Peanut Butter Crunch Brownie Mousse Pie

Sometimes you just have to go totally over the top with a dessert. This is one of those times. Let me introduce you to Peanut Butter Crunch Brownie Mousse Pie {also known as the birthday dessert I made my hubby}…

Did I mention it’s over the top, just a little bit? This dessert was inspired by a dessert made by the incredibly talented Chef Joe DiPaolo that I enjoyed last year while visiting the Duncan Hines Test Kitchen.

Chef Joe’s Version In New Jersey

You can actually see Chef Joe creating his version in a post I did about my visit to Duncan Hines.  While I don’t have Chef Joe’s exact recipe, I remembered the important players in this delicious dessert – a layer of brownies, a layer of chocolate mousse and an amazing layer of a peanut buttery, chocolatey, crunchy delightful-ness.

I’ve been wanting to recreate this ever since I first tasted it, and finally got around to it for my hubby’s birthday this week – he loves peanut butter and brownies, so this was an easy choice. Chef Joe’s version included crunch from a delicious pure butter flake known as Feuilletine. Let that sink in for a moment. Crunchy. Butter. Flakes. While I did consider ordering a 5+ pound box of this golden goodness, I had a fear that having five pounds of Feuilletine around would probably result in me having an extra 15 pounds around (literally), so I passed and instead used corn flakes in it’s place. While it doesn’t have that exact buttery goodness, trust me, nobody will care, because it’s so crazy good, even with corn flakes. We just won’t go so far as to call it Corn Flake Pie, it’s more of a secret ingredient type of situation.

Making this is really pretty simple. You start with a boxed brownie mix (you can use homemade if you like). If you have a springform pan or a pan where the sides will come off, that is a good choice for making this. The peanut buttery crunchy goodness hardens, and can try and become one with the pan, but you can always cut it out like a pie as well. So you start by baking your brownies according to the package directions. I baked mine into a 9″ round springform pan.  After your brownie has cooled, it’s time to top it with the crunchy peanut butter layer.

I started by melting my butter and chocolate chips in the microwave. Once they were melted I added in my peanut butter and my cornflakes. I crushed my cornflakes in a Ziploc bag. Not too fine, you want some crunch to remain.

And that delicious layer is going to go onto your cooled brownie layer (so you are not taking the brownies out of the pan).

And now it’s time to make the mousse. I kept the mousse very simple – just some chocolate, some milk, some marshmallows (I used chocolate but you can use regular) and whipping cream.

And then the mousse goes on top of the crunchy peanut butter layer. Hey,  I told you this was over the top.

And into the fridge it goes for a few hours. And if you are like me, and pretty much lack any self control when it comes to a bowl of mousse, you can go sit and recover from the sugar shock from licking the bowl afterwards. Or you can go do a workout video on Netflix. That’s probably the better choice here. So after a few hours, out of the fridge, take off the sides of the pan, and you have one of the richest desserts ever.

And if for some reason the 39,986 calories per serving isn’t quite enough, go ahead and top each slice with a dollop of peanut butter buttercream (just add some peanut butter to your favorite buttercream frosting – good stuff, let me tell you), a bit of whipped cream and a mini peanut butter cup. There, now you’ve hit 40,000+ calories per slice. Birthday calories don’t count, right? Oh, wait, that’s probably not true with other people’s birthdays, but the theory sounded good.

I promise, this really is quite simple to make, for being such an incredible special occasion dessert. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go trade my jeans for some nice loose yoga pants…

Peanut Butter Crunch Brownie Mousse Pie

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Author Christi Johnstone

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Ingredients

Brownie Layer

• ▢ Your favorite brownie mix and ingredients as listed on the box.

Peanut Butter Crunch Layer

• ▢ 1 Cup Peanut Butter
• ▢ 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Butter
• ▢ 1 1/2 Cups Crushed Corn Flakes

Mousse Layer

• ▢ 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• ▢ 1/4 cup milk
• ▢ 1 cup marshmallows chocolate or regular
• ▢ 1 cup whipping cream

Instructions

• 1. Prepare your brownies according to the directions on the box or mix. Bake into a 8, 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Allow to cool completely and leave in pan.
• 2. To prepare peanut butter crunch layer, melt your butter and chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan on low (this can also be done in the microwave - just go low and slow with the heat and stir often). Once melted, remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and crushed corn flakes. Mix well to combine. Once combined, spread on top of brownies.
• 3. To prepare mousse layer, melt chocolate, milk and marshmallows in a heavy saucepan on low. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool completely (approx 30 minutes, but give it a stir every now and then). Pour whipping cream into a chilled mixing bowl and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold melted chocolate, milk and marshmallow mixture into your whipped cream, stirring until combined. Spread on top of peanut butter crunch layer.
• 4. Place in refrigerator to set for at least three hours.
• 5. When ready to serve, remove sides from springform pan, slice and serve. If desired garnish with peanut butter frosting, whipped cream and/or peanut butter cups.

Disclaimer

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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