Crack Pie

They call this crack pie for a reason - I'm pretty sure this is to a food junkie like myself what crack is to a drug junkie ;-) It's highly addictive and one piece is definitely not enough!

I found this recipe featured in Bon Appétit in last year's September issue. I was intrigued (mostly because of the name!) and stuck it in my collection. I have avoided making pies, cookies, cakes, etc. recently because I'm usually the only one in the house who ends up eating it, but when I was in charge of dessert for the boy's family's Labor Day picnic, I thought I'd give it a shot. The name rang true - everyone seemed to like the salty-sweet pie and I had just one little sliver left by the end of the day. I'd definitely make this one again!

Crack Pie
Ingredients
Oat Cookie Crust
9  T (1 stick plus 1 T) unsalted room temperature, divided
5.5 T packed brown sugar, divided
2 T sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup plus 2 T old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 T nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
6.5 T heavy whipping cream
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 13x9x2 baking pan with parchment paper; coat with nonstick spray. 
2. Combine 6 T butter, 4 T brown sugar, and 2 T sugar in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes.
3. Add egg; beat until pale and fluffy. Add oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute.
4. Turn oat mixture out onto prepared baking pan; press out evenly to edges of pan. Bake 17 to 18 minutes. Transfer baking pan to rack and cool cookie completely.
5. Using hands, crumble oat cookie into large bowl; add 3 T butter and 1.5 T brown sugar. Rub in with fingertips until mixture is moist enough to stick together. 
6. Transfer cookie crust mixture to 9-in diameter glass pie dish. Using fingers, press evenly onto bottom and up the sides. Place pie dish with crust on rimmed baking sheet.
7. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350. Whisk both sugars, milk powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add melted butter and whisk until blended. Add cream, then egg yolks, and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
8. Pour filling into crust and bake pie 30 minutes (filling may begin to bubble).
9. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and continue to bake until filling is brown in spots and set around the edges. Center will still move slightly when the dish is gently shaken - about 20 minutes longer.
10. Cool pie 2 hours in pie dish on rack. Chill uncovered overnight. Can be made 2 days ahead.
11. Before serving, sift powdered sugar lightly over top of pie. Serve cold.

Oreo Pudding Pie

I forgot to add this to the ziti post, so I figured I'd do it separately! This was what I sent over with the ziti, garlic crescent rolls and salad. It was DELISH (I didn't get a full piece, but I sure did lick the bowl ;-) hehe).

Oreo Pudding Pie
Ingredients
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each)JELL-O OREO Flavor Instant Pudding
2-1/2 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.)COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)
5 OREO Cookies, cut in half

Directions

1. Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. 
2. Stir in half the COOL WHIP and pour into crust. 
3. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. 
4. Top with remaining COOL WHIP and cookies just before serving.

May 25 - Apple Pie!

So today is my little man's birthday...he's already two years old! I can't believe how quickly these two years have gone...I can still remember him curled up in my lap, nursing away when he was a teeny tiny little guy (well, he was 14 lbs. by 8 weeks, so maybe not that teeny tiny?! but definitely smaller!). I can't post about him without including a few of my favorite photos :)

Birth:

1 month:

Almost 6 months:

1st birthday:

2nd birthday:

When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday surprise (cake, ice cream, pie, brownies, cookies, etc.), he screamed "pie!" Now, when I was a kid, I asked for my mom's apple pie from scratch every single year. It was tradition for as long as I can remember. When Luke said pie, I was SO excited to continue the tradition! Linds and I wrapped presents and then around 8:30 last night we started the pie. I completely forgot how long the process was! The crust alone took a good 20 minutes, the peeling, coring and slicing up the apples took awhile, and then it's a 45 minute bake time. Whew! It was all worth it though because that pie tasted AMAZING!

Apple Pie
Crust Ingredients:
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening

Filling Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
6 apples (skinned/sliced)

Topping Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions
Crust:
Mix flour and salt. Add 1/3 cup shortening. Mix with hands and 3 or 4 T of cold water until forms into ball. Roll out on floured surface. Form into baking dish.

Filling:
Combine powdered ingredients and add apples to mix. Put in crust.

Topping:
Turn into crumb by playing with it. Top pie with mixture and bake for 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

January 10 - Chicken Pot Pie

I just made one of these with my friend, Katie, and after making it with her, I decided I had to have one of my own! It turned out just the way I expected it and not only did the boy and I enjoy it, but so did Linds - even with all the veggies :) I was so, so happy - we all need more veggies in our diet. Luke boycotted dinner...again...I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, huh?!

I bought regular frozen pie crusts and when I mixed everything together, there was WAY too much filling. I mixed the veggies/chicken and sauce, then divided in two and froze the other half. Now I have another pot pie ready to go (as soon as I buy more crusts!).

Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup frozen green peas
3/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup sliced celery
3 medium potatoes
1 bullion cube
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crusts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, potatoes and celery. Add bullion cube and water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust (making a dome on top), seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

Pecan Pie

We had the boy's extended family Christmas party tonight at his uncle's house and had so much fun! We usually get together once or twice a year (Thanksgiving and Christmas) for a big family event, and since we were with my fam on Thanksgiving this year, we were due for a gathering. It's always fun catching up with everyone and seeing what everyone's up to...although sometimes it can be depressing when you see how much the kids have grown up?!? Linds was particularly social today, playing with some of the boy's cousins' kids, and when I finally figured out who the one girl was, I was floored. This kid went from being 3 years old to 10 overnight! I really swore it was yesterday she was this little girl that was Lindsay's age and now she's this grown "tween." I never thought I'd be 28 and saying I feel old, but when I see these kids and how they've grown over the past 10 years, it *really* makes me feel ancient.

