Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie in a Rice Treat Cake PIECAKEN

There is no more delicious combination than peanut butter, milk chocolate and Rice Krispie squares, for children aged zero to 100. So if you are planning a party for a mixed group of kids and adults, or if you need to make a birthday cake for someone who absolutely LOVES Rice Krispie squares, this PIECAKEN is the perfect dessert. Decorate it however you like - as a fancy birthday cake or a simple snacking dessert!

The instructions may seem long, but actually this PIECAKEN did not take me much time at all! The crust was made in just 15 minutes.  The filling took less than 10 minutes, as did the Rice Krispies treat. And there was a manageable amount of dishes to wash. Plan to make this over two nights, or make your crust and pie on a Friday night and your Rice Krispie 'cake' on Saturday morning so it is ready for a Saturday-night party. 

The best part about this cake is that it does not dry out and you can enjoy the leftovers for five days or more (if refrigerated).


RECIPE: Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Pie-in-a-Rice-Krispie-Cake PIECAKEN

You need:

Tools:

• 9" pie plate (either aluminum or glass)
• 9" or 10" Springform pan (it does not need to be a springform pan, but needs to be at least 3" tall)
• Parchment paper
• Plastic wrap
• Spoons, mixing bowls, etc....

For the rice treat 'cake':

• 1 340 gram box of Kellog's Rice Krispies (I bought the Brown Rice version)
• 1 large bag of mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

For the pie crust:

• 1 400 gram box of Graham cookie crumbs (I used a half box of HoneyMaid, but you can use any other brand, and you can also use the whole cookies and just crush them yourself with a  rolling pin & Ziplock bag)
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar

For the pie filling:

• 8 oz (227 grams) of good quality Milk Chocolate
• 1/2 cup of peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of whipping cream

For the Topping:

• 2 cups or 500 ml of Whipping Cream OR 1 container of Cool Whip
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• Chocolate syrup (Hershey's or other 'ice cream' syrup)

Instructions:

Make the pie crust:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
2. Line your pie plate with a round piece of parchment paper equal to the size of the pan (it should be large enough to cover the top edges) Butter or grease the pan and the paper with lard/shortening (by buttering the pan will help your parchment stick to it and buttering the parchment will keep your crust from sticking to it!).
3. Place the Graham crumbs in a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar and stir until dispersed.
4. Melt the butter in a small pan on the stovetop or in a small dish the microwave for 45 seconds.
5. Pour the butter over the crumb/sugar mixture and mix with a large spoon until the ingredients are damp.
6. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pie plate and up the sides.
7. Place pie crust on a cookie sheet (this makes it easier to handle) and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.  Take out and let cool.

Make the filling:

1. Follow my Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Truffle Recipe. You can find it here (on www.ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com). Do not follow the steps for rolling or coating, simply mix the "Truffle" and then pour it in the pie crust.
2. Place it in the fridge to set for 2 hours.

Make the rice treat cake:

1. Make a double batch of rice treats. You can find the original Kellog's Rice Krispies Recipe here, or you can use Wikihow to see both the stovetop or microwave methods: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Rice-Krispies-Treats#Original_version
2. Leave it in the bowl or pot and immediately assemble the PIECAKEN.

Assembling the PIECAKEN:

1. Prepare your Springform pan by lining it with parchment paper or plastic wrap and grease the paper or plastic wrap with butter or shortening.
2. Press about 1/3 of the rice treat into the bottom of your Springform pan.
3. Take the pie out of the fridge and immediately flip the entire pie & plate upside-down into the centre of your Springform pan.
4. Press the rest of the warm rice treats into the Springform pan all around and on top of the pie. Ensure you have a nice even/flat treat.
5. Let the cake set in the fridge for a half hour or more sot eh rice treat can cool and harden. Then take out and run a knife around the outside.  Then flip your entire cake upside down onto your serving plate.
6. With a spatula, decorate with any of the 'Topping Options' below:

• Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing (i.e. take your favourite buttercream recipe and mix in about 1/2 to 1 cup of peanut butter, depending on your taste)
• Peanut Butter & Chocolate Whipped topping (Beat 2 cups of whipping cream until mixed, fold in 1/4 cup chocolate ice cream syrup and 1/2 cup of peanut butter)
• Cool Whip Peanut Butter topping (fold 1/2 cup of peanut butter into 1 container of Cool Whip - for a chocolaty version add 1/4 cup of chocolate syrup)
• Make another half batch of the 'truffle' mix and pour over the top of the cake.

Enjoy!