Crack Pie

  

The recipe itself lives up to its name, and everyone should at least try it once!! It is well worth the effort and will be appreciated by all.

 

INGREDIENTS

PIE

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 recipe Oat Cookie

1 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 recipe Crack Pie Filling

confectioners’ sugar for dusting

 

OAT COOKIE

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed

3 tbsp. white sugar, granulated

1 large egg yolk

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. Old-fashioned rolled oats

1/8 tsp. baking powder

pinch baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

 

CRACK PIE FILLING

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 c. white sugar, granulated

3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 c. corn powder

1/4 c. milk powder

3/4 c. heavy cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

8 large egg yolks

 

Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fluffy and pale yellow in color.

Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Incorporate the egg at a lower speed.

Raise the speed to medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes, until all the sugar granules have dissolved completely and the batter is a pale white color.

Mix in the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed. Mix for 60-75 seconds, till the dough comes in tandem and all the dry ingredients are incorporated. In contrast to standard cookie dough, the batter will be somewhat fluffy and fatty. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.

Spray a quarter sheet pan with Pam and line with parchment or a Silpat. Spread the oat cookie dough in the center of the pan with a spatula until it is 1/4′′ thick. It's okay if the dough doesn't cover the entire pan.

Cook for 15 minutes the oat cookie. Allow to cool completely before incorporating into the crack pie recipe.

PIE FILLING: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients for the filling on low speed. Keep your mixer on low speed throughout the filling preparation process; if you mix at a higher speed, you will be adding too much air in the next steps and your pie won't be dense and gooey - the very essence of the crack pie.

Mix in the melted butter until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla extract until the cream's white has completely disappeared. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the egg's yolks to the mixer, paddling them in briefly to combine. Make sure not to aerate the mixture. Utilize the filling right away.

 

Set the oven to 350°F before assembling the pies. In a food processor, combine the oat cookie, brown sugar, and salt and pulse on and off till the cookie has crumbled down into wet sand.

Move the cookie crumbs to a mixing bowl and, using your hands, knead the butter and the ground cookie mixture till it is moist enough to form a ball. If the oat crust mix is too dry, carefully melt an additional 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and knead it into it.

Split the oat crust between two 10-inch pie pans.

Press the oat cookie crust firmly into both 10-inch pie shells with your fingers and palm. Ensure that the bottom and sides of the pie shells are evenly covered. Use the pie shells right away, or wrap them tightly in plastic and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Set both pie shells on a baking sheet. Split the cracked pie filling evenly between the two crusts and cook for 15 minutes at 350°F. Within this time, the crack pie will still be very jiggly, but its top should turn golden brown.

Open the oven door and reduce the baking temperature to 325°F after 15 minutes. This will take 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven; keep the pies in the oven during this time. Close the oven door and bake the pies for 5 minutes after the temperature reaches 325°F.

The pies should still be jiggly in the bull's eye centers after 5 minutes, but not in the outer center circle. If the pies are still jiggly, bake them for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove the baked pies from the oven and place them on a rack to cool to room temperature. If you're in a hurry, you can speed up the cooling process by moving the pies to the fridge or freezer. Freeze your pie for 3 hours or overnight to condense the filling for a dense final product.

Finish with a dusting of confectioners' sugar just before serving.