Pie #47: Chocolate Cloud Pie (Chocolate Mousse Pie)

This week the pie-making was all about efficiency as there were too many things to do and not enough time to do everything.  So, I found myself asking questions like:

What pie would take a short time to make?
What pie would be good in a store-purchased cookie crust?
What pie would require minimal dishes to be washed?

I arrived on Chocolate Mousse Pie, and took the recipe from the back of the DREAM WHIP Whipped Topping box.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Ingredients:
2 envelopes DREAM WHIP Whipped Topping Mix
2 3/4 c. cold milk, divided
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract (optional)
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Instant Pudding & Pie Filling, chocolate
1 Oreo pie crust
red raspberries

Pie Algorithm:
1. Beat whipped topping mixes, 1 cup of the milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed 6 minutes or until topping thickens and forms peaks.

2. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups milk, pudding mixes, and almond extract; beat on low speed.  Beat on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Spoon into pastry shell.

3. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.  Garnish with raspberries.  Store leftover pie (if any!) in refrigerator.  Makes 8 servings.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

I LOVE chocolate mousse, and thought the almond flavoring was a nice addition.  Perry also really seemed to like the pie.  As he enjoyed some last night he exclaimed, "It's like licking a chocolate pillow, or a chocolate cloud!"  I haven't seen him this excited about pie in a while.  That means this pie gets high ratings for being easy to make and delicious!

Pie #6: Mixed Emotion Pie (Sweet Cherry Pie)

This week I had an 'understudy' to help with the pie baking.  My sister, who is in a transition period between college and voluntary service, came to spend a few days with us.  As suggested in the title, the day was filled with mixed emotions.  I was nervous to try a new gluten-free crust, pleased that the new crust turned out, disappointed when my favorite childhood pie did not set up, delighted by the taste of this week's pie, excited to spend the day with Kirstie, tickled by her humor, and sad to know that she will soon be living an ocean away.  Kirstie on the other hand just felt suspicious or at least that's what she recorded on my fridge...

The pie this week was served to my friends - some old and some new.  This also added to the emotion of the day; I had a splendid time with these women!  Knowing that one of my friends has a gluten intolerance, I decided to make a gluten-free pie just for her.  The process was fairly easy, and though it was a bit crumbly the crust turned out better than I had hoped!

Recently several people have asked about the crust I use for my pies. I will post that recipe soon along with the gluten-free recipe I used this week.   For now, here is this week's pie recipe:

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sweet Cherry Pie

Ingredients:

1 uncooked pie crust (9 inches)

filling:

4 c. pitted and quartered fresh sweet cherries

4 T. cornstarch

2/3 c. sugar (or a bit more if the cherries aren't sweet enough)

pinch of salt

fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon's worth)

1/4 t. almond extract

topping:

a second pie crust OR

the almond crumble topping from Pie #1

Pie Algorithm:

1. Filling: Mix cornstarch, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and almond extract in large bowl.  When ingredients are mixed well and turn to completely to liquid add cherries to bowl.  Stir until the cherries are well-covered by mixture.  Put cherry mixture in crust.  Don't allow liquid to rise higher than 1/2 the height of the crust wall.

2. Put either the second crust or the almond crumble topping (or a combination of both!) on top of the cherries.

3. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350F and then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and starting to get thick.  

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

I'm really enjoying my sister's visit this week - it's a visit only made sweeter with a delicious pie.

Pie #3: Not Quite Like Mom's Pie (Butter Brickle Banana Cream Pie)

This week there's no formal guest reviewer, but as always Perry is happy to stand in as the unofficial taster!  Knowing his love for bananas, I decided to try a recipe entitled Butter Brickle Banana Cream Pie from Pie, Pie, Pie: Easy Homemade Favorites by John Phillip Carroll.  I don't love banana pie, but the brickle makes me keep coming back for more!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Butter Brickle Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:
1 baked pie crust (9-inch)

butter brickle:
1/2 c. sugar
5 T. butter
1/2 c. sliced or slivered almonds

filling:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
2 1/4 c. milk
3 egg yolks
3 T. butter
1 t. vanilla extract
2 large, ripe bananas

whipped cream:
1 c. heavy (whipping) cream, chilled
4 t. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract

Pie Algorithm:
1. (Brickle) Line a shallow baking pan with foil.  Combine the sugar, butter, and almonds in a large skillet.  Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring almost constantly, until the bubbling mixture turns golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Pour into pan and cool completely; it will harden as it cools.  Break the butter brickle into pieces and chop coarsely in a food processor.  Set aside.

