Chocolate Cream Pie with Peanut Butter Bottom

Prebaked pie shell required. 8 or 9 inch deep dish pie pan will do.

(Use a deep dish pie pan if you make with the peanut butter bottom.)

Peanut butter bottom:

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I love Trader Joe's Organic Peanut Butter)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick melted butter or margarine)

Using a pastry blender, mix all ingredients until crumbly. Crumble into bottom of cooled, prebaked pie shell.

Chocolate Cream Pie Filling (also makes a wonderful pudding)

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks (beaten)

1 Tablespoon butter

3 ounces of chocolate - Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate (or Hershey's)

3 cups milk (use non-fat for fewer calories)

In a medium sauce pan, heat milk; add melted chocolate and slightly bring to a boil, constantly stirring.

IN THE MEANTIME:

Mix sugar, salt, flour and cornstarch. Add hot milk to "dry" pan mix and beat with a whisk to kill any lumps. Return to heat and add 1/3 of hot mixture to beaten egg yolks and whisk, then add back to the medium sauce pan. Bring to boil and boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Pour in the shell or over the peanut butter bottom if you prefer.

Chill

Bon Appetit!