Newlywed Recipe Corner: "Angela’s Easy Peanut Butter Cup Pie"

This week I have a no-bake treat to share with you and there is a special reason I am sharing it with you this week. Besides this column, I enjoy having a food blog on the internet. My blog is called "The Southern Fried Bride". Recently a fellow food blogger's husband suddenly passed away. In the days following, she shared on her food blog her husband's favorite treat she made: peanut butter pie. She asked that those of us in the food blogging community, if we would possibly do it, make a peanut butter pie the next Friday to remember his life. On that Friday, I gladly made my recipe for peanut butter pie and shared it with my family here. Here is my recipe. I have always loved the tasty goodness in a peanut butter cup and I’m a firm believer in the time you can save with using a ready-made pie crust. Even better, this pie is made with ingredients for a lighter version. For variety, try changing up the flavor of a ready-made crust from the usual ready-made graham cracker crust to one of the different flavors available at the grocery store now, such as chocolate or vanilla wafer, according to your flavor of pie. I paired this week’s pie with a ready-made chocolate crust and it makes a peanut butter pie filling instantly into the classic candy treat.

"Angela’s Easy Peanut Butter Cup Pie"

1 quart vanilla reduced fat ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened

1 cup light frozen whipped topping, thawed

2/3 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy

1 (8 oz.) ready-made chocolate pie crust

Garnish: ¼ cup chocolate syrup

¼ cup peanuts, chopped

In large bowl, combine first three ingredients. Beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended. Spoon into crust. Cover pie and freeze at least 4 hours or until firm. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish, if desired, by drizzling chocolate syrup over pie and sprinkling with chopped peanuts. Enjoy!