Pie # 40: Butterfinger Pie

Mini pies are pretty adorable. They also make sharing much easier. Since Butterfingers are (by far) my favorite candy bar, I assumed (correctly) that this recipe would be a success. Extra bonus: it's really easy. Any 8-year-old could make it.

Butterfinger Pie
Shout out to Ken Haedrich for yet another recipe!
(Printable version)

Crust:
6 mini store-bought graham cracker pie crusts

Filling:
8-oz package of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup whipping cream
One 2.1 ounce Butter Finger candy bar (chopped)


Pre-bake crusts according to directions on package.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla; beat again until smooth. Place bowl in fridge.

In a different bowl, beat the cream on high until stiff. Fold into peanut butter mixture.

Sprinkle some of the candy bar into the bottom of the pie crusts. Spoon filling on top and sprinkle with remaining candy bar crumbs.

Chill in fridge for 1-2 hours before eating. Yummmmm.

Pie # 20: Candy Bar Pie

Are you ready for one of the easiest pie recipes? I hope so. I don't know a lot of people who dislike chocolate, candy, or peanut butter. This pie is a simple way to impress your friends and neighbors without spending hours in the kitchen. I found this in Baking Classics. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my camera during the baking process so you'll have to make due with the two pictures I took with my phone. Enjoy! (Printable version)

Crust:
Graham Cracker Crust (duh)

Filling:
5 Snickers candy bars cut into 1/2 pieces
12 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons whipping cream

Place candy bar chunks in pie shell. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, and peanut butter. Pour over candy bars into the pie shell. Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes or until set.

Cool pie completely. Melt chocolate chips with whipping cream in a saucepan. Spread over pie; chill in refrigerator overnight. Yum.

Pie # 7: Peanut Butter Honeycomb Pie

Did anyone reading this blog have any idea that custard pies are difficult to make? Well, they are. I discovered this fact in the middle of making this pie after several swear words and threats of throwing the recipe out the window. I don't plan on making a custard pie or any other recipe out of Bon Appetit for a while. However, the end result was an incredible, creamy, sweet, delicious, peanut-buttery concoction. I don't even like peanut butter that much but this pie was awesome. If you're up to the challenge, this pie is worth all the effort. (Printable version)

Crust:

Use a basic graham cracker crust recipe and add 1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg. (Instead of fresh nutmeg, I lightly sprinkled dried nutmeg into the food processor before I pulsed.)

Honeycomb Candy:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 Tbsp corn syrup

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp baking soda, sifted

Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. 

Combine sugar, corn syrup, honey and 1/4 cup water in heavy, deep saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat to dissolve sugar. Cook without stirring, instead, swirl the pan occasionally and brush the sides of pan with a wet pastry brush. Boil until sugar turns amber-colored. Add baking soda and quickly whisk just to combine. (Mixture will foam up so make sure you whisk at super-speed.) Pour mixture onto baking sheet. Do not spread. Cool until candy hardens (about 20 minutes). Use hands or knife to break up candy into small chunks. 

Unfortunately, I had to make this candy twice because the first time I didn't let it cook long enough and it came out white. It also refused to harden. The second time, I made sure that the sugar was as "amber" as it was going to get before I poured it onto the cookie sheet.

Custard Filling:

8 large egg yolks

12 Tbsp sugar, divided (6 and 6)

1 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (Yes, it seriously calls for a real bean. That should have been my first warning sign.)

3/4 butter, at room temp

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

1/2 tea kosher salt

Mix yolks and 6 Tbsp sugar. Beat on high for about 2 minutes or until ribbons form. Combine milk and remaining 6 Tbsp sugar in a large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add bean. Bring to boil and dissolve sugar. Remove bean.

With mixer running, slowly add hot milk mixture. (Apparently, this part is important because if you add the hot milk too fast, it will cook the egg unevenly and the filling will lack a smooth texture. I added everything really fast because I had no idea that this would ruin everything. After I "destroyed" the filling, I really didn't care anymore because I already had to remake the honeycomb and wasn't about to find another vanilla bean to scrape into another pot of boiling milk. I also didn't want to separate 8 more yolks from the egg whites so I decided to continue with the recipe with the chunky egg filling and take a risk that the flavor would turn out. Sorry for the rant - moving on!) I don't really have pictures of this process because all the f-bombs coming out of my mouth made me forget that I was supposed to be blogging. 

Pour mixture back into pan and bring to boil while whisking constantly. Remove from heat and continue to whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Return custard to (cleaned) mixing bowl. Beat on high for 4 minutes or until custard is cool. (At this point in the recipe, my custard wasn't "custard-like" enough for me so I returned it to the stove and reboiled it, cooking it for a longer period of time. This was also the point at which I decided custard pies were pure evil and the devil himself probably invented each recipe.)

Mix in butter 1 Tbsp at a time. Add peanut butter, powdered sugar and salt. Beat to blend; scrape filling into cooled crust and smooth. Chill in fridge for 2-3 hours.

Topping:

2 oz bittersweet chocolate (don't exceed 61% cacao)

2 1/2 Tbsp butter

Honeycomb Candy

Roasted, salted peanuts (I used honey roasted peanuts for the added honey flavor.)

Stir chocolate and butter together in small saucepan on medium-low heat. Keep stirring until melted and combined. Drizzle some chocolate glaze over chilled pie and smooth into a circle. Top with honeycomb and peanuts. (I really piled it on.) Drizzle more chocolate over the top. Now you are finally done with the world's most difficult pie recipe. Congrats on your achievement! 

I actually brought this pie with me to a bachelorette party and was shocked when it tasted so good. In fact, it was addicting. The filling even had a smooth texture despite my cooked-eggs issue. (Then again, I had been consuming several adult beverages by the time I ate this pie at 2:00 in the morning so it could have been the combination of alcohol and sleep-deprivation that made this pie taste so wonderful.)