But, back to the whole point of the post, we were asked to bring dessert. I'm over Christmas cookies (the exchange and subsequent selection of 18 different cookies did me in), and we just had cake for Lindsay's birthday, so I figured I'd do a pie. My fabulous friend, Kristi Hall, makes a kick ass pecan pie, so I stole her recipe and made that. It turned out really well from what people said...I didn't even take a piece for myself (again, so not in the mood for sweets at this point!). I forgot to take a picture, so you're stuck with just the recipe :P

Pecan Pie
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh pecans
Pie crust (I just used the graham cracker one - it's easiest)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and vanilla until blended.
3. Pour into pie crust and top with pecans.
4. Bake 50-55 minutes.

Mar. 26 - Leftovers

We spent the day at the library and ACAC in West Chester (MOMS Club activity - they have a moonbounce, giant inflatable slides, and an inflatable obstacle course set up for an hour of running around and playing, and then we swim in their indoor kiddie pool for an hour - SO FUN!). Afterwards, we had our new friends, Christy and Logan, over to hang out and kill the rest of the afternoon so we wouldn't sit at home bored, staring at the clock. Needless to say, by the time dinner rolled around, the last thing I felt like doing was cooking!

I reheated the black bean pie for dinner and I must say - it is even better the next day. There are certain foods that just taste better reheated, and this is definitely one of them. The boy and Miss L had ziti leftovers, which they both scarfed down. I forgot to repost the ziti recipe yesterday, so I'll repost it now:

Baked Ziti
Ingredients
1 lb ziti noodles
1 lb ground sausage
1/2 lb ground beef
3 cups mozzarella cheese
3 cups marinara/spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Cook ziti in boiling water; drain.
3. Brown meats; drain off fat.
4. In a large baking dish, layer ziti, meat, cheese and sauce; repeat until everything has been used.
5. Top with Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake about 30 - 40 minutes until bubbly.

Mar. 25 - Black Bean Pie

A MOMS Club friend of mine (hey Barb!) is a vegetarian and made me a killer black bean pie after Luke was born. It was so delicious that I wound up eating the whole thing myself (though not in one sitting!). I've been wanting to make one for myself for awhile now, but the boy doesn't understand the whole vegetarian thing and unless there's meat, he's not too interested. We had leftovers in the fridge, so I figured he could fend for himself while I enjoyed my black bean pie.

It's simple to make, but a rather lengthy cook time. Prep work was about 5 or 10 minutes of chopping up veggies and then 15 minutes of simmering them stove top before transferring them to a pie crust and cooking for an hour. It looks like an easy one to make ahead and freeze or refrigerate, however, so you could always try that. Here's the recipe:

Black Bean Pie
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
2/3 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (9 inch) unbaked 9 inch pie crusts
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and green pepper until tender. Sir in beans, salsa, red bell pepper, chili powder, cayenne and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Spoon half of the mixture into one of the pie crusts and cover with half of the cheese.

Repeat with remaining beans and cheese. Top with remaining crust. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. I'd also let it sit for about 5 or 10 minutes before cutting into it so that it has a chance to firm up.

Next time I make it, I think I'll add in some garlic and maybe some corn. It was delicious, but it needed just a little more "oomph." Or maybe I should just have Barb make it next time ;-)

March Munchin Mamas Recipes

For March, the Munchin Mamas had a "green" theme. Food could either be green in color, organic, served in a green dish, etc. - it was all up to each participant. If you remember, I made a coconut-pistachio pie, but there was so many other delicious dishes there, too! Here are recipes for some of the others:

Green Pepper Dip
Ingredients
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 large green pepper (chopped into chunks about a quarter inch in size)
1 onion, chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. 
2. In a medium saucepan, combine eggs, sugar and vinegar over medium heat until it thickens. 
3. Pour over cream cheese and blend. 
4. Stir in green peppers and onions. 
5. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with crackers and/or pretzels.

Spinach Cheddar Bake
Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and undrained
1/3 cup crushed saltine crackers (I used regular ritz crackers)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the spinach, saltines, egg, onion powder and salt. 
2. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. 
3. Transfer to a greased 2-cup baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Harvest Fluff Dip
Ingredients
1- 10 oz jar pumpkin butter (I got mine from Kitchen Kettle Village)
1- 8 oz container marshmallow creme
16 ounces cream cheese
Apples, pears, crackers, or ginger snaps for dipping (I used cinnamon-sugar Ritz crackers.)

Directions

1. Blend cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth. 
2. Add pumpkin butter and blend thoroughly. 
3. Place in refrigerator to chill. Makes about 10-15 servings.

* More recipes from March's Munchin Mamas Club to come!!

Coconut-Pistachio Pie

We had our 2nd meeting of the Munchin' Mamas today (more recipes to follow!) and our theme this month was "green" - the interpretation was up to us (the food could be green, it could be organic, served in a green dish, etc.). I had a recipe for a coconut-pistachio pie that I've wanted to try out for so long, but no one in my house besides me will eat either of the main ingredients except me, so I used this as my opportunity to give it a whirl.

The hardest part about making this was toasting the coconut - and that was pretty easy! The rest was a snap - and boy did it taste great.

Coconut-Pistachio Pie
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups lightly toasted coconut flakes
1/3 cup butter
2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) pistachio pudding mix
1 cup whipped topping
2 T chopped pistachios

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine coconut and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in pie plate. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. 
3. Spread 1½ cups over crust. 
4. Fold whipped topping into remaining pudding; spread over pie. 
5. Sprinkle with pistachios. 
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.