Crack Pie

So my cousin Jenny sends me this Email, and the subject line says “Food Porn.” No, it wasn’t about a candy bra or licorice whips meant for actually whipping, it was about a hot topic of the food world – - Crack Pie. Apparently the Momofuku and Milk Bar in Manhattan makes these pies which are so addictive, people are paying $44 for one pie. LA Times writer Rene Lynch says this dessert is “a twist on Chess Pie, an old-school dessert found in Joy of Cooking, popular because it can be made with common pantry ingredients such as butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.” Doesn’t sound like $44 worth of ingredients to me, but sometimes you pay for the technique, not the ingredients. Of course if you are like me, you would have to be suddenly rolling in dough, if you will, to spend that much on one pie. Check out the recipe for Crack Pie, learn how to make it yourself, and read more of Lynch’s description of this curious, and trendy dessert.

Pumpkin Pie – My Family’s Favorite

Pumpkin Pie

Roasted Cinderella Pumpkin

It’s not my goal to ever become a gourmet chef. What I do strive for, however, is to find the perfect recipe for classics like fried chicken, chocolate chip cookies, potato salad and spaghetti and meatballs. While I already have the perfect recipe for all of these, I didn’t have the perfect recipe for a must-have holiday classic – - pumpkin pie – - until this Thanksgiving.

I always have my family do a taste test, and I knew this pumpkin pie recipe was a keeper when, in separate instances, Doug and Anna had the same reaction. “Mmm, MMmmmm, MMMMMMM!” With each “MMMM” Anna’s eyes grew wider and wider. Then my mother tried it and declared it “the best pumpkin pie I have ever had.”  Now, I did roast my own pumpkin for this recipe but canned will work fine too. Also, if you ever do roast your own pumpkin I should warn you – - don’t freeze it. For some reason, you can freeze the canned pumpkin, but if you roast your own pumpkin and freeze it, you have a watery mess. Also, for those of you who don’t know, do not roast the type of pumpkin for Jack-O-Lanterns. No flavor. Use the little pie pumpkins or a big, beautiful Cinderella pumpkin.

Although this recipe doesn’t call for a pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice, I am  including a pumpkin pie spice recipe in this post in the event you need it in the future. As budget cookers, we are always looking for a way to save a buck, and you probably already have all of these spices in your cabinet anyway. Making spice mixtures is also a way to save on expensive flavored coffees — just add some spice mix to your grounds and you have pumpkin-pie coffee!

Pumpkin Pie

Allrecipes.com, Submitted by Carla A.

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Add the sugar gradually to the pumpkin puree. Beat well and stir in the flour, salt and spices. Stir in the corn syrup and beat well. Stir in the slightly beaten egg, then slowly add the evaporated milk, mixing until well blended. Pour the batter into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees F) and continue baking pie for an additional 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the mixture comes out clean.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Allrecipes.com, Submitted by Jacquie

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves