Recipes
Charmed Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie
VANILLA WAFER PIECRUST
40 vanilla wafers, crushed
⅓ cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE LAYER
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE LAYER
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
1 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Optional: 1 cup extra whipping cream for top and chocolate sauce for drizzling
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the crust by crushing the wafers in a bowl or using the pulse button on your food processor. Add the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan and bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly brown. Cool completely before filling.
Combine all the ingredients required for the chocolate layer in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir together. When the chocolate is completely melted, stir the mixture until smooth and pour over the cooled crust. (You can reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chocolate mixture for drizzling over the top of the pie.) Cover and freeze for 30 minutes. Place a large bowl and the metal beaters of an electric mixer in the freezer for a few minutes as well. You’ll use these to make your whipped cream.
In the chilled metal bowl, use the electric mixer to beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream into soft peaks. Set aside. In another bowl, mix the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar together. Add ⅓ of the whipped cream to lighten the mixture. Once it is nicely blended, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the peanut butter mousse over the chocolate layer. If desired, whip another cup of heavy cream into soft peaks for the top and drizzle with chocolate sauce.
Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day before serving.
Charmed Blueberry Icebox Box
SHORTBREAD PIECRUST
1 cup salted butter, softened
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING
1 cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¾ teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch salt
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Blend the flour into the butter mixture. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly brown. Cool completely before filling.
In a saucepan, stir together the blueberries, water, sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook until the mixture begins to thicken and the berries begin to burst, approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; stir in the lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, and let cool. When cooled, cover and refrigerate until chilled (1 to 2 hours).
In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the cream and vanilla; beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the blueberry mixture. Spoon the filling into the prepared crust. Lightly cover, and freeze until firm. Garnish with fresh whipped cream, sprigs of mint, or fresh blueberries.
*You can easily substitute other berries for the blueberries in this pie. For example, 1 cup of strawberries with a chocolate cookie crust is a delicious twist on this recipe. A triple berry pie with a graham cracker crust is another winner. Use Ella Mae’s recipe as your base and have fun experimenting!
Charmed Lactose-Free Key Lime Pie
VANILLA WAFER PIECRUST
40 vanilla wafers, crushed
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FILLING
3 egg yolks (keep the whites for the meringue)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1¼ cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup fresh or bottled key lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
MERINGUE TOPPING
3 egg whites (saved from the filling)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
8 tablespoons sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the vanilla wafer crust by crushing the cookies in a bowl or using the pulse button on your food processor. Add the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan, and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before filling.
Reset the oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Separate the eggs, setting the whites aside in a mixing bowl for later. In a medium bowl, beat the yolks.
In a saucepan, add the sugar, vanilla extract, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Over medium heat, gradually add the water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (approximately 5 minutes). Reduce the heat and add the beaten egg yolks. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the butter, lime juice, and lime zest. When the mixture is smooth, remove the pan from the heat.
Beat the egg whites you set aside earlier until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Your mixture should look shiny.
Pour the key lime filling into your vanilla wafer crust and top with meringue. Make sure to spread the meringue all the way to the edges. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to create peaks once the meringue has been spread.
Bake for 5 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. To check, use your oven light. Do not open your oven door. When the desired look is achieved, remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Occasionally, key lime pies can “weep.” If this happens, carefully pour off the excess liquid and put in the freezer for an hour.
*To make this a dairy-free pie, use a butter substitute wherever the recipe calls for butter.
Charmed Tomato Pie with Cheddar Crust
WHITE CHEDDAR PIECRUST
2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into ½-inch cubes (place in the freezer for 15 minutes before use)
6 to 8 tablespoons very cold water
1 cup grated sharp white Cheddar cheese
FILLING
6 to 8 Roma tomatoes, peeled, sliced, salted, and drained
½ cup chopped fresh basil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
8 slices cooked bacon, chopped
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup sour cream
Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal and you have pea-sized pieces of butter. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the mixture begins to clump together. Add the cheese and pulse again until it is worked into the mixture. Put some dough between your fingers. If it holds together, it’s ready. If it falls apart, you need a little more water. You’ll see bits of butter in the dough. This is a good thing, as it will give you a nice, flaky crust.
Mound the dough and place it on a clean surface. Gently shape it into 2 disks of equal size. Do not overknead. Sprinkle a little flour around the disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one disk for at least 1 hour. (Put the other disk in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Or double the filling recipe and make two pies at once.) Remove the first disk from the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or until soft enough to roll. Roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle. (Ella Mae uses a pie mat to help with measurements.) Gently transfer it into a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within ½ inch of the edge of the pie dish.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the crust with a fork or use pie weights. Place the pie dish on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
When the crust is cool, add alternating layers of tomatoes, basil, scallions, and bacon. Set aside 5 or 6 tomatoes and enough basil to garnish the surface of the pie. Top with garlic and oregano. In a small bowl, blend the mozzarella and sour cream. Spread the mixture over the top of the pie. Add the remaining tomatoes and basil. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake another 30 minutes. May be served warm or cold.