Crack on a Cracker

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 30 minutes plus 6 hours refrigeration; Serves: 8

Saltine crackers, crushed	3 cups
Sugar, granulated	2 tablespoons
Butter, unsalted; room temperature, cubed	½ cup
Cream cheese, whipped, room temperature	12 ounces
Peanut butter, creamy	1 cup
Honey, warmed to liquid state but not hot to touch	½ cup
Cream, heavy whipping	1 cup
Sugar, powdered	2 tablespoons

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the crackers and sugar. 
3. Add the butter; knead with your hands until the mixture holds together. 
4. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan; chill 15 minutes. 
5. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. 
6. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, honey, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
7. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until thick and light; add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. 
8. Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. 
9. Pour into the pie shell, and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours. 

Note: I’m still deciding if a peanut butter-honey drizzle is needed… Stay tuned!

This is what my brother and I called the gooey mixture of peanut butter and honey that we spread on saltine crackers. Our parents taught us the recipe but we perfected the peanut butter to honey ratio. This pie is my attempt to create the flavor but in a funner form. In a chat with my aunt, it seems the recipe came by way of my mother's side. My grandfather kept bees, and they grew peanuts. Thus the perfect combination was formed.

First attempt: The filling is perfect, but the crust needs more butter, like 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Kay's meatloaf

Beef, ground	2 pounds
Eggs	2
Evaporated milk	6 ounces
Onion soup, dry mix	1 package
Tomato sauce, halved	16 ounces
Bell pepper, chopped	1
Soda cracker, crushed	1 package

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix everything together except the crackers and half of the tomato sauce.
3. Add crackers to the mixture until it becomes firm.
4. Place into one large or two small loaf pans.
5. Top with remaining tomato sauce.
6. Bake for 1 to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on the thickness.

Notes: Feel free to mix up the ingredients. For example, sometimes I go half beef and half pork or buffalo meat.

Recipe from my aunt Kay (a favorite of my uncle John); special thanks to Mom for the new baking dishes!