Chocolate Cream Pie Take 2

I've posted this pie before but I've made a couple tweaks. Excuse the ready made crust...I've dubbed it the crust of shame...but I'm sending this pie home with someone and I don't want to worry about a pie plate being returned. 

So very garnish happy on this pie. I melted a wee bit too much chocolate so I went a little nutty. 

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar  

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups skim milk

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 tbs 1 tsp vanilla

3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

8 oz Cool Whip

Prepare and bake crust.  Mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan.  Whisk milk into eggs.  Add milk mixture to sugar mixture and combine.  Stir in chocolate.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and begins to boil.  Cook one minute before removing from heat.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour into graham crust and press plastic wrap to the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming.  Chill.  Top with cool whip.  Garnish as you desire.  Makes one 9inch cream pie.

And here is the precious little man that keeps me hopping and out of the kitchen.  ;)

Chocolate Cheesecake Trifle

I was in the middle a pie frenzy when my hand mixer crapped out on me.  Smoke.....angry sounds...it was toast.  After wacking it on the counter a few times.....rage plus percussive maintenance can occasionally work some magic.....I gave up and chucked that puppy into the trash.

I now had unwhipped cream cheese.  Translate this to tiny chunks of cream cheese throughout my pie filling.  Not a good look.  I tried working them out by hand and it was taking foooooorever so that was a no go.  I could have gotten away with this chunk style filling if I had planned a whipped topping over the pie filling, but no, I was only planning a chocolate drizzle top with some chocolate covered pretzels here and there.

Solution, toss pie filling and crust into pretty glasses and move on.  I will make a gorgeous pie next time...I promise.  Friggin mixer.

Technical difficulties aside....this treat tastes amaaaaaazing.


Chocolate Cheesecake Trifle

Graham Pretzel Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (one sleeve)
1 cup pretzels crumbs
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar

Mix together graham cracker crumbs, pretzel crumbs, and brown sugar.  Stir in melted butter.  Set aside.
 
Chocolate Pie Filling
3 cups skim milk
4 egg yolks, beaten
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbls vanilla
12oz milk chocolate chips, melted
2 - 8oz blocks reduced fat cream cheese

In a saucepan mix together cornstarch, salt, and sugar.  Whisk the yolks and milk together.  Add the milk mixture to the saucepan and stir everything together.  Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.  Boil for one minute before removing from heat.  Stir in vanilla and melted, milk chocolate.  Pour into a bowl, press plastic wrap to the top of the chocolate filling, and refrigerate for a couple hours. 

Mix chocolate filling with cream cheese.  Fold crust mixture gently into pie filling.  Spoon into cups.  Garnish with chocolate and pretzels.

Caramel Brownie Pie

This dessert is insanely rich so slice accordingly.  Chocolate caramel glory...oh yes.  I'm pretty sure this treat will destroy any cravings with one bite.  ;)

I used this caramel recipe for my dessert.  Packaged caramels thinned with some milk work just fine.  Caramel ice cream topping would work great as well.

This recipe is loosely based on one I ran across in a Southern Living cookbook.


Caramel Brownie Pie

Brownie Base:
1 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbls dark cocoa powder
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup thinned caramel

Melt chocolate chips and butter in the microwave, stirring often. Be careful that you don't overheat the chocolate. Stir in vanilla, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl before adding them to the chocolate mixture. Mix in the flour. Pour batter into greased 9 inch pie pan.  Pour caramel on top of batter and swirl to mix the two together.  Bake at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Topping:
1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
1 cup thinned caramel

Spread caramel and chocolate on top of slightly cooled brownie base.  Use a butter knife to swirl the two together to create a pattern on the top.  Cool and then chill before slicing.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

The Cake Duchess made a really cool Peanut Butter Pretzel Tart.  I really liked the concept so I played around with something similar to make this pie.   A quick, easy dessert.

If you don't feel like tackling pralines, I think some honey roasted peanuts would work beautifully for a top layer.  Happily I had a sack of pralines in the freezer waiting to be used up.


Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

Crust:
2 cups hard sourdough pretzels, crushed fine
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix together crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and butter.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Press into a 9 inch pie plate and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool.

Filling:
8oz reduced fat cream cheese
14oz no fat sweetened condensed milk
12oz peanut butter chips
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter

Melt peanut butter chips in the microwave until smooth.  Set aside.  Blend together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and peanut butter until smooth.  Mix in melted peanut butter chips.

