The holidays make for the perfect time for indulgence.

With cozy sweaters, warm coats and flannel pajamas in season, it's OK to reach for your favorite food to achieve the apex of comfort. Local Flavor has a bit of a sweet tooth, and nothing could satiate our craving better than the epitome of decadence: peanut butter and chocolate.

Enter Carly Rudzinski's Peanut Butter Pie.

The recipe, which earned the Clarks Summit resident a $100 grocery gift card, came from her aunt, Cynthia Grant, whom Ms. Rudzinski is certain created the recipe.

"Whenever I see her, she'll have (Peanut Butter Pie) made for me," Ms. Rudzinski said. "Everything she makes is great."

The original creation is foolproof, but Ms. Rudzinski discovered a few tips to make Peanut Butter Pie along the way. After assembling and baking the crushed cookie crust, Ms. Rudzinski advised, bakers should let the crust cool completely (she refrigerates hers overnight).

Ms. Rudzinksi also picked up an important tip during a recent cooking class she attended.

"(The instructor) said it was important to taste everything as you cook it," she said. "I tried it with (the pie), and I got what that meant. I ended up

adding a little more Cool Whip, so you can really play with it."

Whatever Ms. Rudzinski did, the ratio of peanut butter to Cool Whip to chocolate was perfection. Unlike most pies with a whipped-topping filling, Peanut Butter Pie isn't fluffy but rather melts in your mouth. It has the

consistency of a beloved Gertrude Hawk peanut butter Smidgen, and also boasts an ideal crunchy crust and smooth chocolate sauce on top.

While Ms. Rudzinski praised her aunt's cooking, she is no stranger to the kitchen either, with dishes such as pasta with homemade marinara sauce and bison meatballs and cream of mushroom soup made from scratch. She also enjoys creating healthy food, like vegan desserts, but every once in a while, she can't go wrong with Peanut Butter Pie.

"This is not healthy," Ms. Rudzinski said, laughing. "But with chocolate and peanut butter, it's the perfect combination."

Contact the writer:

gmazur@timesshamrock.com,

@gmazurTT on Twitter

Peanut Butter Pie

For the crust:

1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup light brown sugar

Mix ingredients together. Press into sides of 9-inch pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the filling:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

12 ounces Cool Whip (or any whipped topping)

Hot fudge or other chocolate sauce

Cover bottom of crust with chocolate sauce. In a separate bowl, melt butter and sugar. Cool mixture in fridge for 10 minutes.

Beat peanut butter into mixture, add whipped topping and mix well.

Pour batter into crust and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Wine pairing

A ruby port goes well with nut and chocolate desserts.

— DAVID FALCHEK