Happy Pi(e) Day!
Have you ever had a Take 5 candy bar? It’s one of those treats that satisfies any salty sweet craving you may have because it’s filled with pretzels, caramel, peanuts, and peanut butter then covered in chocolate. Yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds. Needless to say, when I saw Brown Eyed Baker’s tweet about a Take 5 candy bar pie recipe, I knew it had to be bumped to the top of my to-make list.
These pies are amazing. Salty, sweet, gooey, crunchy–they’re perfect! Because I love everything mini, I made my pies in mini tart tins. Unfortunately, the crusts did not hold up well at all (major crumble) and I’m not sure if it’s because the pretzel crumbs were so fine or because I used the tart tins, but I think if when I make these again, I’ll leave the pretzels in chunks rather than finely grind them.
Pretzel Crust Ingredients
4 ounces pretzel sticks, finely ground in a food processor or blender
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Caramel Sauce Ingredients
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¾ cup heavy cream, warmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Pie Ingredients
½ cup creamy peanut butter, melted
1/3 cup prepared caramel sauce
¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
Crust Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the ground pretzels, melted butter, and sugar. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and chill in the refrigerator until firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Caramel Sauce Preparation
Whisk the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium-size heavy saucepan until well combined. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the sugar mixture, without stirring, until it becomes a rich caramel color, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the cream until the caramel sauce is smooth, using caution as the mixture may bubble up. (If the sauce seizes, stir it over low heat until the hardened caramel is melted.) Whisk in the butter and set aside.
Assemble the Pie
Smooth the warmed peanut butter evenly over the bottom of the pretzel crust. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pour the caramel sauce over the peanut butter layer and gently spread with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the caramel layer. Refrigerate for another 10 minutes. Finish with a smooth layer of melted chocolate. Refrigerate the pie until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.
Pie can then remain at room temperature until serving. If you have leftovers, cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker [1].