A Slice of Love

Last Sunday, Jennifer Perillo, a fellow blogger, lost her husband suddenly to a heart attack. Just like that. No warning. No signs.

I didn’t know Jennie prior to this week, but that’s not saying much. There are lot of bloggers I don’t know, in spite of being as well-know and much-loved as she is. Yet, grief and sympathy has rippled throughout the blogging community and I could not help but feel a sense of loss and sadness for her and their two daughters. My eyes welled with tears as read her blog posts about their final days together, and it took everything I had not to pull my children out of their camp/daycare right then and there and tell them that I love, love, love, love them.

When asked what we could do to help, Jennie simply asked that we make pie and share it with someone you love. So yesterday, bloggers from all around the country, perhaps even all over the world, came together to make a #pieformikey. Food Network has compiled all of the posts on their site in a lovely tribute to Jennie and Mikey.

Fresh from a conference attended by over 3600 people who share the same passion for blogging, it’s always so hard to then explain to outsiders how people “who exist in my computer” could matter so much to me that I would travel across the country just to bask in their glow. It unsettles me when people are quick to put down Facebook or Twitter with the insinuation that those relationships ought to matter less than the friendships I could be making in my city or neighborhood.

I don’t know what could be more real than sharing such a tremendous loss and receiving an overwhelming show of support in return. At the end of the day, there’s a person at the other end of that blog post/ Twitter handle/ Facebook “like” and when they grieve, so do you.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie was her husband’s favorite, which she shared on her site, In Jennie’s Kitchen. Make one for someone you love today.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Serves 10 to 12

8 ounces chocolate cookies

4 tablespoons butter, melted

4 ounces finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup creamy-style peanut butter

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges using an off-set spatula. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture (helps lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream). Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top, if using, and refrigerate for three hours or overnight before serving.