Recipe: Iron Barley's PBJ Blaster Pie

When the temperature spikes high and the humidity spikes higher, River City residents head to the South Side’s Iron Barley, where chef and owner Tom Coghill’s creamy, frozen Blaster Pie is the perfect mid-summer cooler. That’s not to say this pie doesn’t pack some heat; it does, thanks to a trio of sauces that feature jalapeño, habañero and chiptole peppers.

PBJ Blaster Pie
Courtesy of Iron Barley's Tom Coghill

8 to 10 oz. Oreo cookies (with filling)
½ cup melted butter
¼ cup cream
¼ cup sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup 40 percent cream
½ Tbsp. cumin
½ tsp. cayenne
¼ cup chunky peanut butter
¼ cup cream of coconut
½ cup strawberry jam
Jack Daniels-jalapeño whipped cream (recipe follows)
Strawberry-habañero sauce (recipe follows)
Chocolate-chipotle sauce (recipe follows)

• To make the crust, put the cookies in a food processor and pulse until fine. Slowly add the butter and pulse until mixed well.

• Press the crust into a 9-inch pie shell and freeze. 

• Place the cream, sour cream and cream cheese in a food processor and mix until smooth.

• Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a large bowl.

• In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream over low heat.

• Add the cumin, cayenne and peanut butter and stir until smooth. 

• Add the cream of coconut and stir. Turn off the heat.

• Add the cream and cumin mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix thoroughly.

• Remove the pie shell from the freezer.

• Spread the strawberry jam on the bottom of the shell.

• Pour the filling into the shell and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.

• When thoroughly frozen, cut the pie into wedges and serve. Garnish with a dollop of Jack Daniels-jalapeño whipped cream and drizzles of strawberry-habañero and chocolate-chipotle sauces.

For the sauces:

Jack Daniels-Jalapeño Whipped Cream

1 cup 40 percent cream
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
½ tsp. finely diced jalapeño
1 Tbsp. Jack Daniels

• Combine all ingredients and whip until whipped cream forms.

Strawberry-Habañero Sauce

½ fresh habañero, stemmed and seeded
¼ cup honey
1 pint fresh strawberries

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and purée.

Chocolate-Chipotle Sauce

2 Tbsp. canned chipotles
8 oz. chocolate chips
¼ cup salad oil

• Purée the chipotles in a food processor until smooth.

• In a saucepan, melt the chocolate chips over low heat. 

• Add the oil and chipotle purée and mix well.