Peanut Butter Chess Pie with Fudge Drizzle Recipe

This rich pie marries the best of a classic chess pie with the unbeatable combination of chocolate and peanut butter. The ultra-flaky crust has a cracker-like crispness, making it a nice foil for the gooey peanut filling. The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate gets the chess pie treatment here, with a soft custard center, crisp sugary top, and a generous drizzle of dark fudge sauce. The peanut butter filling bakes up gooey and rich, with a balanced sweetness that highlights its nutty flavor. The crust is a short dough that you begin in the food processor but finish by hand to ensure that you’ll end up with a flaky, tender texture. Everyday creamy peanut butter works best for this pie — no need for anything fancy or fresh-ground. And the fudge sauce, a double chocolate dose of Dutch-process cocoa and dark chocolate, is made with simple pantry ingredients and comes together easily on the stovetop. Serve slices with extra sauce and, for folks who so desire, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche.

Piedough practicality

Prepare this dough in advance to allow the flour to fully hydrate so the dough doesn’t crumble when rolling it out. If you chop the butter into little pieces ahead of time and keep it very cold in the refrigerator or freezer, it will make forming the dough easier.

If you don’t have time to make the crust, seek out a good store-bought frozen pie crust, like Whole Foods’ Wholly Wholesome pie shells (a favorite among F&W editors). Blind-bake it as directed on the package, then fill and finish baking as directed in the recipe. (For the best store-bought frozen pie crusts, visit foodandwine.com/frozen-pie-crust.)

Decorate with ease

The fudge sauce can be spooned onto the pie surface to create a polka-dot effect. Or you can drizzle it in a freeform Jackson Pollock style. Use a small squeeze bottle, or simply let it drip off of a small teaspoon.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

• Stick with creamy peanut butter for the smoothest filling. Avoid natural or freshly ground peanut butters — they tend to separate, so the pie won’t bake as evenly.
• For the flakiest crust that holds its crimp, refrigerate the dough overnight.
• A metal pie pan conducts heat evenly and quickly (it cools quickly, too), which helps the crust bake to an even golden color with the perfect flakiness.
• The fudge sauce can be made a day ahead and gently rewarmed before drizzling.

This recipe was developed by Camille Coswell; the text was written by Cheryl Slocum.