A nostalgic peanut butter and jelly pie

Alpha Smoot / Food52

A perfectly nostalgic pie: graham crust, rich peanut butter custard, and a layer of jelly. — Erin Jeanne McDowell

Watch this recipe

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie

Makes

1 9-inch pie

Prep Time

1 hours 45 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60 g) graham flour
• pinch salt
• 8 tablespoons (113 g) very cold unsalted butter, cubed
• ice water, as needed
• egg wash, as needed

For the filling:

• 1 cup (235 g) cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (56 g) confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/4 cups (300 g) smooth peanut butter
• 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (99 g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (170 g) good quality jelly

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Prepare a 9-inch pie plate. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour and graham flour to combine. Add the cubed butter into the flour to coat each piece. Use your hands to shingle the butter between the palms of your hands or using your fingers. Continue until the pieces of butter are about the size of walnut halves. 
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add ice water. I start with 3 tablespoons for a single-crust pie, and then continue adding 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough and chill it well, at least 30 minutes. 
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and gently transfer to the pie plate, unfurling the dough off the pin and into the plate. Press firmly to make sure the crust reaches all the way to the bottom of the plate, but don't poke any holes in the dough. Trim the dough to have a 1/2-inch overhang all the way around, and chill it for 15 to 30 minutes.
5. Tuck the excess dough under at the edges, working all the way around and pressing lightly to help the dough "seal" to the outer edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges as desired. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes.
6. Place a piece of parchment over the pie crust and fill with pie weights. Bake until the crust is lightly golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights, and brush the base of the dough with egg wash. Return to the oven and bake until fully baked, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool completely.
7. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the confectioners' sugar and whip to medium peaks. Set aside.
8. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the peanut butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. 
9. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter base. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Smooth into an even layer. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is quite firm, 30 minutes.
10. In a small pot, heat the jelly until fluid and stir until smooth. Pour the the jelly in an even layer on the top of the pie. Chill until cool before serving, and keep chilled until ready to serve.