Topping:
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup peanut pralines, crushed roughly

Crush the peanut pralines by hand or in a food processor.  Spread over top of the filling.

Melt the dark chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth.  Spoon into a plastic bag with a corned nipped off and pipe lines across the top of the pie.  Chill.

I should be banned from slicing pie....seriously.  Anywho.....it was really tough not to go back for seconds...I curse you moderation!

Behold....the cure for all peanut butter cravings.

Samoas Pie

Samoas are my favorite girl scout cookie.....they're like crack.  Girl Scouts = Cookie Pimps...I'm just saying.  I wanted to see if I could make a pie version. One can't have too many addictions.  ;)  Oh it was yummy.  My taster piece was waaay too big.

I had trouble getting a clean, neat slice of pie.  Apparently, it was my underwhelming pie slicing skills.  ;)  My beloved hubby has informed me he didn't have any issues.  Did he take pictures of his work....nooooo.

This recipe would be super cute as little mini pies, or mini tarts.

The filling is loosely based around a Betty Crocker recipe.

I used some homemade salted caramel (unthinned....since that link goes to a thinned version) in this pie, but packaged caramels from the store work just fine.


Samoas Pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used one sleeve)
1 tbls sugar
1/4 cup tub margarine
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and margarine.  Press into a 9inch pie plate and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool.

Melt milk chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring often until smooth.  Spread chocolate in the bottom and up the sides of the crust.  Chill to set the chocolate.

Topping:
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
14oz caramels
2 tbls skim milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (garnish)

Toast the coconut for 20 minutes in a 325 degree oven.  Stir often.  When it is golden brown it is done.

Pile the caramels in a bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring often until smooth.  Stir in the skim milk to thin the caramels.  Pour 1/4 cup of caramel in the bottom of the chocolate covered crust and spread it evenly.  Return crust to fridge to continue chilling.

Mix toasted coconut and caramel together to form the topping and set aside.

Pie:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup lite coconut milk
2 cups skim milk
4 yolks, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Toss the coconut into a food processor and chop it into smaller pieces.  Set aside.

Mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.  Beat the coconut milk and milk into the yolks.  Stir slowly into the sugar mixture.  Heat mixture over medium, stirring constantly, until it boils.  Continue cooking for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and coconut.  Pour directly into crust and press plastic wrap across the top.  Chill pie.

Remove plastic wrap.  Crumble coconut and caramel mixture across the top of the pie.  Melt the dark chocolate chips.  Spoon melted chocolate into a plastic bag with the tip cut off and drizzle over the top of the pie for garnish.  Chill until ready to serve.

One more pic....

Mmmm.....I could totally dive into just the topping and be a happy camper.  The best part of making the pie was sprinkling the topping over the top of the pie....licking the bowl....and my fingers.  ;)

Funniest part of making this pie was when I decided I could make the crust, toast coconut, and stir the filling all at the same time.  Chicken with it's head cut off....that's all I'm saying about that...ehehehe.

Chocolate Cream Pie

This is my husbands favorite pie.  It's super easy to make and it tastes so very good.  Thank you Betty Crocker for this recipe....I love it so.  One piece is left in the fridge...one lonely....defenseless piece.  Not that I'm stalking it....dreaming about it or anything.  Moderation is key....snicker.

I've seen some wonderful looking chocolate pudding lately on different blogs...it compelled me to make this pie.  Compelled me I say.  ;)  

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups skim milk

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 tbs 1 tsp vanilla

2 squares (oz) unsweetened chocolate, chopped up roughly

8 oz Cool Whip Free

Prepare and bake crust.  Mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan.  Whisk milk into eggs.  Add milk mixture to sugar mixture and combine.  Stir in chocolate.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and begins to boil.  Cook one minute before removing from heat.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour into baked graham crust and press plastic wrap to the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming.  Chill.  Top with cool whip.  Garnish as you desire.  Makes one 9inch cream pie.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I use one sleeve)

3 tbls sugar

1/3 cup Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend

Combine all ingredients and press into a 9inch pie plate.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool.

One more pic of the glory...

It's a little messy....so hard to get a clean slice from the first piece you take out of a pie.  ;)

The garnish was pretty straightforward.  Melt 1/4 cup or so of milk chocolate chips in the microwave.  Spoon melted chocolate into a ziplock with the tip cut off and then pipe some hearts, squiggles, and what not onto waxed paper and chill until set.

