S'mores Pie

This pie had  me dreaming of and longing for my family summer vacations in the U.P. that we go on every year. I have fond memories of staying out late by the campfire, sitting under what seemed to be billions and billions of bright, shiny, twinkling stars, hoping to see a shooting star fly by, all the while eating delicious and classic s'mores! S'mores are one of my favorite parts of summer! Roasty, toasty, and oh so gooey golden brown marshmallows and creamy Hershey's milk chocolate bars that get all nice and melty are sandwiched between sweet and crunchy graham crackers! Sticky and messy  but so finger-licking yummy!

Oh, how I wish it was summer, do you? But, since its not summer, I suggest making this pie! It will remind you of summer. With it's sweet graham cracker crust, smooth milk chocolate filling, and perfectly toasted marshmallows on top, you will feel all happy and warm inside, even if it is just for a few minutes. Enjoy!

S'mores Pie: (adapted from How Sweet It Is & from here)

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

-8 tablespoons butter, melted

-7 ounces milk chocolate, broken into chunks

-1 cup heavy cream

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-pinch of salt

-3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions:

1. Make the crust: In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until the butter is fully incorporated and crumbs are moistened. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray  and firmly press the graham cracker crumbs up the sides and on the bottom of the pie pan (I used the bottom of a measuring cup). Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.

2. While the crust chills, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare the filling. Put the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Heat the cream until scalded-do not boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 1 minute. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until glossy and smooth. Add the vanilla, pinch of salt, and egg into the chocolate mixture and whisk to fully incorporate. Pour into chilled crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly in the center. Remove from the oven and top with mini marshmallows. Turn your broiler to low and put pie back in the oven to toast the marshmallows for about 2-3 minutes (watch very closely so the marshmallows don't burn)! Remove and cool completely before serving.

*To make slicing easier, spray a knife with non-stick cooking spray so the marshmallows don't stick!*

Peanut Butter Candy Pie

I love it when someone's birthday comes around because I get to make a decadant and over-the-top dessert, which I love doing! Last week was my cousin's 22nd birthday and we celebrated with dinner and this Peanut Butter Candy Pie that I made. One of his favorite candy bars are reese's peant butter cups, so, I chose a dessert that incorporated them in it!

This pie starts off with a chocolate oreo cookie crust that gets sprinkled with chopped up peanut butter cups and then on top of that is a peanut butter filling, which is a mixture of cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and freshly whipped cream. To top it off, I sprinkled colorful peanut M&M's on top! It is layerd with many textures; crunchy, smooth, creamy and it is rich, peanut buttery and nutty. It tastes kind of like a peanut butter cheesecake, but, it is much lighter due to the whipped cream that gets folded into it. There are a few steps in making this pie, but, it is really so simple to make, it looks impressive, and it is delicious! Everyone loved it!

Peanut Butter Candy Pie:

Ingredients:

For the crust:

-20 Oreo cookies, finely crushed or ground in a food processor

-4 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Pie:

-1 1/2 cups miniature peanut butter cup candies, roughly chopped

-8 ounces cream cheese, softened

-3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

-1 cup heavy whipping cream

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-Peanut M&M's, chopped, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

2. To make the crust, stir Oreo cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl until moistened. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

3. When the crust is completely cooled, sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups.

4. To make the pie, combine the cream cheese, 3/4 cups powdered sugar and the peanut butter in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

5. In a seperate bowl, whip the heavy cream until light and thick. Add the 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

6. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour batter into the springform pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

7. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with chopped peanut M&M's.

Mini Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pies

This is another super simple tasty recipe from Picky Palate for adorable mini chocolate chip pumpkin pies that are just perfect for the holidays. Spicy pumpkin pie filling, sweet chocolate chips, and gooey mini marshmallows are all wrapped inside a flaky pie crust creating these little bite-sized desserts!

Mini Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pies: (Picky Palate)

-1 cup canned pumpkin

-1/4 cup granulated sugar

-1/4 cup evaporated milk

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

-1 egg, beaten

-2 rolls Pillsbury pie crust, thawed

-1/4 cup chocolate chips

-1/4 cup mini marshmallows

-1 egg, 1 teaspoon water; beaten for egg wash

-1/4 cup powdered sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and egg until combined.

