Welcome to The Culinary Report, where we post our favorite recipes but also host our own #RecipeChallenge via our Instagram on Saturdays. So come join the fun, follow us, and view the winning recipe below (as voted by PII followers).
Like so many others, Nicole and I have been keeping busy in the kitchen. We both are foodniks, but not quite foodies, with the shared guilty pleasure of food blogs and foodscapes on Instagram. Specifically, this brings us to the #RecipeChallenge we’ve started on our Instagram; last week we launched a BETA challenge from our personal Instagram’s to incorporate a new feature.
Thusly why we wanted to incorporate some of our favorite recipes as well as a fun new feature with our lovely readers: The Culinary Report.
Without a doubt, we’d like to thank our friend the wonderful Jen Chiesa for sharing her beautiful and might I add, delicious-looking PBJ Pie via Christina Tosi & Milkbar’s Jena (Matzah Pie recipe found via Christina Tosi). Additionally, we apologize for the nonmetric measuring but we have a great conversion site HERE.
Bake 300° F for 9 minutes.
Makes one pie and serves 8-12
Ingredients:
- 3.5 sheets matzah (alternatively, I used just under 1 sleeve of table crackers)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted the salt as the table crackers are salted)
- 9”-10” pie tin
Directions:
Firstly, preheat oven 275F. Grab a large bowl and crumble up the matzah (or crackers) by hand so that most pieces are the size of regular m&ms with some being smaller. In a microwave-safe bowl — melt your butter, then stir in sugar and salt. Next, press your crust into your pie tin using the palm/heel of your hand. Bake 9 minutes and let cool completely through. Lastly, chill in the freezer while prepping the peanut butter filling.
Peanut Butter Filling Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, dealers choice)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1/2 cup jam/jelly (again, dealers choice on flavor)
Add in your peanut butter and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer (or a bowl to blend with a hand mixer). With a whisk attachment, whip together until combined. Slowly add your heavy cream and vanilla, whisk together on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
Add peanut butter filling to your pie crust – using a spatula to smooth the top (you want it to be as flat as possible.) Throw in the freezer. Let chill at least 10 minutes.
Glossy Jelly Topping:
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 1/2 cup of jelly or jam until liquidy (about 45 seconds). Whisk by hand until glossy, as soon as it cools (just barely hot to the touch), remove your pie from the freezer. Next, pour the jelly on top – swirling until the jelly spreads all the way to the crust (the peanut butter filling should be completely covered). Finally, freeze 1-2 hours (at least) before slicing and serving.
PBJ Dalgona Coffee:
Most people have the Dalgona instant whipped coffee topping ratio in their heads by now (as it’s reached all corners of the internet – thanks to TikTok!).
To align with the theme, I put a boozy PBJ spin on it; the formula’s iced in a glass along with milk, and the instant coffee blend on top. Below is the breakdown of what I created:
Milk beverage:
About ¾ glass full of milk and ice.
1 oz PBJ Van Gogh vodka (could use a berry-flavored alcoholic beverage in place of this).
2-3 drops purple food coloring (this step is pretty extra: alternately, you could muddle berries… Go big or go home).
Coffee portion:
- 2 tbsp hazelnut instant coffee (can alternate with regular coffee but this helped achieve the nutty flavor)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp boiling water
Boil water and combine the three ingredients listed above in a bowl. Whip with a hand blender (about 5 minutes or so), until coffee mixture thickens, fluffs, and has a ‘pull’ to it. Last but not least, pour mixture over boozy milk and ice. Add a funky or fun straw — enjoy!