Nutella Chocolate Cheesecake

It's possible I have a small Nutella obsession.  ;)  Nutella in a no bake chocolate cheesecake...it's made of win I tell you!  This cheesecake is a little heavy on the powdered sugar but it started out as leftover frosting so I didn't have much control over that element at the time.  You just can't waste good frosting...it's a crime against nature...ehehehe. 


Nutella Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used one sleeve)
3 tbls tub margarine
2 tbls sugar

Mix everything together and press firmly into pie plate.  Let chill in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.


Filling:
4oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
6oz melted milk chocolate
1/4 cup Nutella

Blend together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Mix in melted chocolate and Nutella.  Spoon over crust and spread evenly.

Fudge Glaze:
14 oz non fat sweetened condensed milk
6 oz milk chocolate chips
6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup evaporated milk (more if you wish a thinner glaze)

In a bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Heat in the microwave, stirring at 30 second intervals. You should only need about a minute or so for your chocolate to melt. Stir in marshmallows and mix until they melt into your chocolate. You may need to heat just a bit more in the microwave to get the marshmallows fully melted...be careful not to overheat. Spoon as much glaze as you want on top of the cheesecake layer.  You will have plenty leftover, but it freezes nicely to be used on future goodies.

Chill until chocolate sets.  Slice and then serve.


A couple more pics of the yummies....

So pretty with giant wedges of chocolaty goodness....before I did the sensible thing and cut smaller pieces.  Sensible eating.  I feel dirty and not in the good way.  ;)  Honestly I should have put it together in a pie plate instead of a deep plate, but I was in lazy mode so it didn't occur to me to dig one out...ehehehe.

I cut the cheesecake into fairly small slices since it's so rich.  Of course I can always go back for seconds, but I will console myself that the pieces are so tiny it doesn't count....rofl.

Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

This treat is sinfully good. I really didn't need to be taste testing it at breakfast, but my word it was wonderous. Thank goodness I sent everything off with Paul is all I have to say about that...ehehehe. Anywho this yummy is based loosely on this Toll House recipe. In the future I probably will make it in pie form, but it's easier to send to the office in squares. Not that the shape really matters all that much. ;)


Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used one sleeve)
1/3 cup tub margarine, melted
2 tbls sugar
1 tsp dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
1/2 cup caramel, thinned with milk (caramel topping would also be fine)
12 oz milk chocolate chips
6 oz peanut butter chips
14 oz non fat sweetened condensed milk
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
8 oz Cool Whip Free, thawed
3 oz melted milk chocolate, (garnish)
1/3 unsalted dry roasted peanuts (garnish)

For the crust, combine the margarine, sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Press into a 9x9 greased pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350. Spread the caramel across the crust and top with the crushed nuts. Press the nuts down into the caramel. Cool.

Combine the 12 ounces milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in a bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring often to prevent overheating. Set the melted chips to the side for the moment. Beat the cream cheese and the sweetened condensed milk together. Add in the melted chocolate mixture and mix well. Stir in whipped topping until well combined. Pour mixture over the cooled crust and spread evenly. Pop pan into the fridge to cool.

For garnish melt the 3 oz milk chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth. Spoon a third of the chocolate into a ziplock bag with one corner snipped off for chocolate drizzle. Seal the bag and set to the side for the moment. Combine the remaining melted chocolate and the 1/3 cup peanuts. Use a spoon to spread the chocolate covered nuts across a piece of waxed paper in clusters no larger than two. Put the nuts into the fridge to set. When the chocolate covered nuts have hardened enough to handle remove them from the fridge along with the pan of treats. Spread the chocolate covered nuts across the top of the cheesecake squares. Use the ziplock bag to drizzle lines of chocolate across the top of the nuts. Return the pan to the fridge to cool. Cut into squares before serving.


A few pics of the process...
A little picture before I sliced up the goods this morning. I really think some drizzled caramel would have looked lovely in addition to the chocolate covered nuts and milk chocolate, but I used up all the caramel I had ready topping the crust.

Peanut and caramel topped chocolate crust. Is it done yet? If you are using standard caramel it's easy to thin with a couple tbls of milk/evaporated milk to make it easier to spread and nosh. I usually have thinned homemade caramel in the freezer ready to use because it's handy. I do the same with fudge sauce....which reminds me I need to make some. ;)

Chocolate covered peanuts for the garnish. Yes, it was a wee bit on the tedious side to drop one chocolate covered nut onto the wax paper at a time. I cheated with the occasional cluster of two. If you end up with clusters any larger though it would be super hard to cut into portions.