Recipe Box Project

Pi(e) day is next week, which is a silly American non-holiday invented by maths teachers to promote knowledge of the number pi (get it? Because the date is 03/14?). You can really only celebrate it in the US because literally everywhere else in the world writes dates as day/month/year rather than the US way, but any excuse to make pie is a valid reason to celebrate in my book.

This year I'm bringing you two pie recipes, first this Chocolate-Crust Butterscotch Masterpiece and next week... well, that one will be a surprise. This pie, which requires butterscotch chips, marshmallow crème, chocolate chips and graham cracker crumbs... all America-specific ingredients. So here is where I sourced my substitutes: butterscotch chips sent to me when I begged an American friend to mail me some, marshmallow crème from the foreign section of Waitrose (I bought their entire stock!), chocolate chips from Lupe Pinto's Mexican grocery store and Rich Tea biscuit crumbs.

This pie is really good, but it is so rich. You know how a normal pie is like 8 generous servings or 10-12 tiny ones if it's something richer like cheesecake? If you can slice it thin enough, I think you could easily get 16 slices out of this pie because although delicious, a little goes a long way. I mean, look at the ingredient list: chocolate, butterscotch, marshmallow, cookies and brown sugar? It's sweet. But it's also really delicious, the butterscotch flavour comes through strongly and this is my new favourite chocolate crust that I'm making with all cheesecakes from now on because oh, man, the crust alone is worth making this recipe even if you just fill it with pudding or whipped cream or... eat it plain.

Next time I make it (and there WILL be a next time), I'm going to make it in tiny tart pans, which I think will be perfectly-sized and adorable. Make this for your favourite sweet tooth, or use it to teach a kid what pi is. They'll love it.

The verdict:

Four spoons out of five. I loved it enough to give it five, but I think the sweet overload is going to put some people off so I'm knocking off a spoon as a caution flag.

Click here for previous pies both sweet and savoury!

One year ago: Mocha cake with caramel frosting
two years ago: walnut butter cookies
three years ago: chocolate key lime pie

the recipe:

Chocolate Crust Butterscotch Pie

the directions:
crust:

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in very short bursts in the microwave.
Stir in crumbs and brown sugar and mix well.
Pat into bottom of 9-inch pie pan.
Wait 5 minutes until chocolate has just started to set, then press mixture up the sides of the pie plate (if you try to do so immediately, it won't stay on the sides of the dish).

Filling:

Melt butterscotch chips.
Once completely melted, add salt and stir until smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in marshmallow crème.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes while you whip the cream.
Whip cream until soft peaks form, then fold into cooled butterscotch mixture until smooth.
Pour into prepared crust and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

the ingredients:
the crust:

1 c (170g) unsweetened chocolate
1/3 c (75g) butter
1 c (85g) Rich Tea biscuit crumbs or graham cracker crumbs
¼ c (50g) brown sugar, firmly packed

the filling:

1 c (170g) butterscotch morsels
¼ tsp salt
2 c (160g) marshmallow crème
1 1/8 c (270ml) whipping cream

First of all, how great is that name? It promises so much, I don't know how you could possibly be disappointed by the outcome, right? RIGHT?

We've had a lot of visitors this year, one of whom was kind enough to ask what we wanted from the US before she came, and when I started out by responding '...I know this is weird, but...' still jumped at the chance to bring me Jell-O, all the way from New York City. While flavoured gelatin exists in the UK, it comes pre-gelatinised in a format I can't really figure out, and every time I've tried to make it so far, pretty rough outcomes have emerged. Plus, there appear to be only two flavours: orange and red. So Karrie brought me all the flavours of real Jell-O I could think of to request, and it's been a fun year of experimenting ever since (stay tuned for EVEN WEIRDER Jell-O recipes to come!).

Here's a weird thing, though: while I really wanted to preface this recipe by saying it would be perfect for kids, when I was a kid, I would have hated it. Marshmallows were my least favourite candy as a kid (still not really high up on my love list, if I'm honest), and Jell-O, as far as I was concerned, might as well have been toxic waste. Which is probably why this two ingredient recipe took me a year and a half to get around to before I decided that, truly, I have no shame and today is the best day for Jell-O.

If you're like some of us and can't remember the last time you had Jell-O that didn't include alcohol (sorry, Mom), this might be a bit disappointing for you... or, possibly, a nice relief to realise that not all gelatin-based foodstuffs will have you on the floor before you can say 'SHOTS ALL AROUND!' Seriously, though: this 'recipe' is literally exactly what it sounds like: red Jell-O, layered with marshmallows, in a clear glass so you can really enjoy the layers. I can't say I really recommend making it unless you have a real affinity for gelatin (or are looking for a way to make your hair and nails stronger), but if you're coming down with the same chest cold I've been dealing with for the last week and a half, maybe this is just the thing to soothe your sore throat without packing on too many pre-winter calories. And speaking of calories, I think it's worth noting that the recipe for this dessert includes a notation that you should 'keep... miniature marshmallows handy on your pantry shelf' because they're perfect for salads. Seriously.