A PIE FOR MIKEY

"This shit is da bomb."

Very 1997 of my husband to say. But it was still music to my ears. 

You see, I wanted him to love what he was eating. I had made it to honor Jennie Perillo. Jennie is a food blogger whose husband Mikey died of a heart attack last Sunday night. 

"I'm waiting to wake up and learn to live a new kind of normal. For those asking what they can do to help my healing process, make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love."

My husband was tasting my Crunchy Peanut Butter Ice cream with Brown Butter Graham Crackers Crumbs. I know. It's not a pie. But this summer, I've been expressing my love with ice cream.

This beautiful storm of food blogger love just might blow your mind.

An explosion on twitter.

Hundreds of photos have poured in.

To Tastespotting.

Foodgawker.

Food Network.

Food52.

And Facebook.

You are so psyched if you love Peanut Butter Pie like Mikey did. I'm not sure there have ever been this many variations of one recipe in the history of food blogging. Or maybe in the history of time (except for Caesar salad and chocolate chip cookies).

I kept it together until I started combining the eggs and sugar. Something about the repetitive circular motion of whisking sent me straight into tears. I understood what I still had. And I felt what Jennie had lost.

So here's to Jennie, Mikey, and their two girls for inspiring such a tremendous gathering. There are no words for Jennie's loss. But there is a strength to social media that is beyond our wildest dreams. Let this inspire us to do even more.

 

CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM WITH BROWN BUTTER GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS

printable recipe
Inspired by Jennie Perillo's Creamy Peanut Butter Pie.
You can dip the top of the cone in melted dark chocolate for some extra excitement.

ingredients:
1/2 stick salted butter
6 graham crackers

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups half and half

6 egg yolks

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt butter. Once it has melted, continuing cooking it until it smells nutty and the milk solids have turned light brown. Take off the heat and cool.

Bash graham crackers in a zip loc bag until they're almost a fine powder (a few bigger chunks are ok). In an ovenproof dish, mix together brown butter and pulverized graham crackers. Spread out in a thin layer and toast for about 10 minutes until it's one shade darker. Keep an eye on it the whole time. Cool.

Whip in a standing mixer (or by hand) the peanut butter and vanilla until softened. Set aside.

Whisk together half and half, yolks, sugars, and salt. Set aside.

Prepare an ice water bath. Place a fine strainer over a medium-sized bowl. Immerse bottom of bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice and water. Set aside.

Heat heavy cream in a medium-sized saucepan. Turn off heat as it starts to boil. Take off heat and slowly whisk into half and half/egg mixture. 

Pour back into the pot and cook on low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens slightly. It's done when you drag your finger across the back of the wooden spoon and it leaves a trail.

Pour mixture through the strainer into the bowl that's over the ice bath. Whisk in softened peanut butter/vanilla mixture. Leave bowl in the ice bath until the custard is cool. Stir every 10 minutes or so. Place saran wrap on top surface of custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate custard for several hours. Churn in ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions. Freeze for a few hours before serving. Top with brown butter graham cracker crumbs.