slice into than the traditional graham cracker situation—so make sure you’ve got a good pie knife/server on hand).
The most important thing to remember here, though, is that you must leave yourself time to freeze the pie for *at least* six hours before serving (overnight works, too) or your guests may confuse the pie for pudding. (It’ll still be delicious, though.) Once you’re ready to serve, just let the frozen pie sit out for 15 minutes or so so that it softens up slightly; that’ll make the crust easier to slice.
Passover Peanut Butter Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie (8-12 servings)
5 standard sheets matzah (about 150g total)
2½ tablespoons (15g) cocoa powder
4 tablespoons (48g) granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt (about ⅛ teaspoon/<1g)
8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (240g) heavy cream
8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (255g) creamy peanut butter
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
1 (14-ounce) can (396g) sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup (35g) coarsely chopped peanuts
4 tablespoons (60g) chocolate chips, melted (optional)
Blend the matzah, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Freeze until ready to use.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to a medium bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Return the bowl to the stand mixer. Add the cream cheese and peanut butter; switch to the paddle attachment and beat until smooth and fully combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat again until incorporated. Add the condensed milk and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until smooth and slightly lightened. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and drizzle with the melted chocolate, if using.
Refrigerate until fully set, at least 6 hours or overnight. (Do not skip or shorten this step; the pie will not set properly.) For easier slicing, let the pie stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
