December 16, 2019

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie- Tollhouse Pie




Pie Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 TBS solid shortening(butter flavor and regular crisco)
1/4 cup + 2 TBS cold water

Filling:
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (not melted)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup all purpose flour (3/4 cup if omitting nuts)
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips or milk
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, optional


1.  Preheat oven to 325℉. Place rack on center of oven.
PIE CRUST

2.  Cut shortening into flour and salt in medium size bowl, until the mixture resembles small pieces the size of peas. 

3.  Add cold water all at once. Mix with a fork until dough starts to form into a ball, do not over mix. 

4.  Sprinkle flour out onto a flat surface. Roll the dough out and place in a 9x 1 or 1.5 inch pie plate. 
Lightly press into the corners of the plate. Crimp the edges. 

5.  Place prepared crust into freezer while making filling. Fill and bake as directed below.

PIE FILLING
6.  Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, scraping down sides a couple of times. Mix until blended well and no pieces of butter are visible.

7.  Add eggs, one at a time and vanilla to butter and sugar mixture. Beat on medium for about 1 minute, scraping down sides once. Turn off mixer. 

8.  Add flour, salt, and chocolate chips mixing all at once, just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. Add nuts and mix just until incorporated. If not using nuts, remember to add the additional 1/4 cup of flour to batter. 

9.  Spoon filling into unbaked pie shell. 

10.  Bake on center rack of oven for about 50 minutes or until knife inserted about half way from center of pie to crust (outer edge of pie) comes out clean.

11.  Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Save a few chocolate chips to gently press into the top of the pie after baking while pie is still warm. 
Serve warm or cold, with or without Ice Cream.


Recipe Notes
*Make the pie crust first so it can sit in the freezer while preparing the filling. You don't need to cover the pie crust if it sits in the freezer for under an hour. 
*The pie crust can be made ahead and covered with saran wrap and refrigerated for 1-2 days before baking. If freezing, the crust will stay frozen for up to two weeks before baking. 
*The filling is slightly sticky, but not runny. It’s not as thick as regular cookie dough.  Do not melt butter. Scrape the filling into the pie crust. 
*The pie may be prepared and stored in fridge until ready to bake up to a day before if the crust is filled with cookie dough. Make sure to cover tightly. 
*Preheat oven for at least 30 minutes before baking a refrigerated or frozen crust. 
*The pie plate should be one to one and a half inch deep. If the pie plate is deep, the filling will not fill up the pie plate!
*If you don’t want to make your own pie crust just get a premade uncooked crust.


December 9, 2019

Frosted Brownies


Brownies:
3 sticks (24 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk (suggest using 2% or whole)
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt

Frosting:
6 TBS unsalted butter
6 TBS milk (use at least 2% milk fat)
1-½ cups granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet)

1.  Preheat oven to 350℉ and spray a 9x13 baking with non-stick spray. (or a sheet pan for a thinner brownie almost sheet cake)

2.  Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

3.  Mix cocoa powder, flour and salt in a bowl.

4.  Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk in three stages mixing on low speed until incorporated - dry ingredients, milk, dry ingredients, milk then dry ingredients.

5.  Pour into prepared pan, spread evenly and bake for 30 minutes (if you use the sheet pan 11x17 check at about 18-20 minutes).   Once done baking, let cool for 30 minutes before frosting. Don't completely cool though...you want the brownies to be slightly warm when frosted.

6.  To make the frosting add the butter, milk and granulated sugar to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from heat, stir in salt and chocolate chips. Whisk vigorously until smooth then immediately pour onto warm brownies spreading before it starts to set. The frosting starts to harden quickly so work fast! Let brownies set for at least one hour before cutting into bars.

December 2, 2019

Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies


2-1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup creamy peanut butter
2 Large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Cups Butterfinger baking bits or 2 cups pieces chopped Butterfinger

1.  Preheat oven to 375℉.  Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

2.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl
In bowl of stand mixer, or large bowl with hand mixer, beat together the butter and peanut butter until fluffy.


3.  Add egg to butter and peanut butter and beat until incorporated.  Beat in sugars and vanilla until combined.


4.  With mixer running, add dry mixture to wet mixture in thirds until everything is fully incorporated.

5.  Stir Butterfinger Baking Bits into dough.


6.  Drop dough by heaping Tablespoon fulls onto prepared baking sheet.  press down on dough gently to flatten just slightly.

7.  Bake for 7-10 minutes.