If you drive through the South, you will see bags of fresh peanuts for sale and also boiled peanuts at roadside stands. Peanuts grow well in the South and are popular, and the farmers are proud of their crops.
Peanuts are, fortunately, easy to process in various ways, so they are readily available and inexpensive – in the shell, roasted, as peanut butter. They have even gone more gourmet in recent years with a variety of fancy nut butters available.
Peanuts are not nuts. They are legumes and in the bean family, so they are a good source of protein. If the budget is tight, you’ll get more mileage out of peanut butter than meats.
Southern cooks use peanuts and peanut butter in many different ways, and there are all kinds of interesting recipes featuring peanuts ranging from homemade peanut butters to peanut soups. And, of course, peanuts also crop up in the dessert files in the South. One favorite is Peanut Butter Pie which is traditionally a chilled or frozen quick mix pie that is easy to make ahead and serve on special occasions.
Southern Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces of cream cheese – softened
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup milk
- 8 ounce Cool Whip topping
- 1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
- ¼ cup finely chopped salted peanuts
Directions:
- Let the cream cheese sit on the cabinet for an hour or so to soften up, and then use a mixer to whip the cream cheese until soft and fluffy.
- Add the confectioners sugar and peanut butter and mix in well.
- Slowly add milk and continue to mix.
- Use a large spoon to fold in the whipped topping.
- Spread peanut butter pie mixture into graham cracker crust.
- Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top.
- Freeze until firm.
- Once frozen, cover with cling wrap.
Other Favorite Southern Dessert Recipes:
Banana Pudding - It does not get more Southern than banana pudding. This is a quick and easy dessert that is a family favorite.
Sweet Potato Pie - Sweet Potato Pie is similar to pumpkin pie, but it's a little sweeter and a different taste. I prefer the sweet potato version, although both pies are really tasty.
Pecan Pralines - Pecans are another big crop in the South. This simple candy recipe with pecans is sinfully delicious.
Strawberry Punch Bowl Cake - This Southern dessert always makes a splash. It looks wonderful, and it's super easy to make. When I'm pressed for time, this is my go-to recipe.
Pecan Pie - Yum. We make this pie for all the holidays, and the boys ask for this instead of a cake on some birthdays.
Cyndi Allison - Southern born and fed, Cyndi Allison is a college lecturer and newspaper advisor as well as being a freelance writer. She writes on ...
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