2. Roll out each pie crust. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter or glass and cut out circles from pie crust. Be sure to re-roll extra dough. Place round pie crusts onto prepared cookie sheet. Place 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie filling into center of each pie round. Top with 2 marshmallows and 4 chocolate chips. Brush edges with egg wash and fold crust over filling and press edges with a fork to seal. Poke top of each crust with fork for steam to escape. Brush tops with egg wash and bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Let cool for 5 minutes, dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Special Request Rhubarb Custard Pie

My Uncle Dick, who is my Dad's best friend and not related to me by blood, but, has always been and always will be my "Uncle" had a speccial request for me, and that was to make him a rhubarb pie to take to his family reunion. His Mom recently passed away in the spring and rhubarb pie was one of his Mom's favorites, one of her specialties and something that she made often when rhubarb was in season. He had rhubarb growing in his backyard and thought it would be a great idea to take a rhubarb pie to the reunion in honor of his Mom. I, of course, was honored and willing to take on the job of baking him and his family a pie. Uncle Dick picked and chopped up all the rhubarb for me and tried to find his Mom's recipe but he couldn't, he figured she probably didn't have an exact recipe and just made it from memory. I chose to make this Rhubarb Custard Pie that my Grandma and Uncle make. It turned out to be a big hit and his family raved about how good it was and wanted to know what was in it!

Rhubarb Pie: (From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens)

-3 cups diced rhubarb

-1 1/4 cups sugar

-1/4 tsp. salt

-2 Tbsp. water

-3 Tbsp. flour

-1 Tbsp. lemon juice

-2 eggs

-1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

1. Place rhubarb in unbaked pie shell.

2. Combine remaining ingredients and stir to form a smooth paste.

3. Cover with crumbs made by mixing 3 Tbsp. flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, and 2 Tbsp. butter.

4. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes; then at 325 degrees F for 30 more minutes.

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie

My sister Diana has been making requests for me to bake her some sort of sweets when she comes into town, and of course, I am always willing and very happy to do that for her! This time she asked me to make her a Kentucky Derby Pie without bourban.....I had never had a Kentucky Derby Pie so I did a little research and found out that a Kentucky Derby Pie is a chocolate and walnut tart in a pie shell usually with a pastry dough crust. It is also commonly made with chocolate chips, pecans and Kentucky bourban, it is much like a chocolate pecan pie.

After I did some research I knew that I had the perfect recipe for her. It was this Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie recipe that I have been wanting to bake and try out for a while from Baked New Frontiers in Baking cookbook by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. It is a really great cookbook and I definetly reccomend getting it if you are a dessert lover!

They state that "the pie which is almost always served warm and a la mode, is a cross between a pecan pie and a chocolate chip cookie-a very good, gooey chocolate chip cookie." And it was! Everyone loved it and Diana said it was "heavenly" and kept raving about how good it was, even served at room temperature.

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie: (Baked; adapted by me)

Yield: 1 (9-inch) Pie

 -1 ready to bake pie crust for a 9-inch pan, chilled 

-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

-1/2 cup granulated sugar

-1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

-2 large eggs

-3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

 -2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-3/4 cup pecans, chopped

-1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put ready to bake pie dough into a 9-inch pie dish, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugars until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until foamy, about 3 minutes. Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Turn the mixture to high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter. Beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the vanilla, and beat the mixture on high speed for 1 minute.

Fold the pecans and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips into the filling.

Pour the filling into the pie shell and spread it out evenly. Top the filling with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 25 minutes (this will prevent the crust from browning too quickly). Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.

The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

French Silk Pie

                           

This pie is one that is calling all chocolate lovers and chocoholics, hence the reason I made it! Because I love, love, love chocolate!  This is a very, very rich and decadant chocolate french silk pie that has a very intense chocolate flavor, and the texture of the filling is so smooth, creamy, and dreamy and it has a yummy and crunchy oreo cookie crust. This is a very good pie and a small sliver goes a long way! Plus, it is simple and quick to make and put together and it doesn't call for many ingredients and it looks like such a fancy dessert!

French Silk Pie (Paula Deen):

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

-2 1/2 cups crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwhich cookies (I used a mix of strawberry milkshake filled and regular oreos because that is what I had on hand and the pink filled oreos looked so precious on top)!

-6 tablespoons butter, melted

-1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

-10 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped

-2 cups miniature marshmallows

Garnish: oreos, whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter, stirring until combined. Press mixture into bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup cream, chocolate, and marshmallows; cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, and let stand for 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, beat remaining 1 cup cream at medium-high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold cream into chocolate mixture. Spoon into prepared crust; chill for at least 4 hours. Garnish with cookies and whipped cream, if desired.