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Try topping with peanuts and chocolate chips

People who say they don’t love pie are not to be trusted, says Dani Cone, pie queen and owner of both High 5 Pie and Fuel Coffee in Seattle, in the introduction to “Cutie Pies: 40 Sweet, Savory and Adorable Recipes.”

I must be very trustworthy then. I love pie. Cone loves her pies, too, making them in all sorts of shapes and flavors.

The first chapter covers four crusts: all butter, vegan, gluten-free and graham-cracker crumb. I admire Cone’s honesty about gluten-free pies. Cooking without gluten can mean using ingredients you might not have on hand (xanthan gum, three kinds of flour plus cornstarch), and the texture isn’t the same as regular pastry. Cone gives tips on how to handle the temperamental dough.

The rest of “Cutie Pies” is arranged not by what is in the pie but by what shape the pie takes. Cutie Pies are made in a muffin tin, Petite 5s in mini muffin tins and Pie Jars (my favorite) in a wide-mouth, half-pint canning jar. Flipsides are turnovers and Pie Pops are tiny pies on a Popsicle stick. She ends with regular pie plate pies. Each recipe tells which other pie shape or crust would work with that particular filling. (Don’t try cream filling or crumb crusts as a Pie Pops.)

Sweet fillings include some standards (key lime, sweet potato, marionberry and apple) plus Campfire S’Mores, Apple-Cheddar-Rosemary and Peach-Ricotta-Honey. Many of the savory fillings (mac and cheese and a rich pear, Gruyere, and prosciutto) would make tasty appetizers made as Petite 5s.

“Cutie Pies” has pies to suit any taste. It could be the means of conversion for some untrustworthy person to come over to the pie side.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie from “Full Size Pies” offers the option of a graham cracker crust. Cone suggests trying cinnamon or chocolate graham crackers.

This pie will work with any of the crust options as either a full-size pie, a deep dish pie or as Petite 5s.

I had some questions about the crust, and after an e-mail exchange with Cone, I’ve given a revised version with her approval.

Cone suggested omitting the jelly and adding a layer of soft warm chocolate ganache to the cooled crumb crust.

Let the ganache set before adding the peanut butter filling (put it in the refrigerator while preparing the filling).

Top the whipped cream with chopped peanuts and chocolate curls or chocolate chips.

This version gets my vote, though the original is very, very good.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 15 planks)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees; lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar with a fork.

3. Add about 3/4 of the melted butter and mix thoroughly. If it seems too dry, add the rest of the butter.

4. Place the graham cracker mixture in the center of the prepared pie plate. Then, with your fingers, start from the center and gently spread the mixture outward to form a crust. Make sure to pat the mixture around evenly and firmly and up onto the edge of the pie plate. Once the crust is in place, gently pat it all over again to ensure even distribution.

5. Bake about 6 to 8 minutes. Set on a rack to cool completely before filling.

For the Pie:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon honey
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup jelly
• 1½ cups whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Peanuts and fruit (whatever kind is in the jelly) for garnish

1. In a large bowl, with a spoon or an electric mixer, stir together the cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the milk, honey and salt until well combined.

2. Spoon the peanut mixture into the crust and spread evenly over the bottom.

3. Spoon the jelly onto the peanut butter layer and spread it evenly on top.

4. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip the whipping cream, the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla until soft peaks form.

5. Top the jelly layer with the whipping cream, as thick or as thin as you like. (I recommend 1 to 2 inches.)

6. Sprinkle with some peanuts and just a few raspberries (or whatever fruit the jelly contains), for garnish.

7. Chill until ready to serve — at least 30 minutes.

Kim Davaz writes a biweekly cookbook review column for The Register-Guard.

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