Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

Today I tried to work; I really did. I was successful for most of the morning, but I kept getting distracted. I couldn’t concentrate. I knew that there were hundreds, even thousands, of people in their kitchen making pie today. Making a chocolate peanut butter pie for someone that most of us have never met, and sadly won’t have the opportunity.

Jennifer Perillo, a fellow food blogger, had to say good-bye to her husband this week. I’ve never met Jennifer, but in this crazy little food blogging community, when a wave of sadness overcomes someone, we all feel the ripple. As people express their pain and their joy through their blog, or even on twitter, we all weep and laugh for one other.

My heart goes out to Jennifer and her two children.  I pray for them and today, I make pie.  Jennifer asked that people make her husband’s favorite pie today – peanut butter and chocolate.  So this pie is for you Mikey.

This evening I will set aside all projects and distractions and spend time with my family. Life is fragile and not one moment should ever be wasted. I hope I can learn that lesson and remember it every day.

This is a crustless pie served in individual pie dishes. The bottom layer is chocolate pudding and the top layer is peanut butter cream topped with my favorite, a Reese’s peanut butter cup. I adapted a peanut butter pie recipe that I got from my mom years ago.

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese
½ cup peanut butter
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
½ cup cool whipped topping
1 package chocolate instant pudding
1 ¾ cup whole milk
4 Reese’s peanut butter cups

Add cream cheese and peanut butter to a bowl and mix with a hand mixer until fluffy and light. Add confectioner’s sugar and mix well. Set aside. Mix chocolate pudding with cold milk and whisk vigorously. Pour into four individual pie dishes or ramekins. Add cool whipped topping to peanut butter mixture and fold in by hand stirring until well blended. Spoon onto top of pudding and spread until top is covered. Add one Reese’s peanut butter cup to each serving. Refrigerate for at least one hour or until ready to serve. Makes four individual servings.