Make the pie shell

1. Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough out until it’s about 1/8″ thick, turning the pastry a quarter turn every few rolls and adding more flour if it starts to stick.

2. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate, trim and crimp the edges as you like, then freeze the lined shell for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Prick the bottom and sides of the chilled shell all over with a fork.

4. Crumple a sheet of parchment and then flatten it back out; place it in the shell and fill with pie weights (or dried beans/rice). Bake 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then return the crust to the oven and bake another 10–15 minutes until completely dry and slightly golden. Let cool.

Make the vanilla custard (pastry cream)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and granulated sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth; set aside.

2. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl — you’ll strain the custard through it right after cooking.

3. Warm the milk and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it’s just simmering, stirring occasionally so the milk doesn’t scorch.

4. Temper the eggs: slowly whisk about one-third of the hot milk into the egg-sugar mixture, then pour that back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.

5. Return the pan to medium-high heat and whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken as the small bubbles disappear; once it comes to a boil, let it cook for about 30 seconds while whisking, then remove from heat.

6. Immediately push the custard through the sieve into the prepared bowl, using a spatula to get every bit through.

7. While still warm (about 140°F), whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time until fully melted and incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.

8. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Important: corn starch is the thickener—don’t skip it.

Prepare the peanut butter crumbles (heat-treated flour)

Food safety note: Raw flour can contain bacteria. Heat-treat the flour before making the crumbles.

1. Put the ½ cup flour in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between intervals, until the flour reaches 160°F (71°C) on a digital thermometer.

2. Sift the warmed flour through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove lumps.

3. Add the 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and stir with a fork to combine.

4. Add the 1 cup peanut butter and mash everything together with a fork until the mixture breaks into coarse, doughy crumbs. This takes a little muscle — keep at it until you have crumbly clusters.

Whip the cream

1. In a chilled bowl, combine the 1 cup heavy cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and 2 tsp vanilla.

2. Whisk on high (stand mixer or hand-held) until stiff peaks form. Keep chilled until ready to assemble.

Assemble the pie

1. Sprinkle about ¾ of the peanut butter crumbles evenly across the bottom of the cooled pie shell. Press lightly so they settle.

2. Pour the chilled vanilla custard over the crumbles and smooth the top to the edges.

3. Dollop or spread the whipped cream over the custard layer.

4. Scatter the remaining crumbles on top. For extra peanut-butter punch, warm 1–2 tablespoons peanut butter and drizzle over the whipped cream.

5. Chill the assembled pie for at least 2 hours (overnight is ideal) so slices hold cleanly.