Going Nuts Over Peanut Butter Pie

DEAR SOS: I’d love to find the recipe for chocolate peanut butter pie from C.I. Shenanigan’s in Tacoma, Wash. It’s by far the best I have ever had.

--READER

DEAR READER: Executive chef James P. Cassidy was delighted to share the recipe. Hold on to your sweet tooth.

SHENANIGAN’S

CHOCOLATE PEANUT

BUTTER PIE

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons melted butter

Chocolate Cookie Crust

Chocolate Topping

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Beat whipping cream until firm, then beat in vanilla. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar, peanut butter and melted butter. Blend 1/3 of vanilla-whipped cream into peanut butter mixture. Fold in remaining vanilla-whipped cream. Turn into Chocolate Cookie Crust, smoothing top with spatula. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or overnight.

Spread Chocolate Topping on cooled pie, starting from center and working outward. Sprinkle top of pie with peanuts. Makes 1 pie.

Chocolate Cookie Crust

1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate cream-filled cookies

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground mace

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup coarsely crushed almonds

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon dark rum

Combine cookie crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and almonds. Melt butter in small saucepan and add vanilla and rum.

Pour butter mixture into crumbs and toss to mix well. Spray inside of 9-inch pie plate with vegetable spray. Press crumbs evenly in bottom and sides of pan.

Chocolate Topping

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons oil

Combine chocolate, butter and oil in top of double boiler over medium heat. Simmer until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

DEAR SOS: Help. It’s my turn to make Christmas dinner this year and I’ve got my heart set on serving coulibiac . I’m told it’s a traditional Christmas dish in Russia because it looks like a Christmas present: red (salmon) and green (spinach), all gift-wrapped in puff pastry.

--RAVEN

DEAR RAVEN: Couldn’t have said it better. Here’s a salmon coulibiac from the caterers Just Off Melrose in Hollywood.

JUST OFF MELROSE

SALMON COULIBIAC

2 (15x12-inch) sheets puff pastry, about 2 pounds

Rice Filling, chilled

Mushroom-Spinach Filling, chilled

1 1/2 pounds poached salmon, boned and flaked, chilled

1 egg

2 teaspoons half and half

2 (10x4-inch) sheets puff pastry for garnish

Cucumber-Dill Sauce

Place puff pastry sheets side by side on floured board. For each puff pastry, spoon half Rice Filling evenly over center of each pastry. Add Mushroom-Spinach Filling evenly on top of rice mixture. Spread flaked salmon evenly over mushroom mixture. Top with remaining rice mixture.

Beat egg with half and half in small bowl to make egg wash. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash. Fold pastry lengthwise, overlapping edges. Tuck ends to seal. Turn over, seam side down, onto greased baking sheet.

Make cutouts, using pastry cutters, into desired shapes. Place on top and sides of pastry roll. Make vent in center of roll and brush entire surface and cutouts with egg mixture. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool 10 minutes. Slices may be served hot or at room temperature with Cucumber-Dill Sauce. Makes xx servings.

Rice Filling

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped shallots

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked rice

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Saute until shallots are tender. Add rice and dill and mix well.

Mushroom-Spinach

Filling

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Salt, pepper

Melt butter in small skillet. Add onion and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and spinach and cook 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cucumber-Dill Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 1/2 teaspoons flour

1 cup half and half

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

Salt, pepper

1/4 cup cucumber, grated

Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until translucent. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Stir in half and half and simmer until slightly thickened. Add sour cream and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat through, but do not boil. Add cucumber just before serving. Makes 2 1/2 cups sauce.

DEAR SOS: In 1988 you printed a recipe for Cranberry Chutney that was wonderful. I’d like to prepare it again but have lost the recipe.

--KATHY

DEAR KATHY: Good idea for a host’s gift. The recipe is from the Junior League of San Diego.

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

1 pound fresh cranberries

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup raisins, coarsely chopped

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped tart apples (Granny Smith)

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger

Sort through and discard bruised cranberries. Rinse berries and drain. Combine with sugar and water in large saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer 15 minutes and remove from heat.

Stir in orange juice, raisins, walnuts, celery, apples, orange zest, ground ginger and candied ginger. When completely cool, spoon chutney into sterilized storage jars and refrigerate. Prepare chutney at last 2 hours before serving and preferably week or more in advance. Chutney will keep up to 3 weeks if refrigerated. Makes about 7 cups.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. Send recipe request to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. We are unable to answer recipe requests by mail.