Insane Candy Bar Pies Recipe
 
 
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 4 mini
Ingredients
  • 8 oz chocolate-covered pretzels
  • ¾ cup butter, divided use
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1¼ cup +3 tbsp heavy cream, divided use
  • 8 oz soft caramels
  • ⅓ cup roasted salted peanuts
  • 8 oz finely chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (about 1⅓ cups)
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Spray your pie tins with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the chocolate-covered pretzels in a food processor and process them until they are fine crumbs. If you don't have a processor, place them in a large zip-top plastic bag, and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are crushed to fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and toss them together with the brown sugar.
  2. Melt ½ cup (4 oz) of butter in a small bowl, and pour about half of the butter over the pretzel crumbs. Use a fork to stir the crumbs and butter together. You want the mixture to be moist, and hold together when pressed into a ball, but you don't want it to be too liquidy or greasy. Continue to add the butter, a little at a time, until you get a mixture with the consistency of wet sand. You may not need to use all of the butter.
  3. Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pie tins in an even layer. Transfer the tins to a baking sheet, and bake them for 7-8 minutes, until the crusts lose their shine and become matte and puffed. When they come out of the oven, if they have puffed up in the center, carefully use your fingertips to press the crust down again. Let cool completely.
  4. While you wait for the crusts to cool, prepare the caramel filling. Unwrap the soft caramels, and combine them with 2 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp heavy cream in a medium bowl. Microwave the caramels in 30-second intervals, stirring after every 30 seconds, until the caramels are melted and smooth. Add the peanuts and stir to coat them with the caramel.
  5. Divide the peanut caramel between the four pie shells, and refrigerate while you prepare the chocolate layer.
  6. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl, and pour 1 cup of cream into a small saucepan. Heat the cream until it is at a simmer, with bubbles appearing along the sides of the pan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for one minute to soften the chocolate, then whisk the chocolate and cream together until shiny and smooth.
  7. Pour the chocolate on top of the caramel layer in the pies, until it comes to the top of the shells. (Depending on the height of your pie shells, you might not need to use all the chocolate. Save it for a later use, or drizzle some on top of your finished pies.) Refrigerate the pies to set the chocolate, for about 20 minutes.
  8. While the pies are being refrigerated, prepare the peanut butter frosting. Combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and remaining 2 tbsp butter in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until combined and the powdered sugar is moistened. Turn the speed to medium and slowly stream in the remaining ¼ cup cream, then turn the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. If you want to pop the pies out of their pie tins, make sure you do it at this point, before you've frosted them! Transfer the frosting mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the peanut butter frosting on top of each pie.
  9. Top the pies with sprinkles, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or more chocolate-covered pretzels. These pies have the best taste and texture when served at room temperature--do not eat them cold!
Recipe by Oh Nuts Blog at https://www.ohnuts.com/blog/insane-candy-bar-pies-recipe/