Peanut Streusel Pie
Submitted by 8213
Peanut streusel pie with vanilla custard, sweet meringue, and a crumbly peanut butter topping that browns into a nutty crust under the broiler. A diner counter classic.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minPeanut streusel pie pulls a clever trick that shows up in old church cookbooks across the South: peanut butter mixed with confectioners’ sugar gets blended until it has a mealy, biscuit-mix texture, and that crumble does the work of a streusel without any flour or butter cutting in.
Two-thirds of those crumbles go on the bottom of the baked shell, hidden under the custard layer. The remaining third gets sprinkled across the meringue right before it goes into the oven, where the brief 8 to 10 minute bake at 400°F (200°C) toasts the peanut butter into golden flecks and sets the meringue into peaks.
The custard is a proper stovetop pastry cream stabilized with a teaspoon of cornstarch and beaten egg yolks. The meringue gets the same cornstarch trick mixed with the sugar, which prevents it from weeping and going soft in the fridge.
Pro Tips
- Sift the powdered sugar before blending with peanut butter. Lumps of unsifted sugar fail to break up and leave grainy spots in the crumble.
- Temper the egg yolks with hot custard before combining. Pour cold yolks straight into the pan and you’ll get sweet scrambled eggs.
- Beat egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. Any trace of fat or yolk and they refuse to whip to stiff peaks.
- Spread the meringue all the way to the edge of the crust to seal it. Gaps at the rim let the meringue shrink as it bakes.
- Cool fully at room temperature, then chill before slicing for clean wedges.
Variations
- Add 2 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate into the custard for a chocolate-peanut version.
- Use crunchy peanut butter for the crumble for added texture.
- Top with chopped roasted peanuts in addition to the peanut butter crumbs.
Ingredients
Directions
Blend peanut butter with confectioners’ sugar until mealy.
Sprinkle ⅔ of the mixture over baked pie crust.
Combine flour, sugar and salt in the top of double boiler.
Stir in milk. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened.
Stir small amount of cooked filling into egg yolks.
Combine with remaining hot mixture; cook for several minutes more.
Add butter and vanilla.
Pour into pie shell. Top with meringue.
Meringue: Beat egg whites until stiff; add cream of tartar.
Mix sugar with cornstarch.
Add gradually; beat stiff. Pile on pie; sprinkle with remaining peanut butter mixture.
Bake in 400℉ (200℃) oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until delicately-browned.
Cool before serving.
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