Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie


The petite blonde slowly made her way through security at the Minneapolis airport. She casually chatted with her traveling companion as she placed her carry-on, laptop bag, shoes, and purse onto the conveyor toward the x-ray machine.

“Miss, is this your bag?” the agent inquired. “Why, yes, it is” the girl answered.

“Please step over here for a moment because I need to check inside” instructs the agent. Unzip. Prodding. “Ah ha! You’re trying to smuggle peanut butter onto an aircraft. This is a federal offense and highly punishable!”

“Oh no!” cries the sweet, innocent girl as they handcuff her. “I couldn’t help myself. Please forgive me!”

Okay, so maybe that’s not exactly how it went. But still. I DON’T HAVE MY PEANUT BUTTER!! And I have no doubt that some TSA agents have been enjoying this delightful spread on their morning toast every day this week.

In all seriousness, my Hell’s Kitchen peanut butter was confiscated by security at the airport on my way back from Minneapolis last week. I’m normally very aware of items I pack in my carry-on, but honestly never gave a thought to peanut butter being considered a liquid! Drat. $9 down the drain.

The dark cloud has a silver lining though. That travel companion of mine? She also had the exact same peanut butter in her bag, but apparently they were so preoccupied with me that they totally missed hers! Lucky for me, she is a very nice lady so she’s keeping it at our office and sharing with me. So take that TSA!!

All that peanut butter trouble gave me the hankerin’ for a freezer pie that I used to make at least a few times every summer, so I made it. Because that’s what you do when you have a hankerin’. I don’t make sweets that often, but this one is definitely a hot weather must.

Peanut Butter- Banana Cream Pie

Serves 8. Adapted from Cooking Light.


Ingredients:

Crust*:

1 cup vanilla wafer cookies (about 20 cookies)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted

Cooking spray


Filling:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (4 oz) 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 (8 oz) container frozen fat free whipped topping, thawed

1 large banana, sliced (enough to cover bottom of crust)

chocolate syrup


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cookies in a food processor; process until finely ground. Add 1/3 cup brown sugar and butter; pulse 2 to 3 times or just until combined. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cool completely on a wire rack.


Place 3/4 cup brown sugar, cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Arrange banana in bottom of crust. Spread peanut butter mixture over banana; drizzle with chocolate syrup. Cover and freeze 8 hours, let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.


*Tip: If you're in a rush or just don't feel like heating up the house, you can take the easy route, and just buy a prepared Nilla wafer crust by Keebler. Sometimes they can be a little difficult to find, but I usually have luck with Publix.