2. (Filling) In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Pour in the milk and whisk until smooth.  Place over medium heat and cook, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture boils.  Cook, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks.  Bring the mixture back to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook for 1 minute more.  Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times.

3. (Topping) Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl large enough for whipping, and beat until you have nearly stiff peaks.

4. (Assembly) Spread about 1/2 c. of brickle in baked pie shell.  Peel bananas and slice them about 1/4 inch thick, placing the slices over the brickle as you work.  Cover the bananas with the filling and cool to room temperature.  Sprinkle the filling with another 1/2 c. of the butter brickle.  Spread whipped cream over pie and sprinkle with remaining brickle.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.  For best results, eat within a couple of hours.  If you must wait longer, the brickle will gradually soften, but will not lose its flavor.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

After his first slice was complete, Perry's first words were "It's not quite like my mom's."  He went on to say that the pudding filling was different from what he remembered as a kid, but had a hard time figuring out why because he kept getting distracted with the crunchy, salty, nutty brickle.  While it may not be quite like my mother-in-law Kathy's pudding, I was quite pleased that it turned out!  I had tried to make homemade pudding pie several times in the past, each time without success.  This time there was no scorching, no chunks, and it tasted very similar to what I anticipated!

The recipe listed above has not been altered at all; for once I'm pretty satisfied with the results.  If I were to make the pie again, I would perhaps use Kathy's pudding recipe or Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream's Almond Brittle recipe.  In all reality though, Kathy's recipe is similar to that above and the brickle recipe above is almost too easy not to use.  Perhaps I would simply omit the banana's on my half of the pie!

Pie #1: Sweet and Sour, but Mostly Sour (Red Currant Almond Pie)

One goal I have for my Year of Pie is to use seasonal ingredients when possible.  Thus, when my friends Jeff and Angela offered some of their red currants I was super excited to make a red currant pie!  I had never eaten currants before, let alone in pie...but I was sure it could be done!  Just look at these red jewels - they hold great promise for a beautiful color, if not a tasty pie!

Piecing together an Almond Red Currant and a Sour Cherry pie recipe, we have Pie #1:

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Red Currant Almond Pie

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust (9.5 in)

filling:

2/3 cup (heaping) toasted silvered almonds (Bake at 350F for 5ish minutes.)

3 2/3 cup stemmed and cleaned red currants

1 2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

crumb topping:

2/3 cup oats

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

sprinkling of ground cinnamon

several shakes of salt

3/8 cup slivered/chopped almonds (no need to be toasted)

4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled a bit

Pie Algorithm:

1. Place toasted almonds in bottom of unbaked crust.

2. Gently fold together the remaining filling ingredients until mixed well.  Place in crust.

3. Mix together topping (will be crumbly when finished).  Spread over filling.

4. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then turn down oven to 350F baking for 30-40 more minutes, or until filling is bubbly and starting to thicken.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Being Pie #1, of course there is room for improvement.  The recipes I post will be my 'improved' version - they will show how I would make the pie in the future, and may not be the exact steps I took to create the pie of the week.

First lesson learned: don't over-fill the pie.  If the recipe is written for a 10-inch pie dish, don't try to fit all the ingredients into a 9.5-inch dish.  (Simplifying to a cylinder with these diameters, you would be working with only about 90% of the volume.)  This causes one large mess in your oven, and a sticky crust and pie dish.  On a positive note, the crust is a pretty shade of red!

Second lesson of the week: make sure the pie has baked long enough.  This poor pie needed a few more minutes in the oven for the filling to thicken.  Unfortunately because of the over-filling issue it got pulled out too early.  Perhaps the pie will be more beautiful next week!

For those of you who like tangy - this pie is a great choice!  It's slightly sweet, but as the name suggests 'Mostly Sour'.  For those who don't like tangy - the sour is easily overcome with enough vanilla ice cream!  If I was lucky enough to obtain currants again, I would be very happy to eat more of this pie!