Chocolate Soufflé or Pudding Pie? Peanut Butter Brownie Pudding Pie Recipe

Written by Chris -

Boy do I have a great recipe to share with you, especially right after National Brownie Day! It’s from a winner of our Nestlé employee pie contest, Tracy Lausman. I already highlighted the winning Chocolate Cappuccino Decadent Pie and Liz highlighted the second place No Fail Sweet Potato Pie. Now it’s time to share the third place pie!

This Peanut Butter Brownie Pudding Pie reminded me so much of my favorite chocolate soufflé recipe. It has somewhat of a molten center and the top is slightly crisp (ok, let’s get real, the top is insane! It’s melt-in-your-mouth good!). The crust is made with peanut butter cookies…chocolate chip cookies work great too! 

Peanut Butter Brownie Pudding Pie

Ingredients for 10 to 12 servings:

CRUST

• 1 package (16 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

BROWNIE PUDDING FILLING

• 1 cup (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
• 4 extra large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
• Vanilla bean ice cream or gelato (optional)

Directions:

FOR CRUST:

Bake cookies according to package directions, shown above. Then… these are Tracy’s exact words: “Pour half glass of milk. Dunk 1 peanut butter cookie into milk and eat. Best way to start any baking project.” I already like her!

Place about 15 peanut butter cookies into a food processor and pulse until crumbled. Stop just before consistency of dust. You need 1 1/2 cups of crumbs so pulse cookies or remove some of the crumbs if needed. (Save remaining cookies for another use or for eating later.) Place cookie crumbs into bowl and pour in melted butter. Mix well. Press mixture onto bottom and up side of 10-inch pie plate to form crust.

FOR FILLING:

Preheat oven to 325° F. Melt 1 cup butter; set aside to cool.

Beat eggs and sugar in mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes until very thick and light yellow (as shown above). 

Sift cocoa powder and flour together; set aside. When egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce speed to low and add vanilla seeds and flour mixture, mixing only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter mixture and mix again just until combined.

Pour mixture into crust and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the pie plate, as shown above.

Bake for 1 hour “exactly” – again, these are Tracy’s words and I found her timing to be spot on. The center will appear very under-baked; as she puts it, “this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding”.  The top should look a little like a chocolate soufflé (it will deflate slightly). If you insert a toothpick halfway between the center and the side it should come out a bit wet as shown above. 

Cool for at least 10 minutes, then slice and serve with ice cream or gelato. You might need a spoon for this pie!

I included the pie image above so you can see what it looks like the next day. I cooled it completely, covered it, and then placed in the refrigerated overnight. The pie sets up really well as you can see!  So if you prefer a firmer pie, as hard as it is, let it cool completely. If you do refrigerate it, allow it to come to room temperature or gently warm it before serving.

Thank you Tracy for your delicious recipe!

Links:

• Peanut Butter Brownie Pudding Pie
• Get a Toll House coupon

More pie recipes:

Chocolate Cappuccino Decadent Pie

No-Fail Sweet Potato Pie

Pots of Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cream Pie

 

Written by Jenny -

One of the top recipes from this summer’s pie contest that really peaked my interest (and taste buds too) was Maggie Moran’s Pots of Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cream Pie! Summer seems so long ago now that Thanksgiving is on our minds but I do have to tell you this was a hit in our kitchen. We loved that this cream pie was portioned into individual servings, Maggie’s idea of serving in half-pint canning jars and of course, its taste.

This recipe is a snap to put together. The hardest part of it is waiting for them to chill but we won’t hold it against you if sneak a taste! As your spoon dips in, you will taste the whipped topping, creamy filling, yummy dulce de leche and then the graham cracker crust. Perhaps all of these will end up on your spoon at one time!

We thank you Maggie for your recipe inspiration. We look forward to making it throughout the year.

Pots of Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cream Pie

Ingredients for 10 servings:

CRUST
• 1 sleeve graham crackers, finely crushed (1 1/4 cups)
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING
• 1 can (15 ounces) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk, chilled
• 1 box (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice plus additional for dusting
• 1 tub (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
• 1 can (13.4 ounces) NESTLÉ® LA LECHERA® Dulce de Leche

Directions:

For Crust:

Combine graham crackers and butter in small bowl. Spoon about 2 measuring tablespoons into each of ten half-pint canning jars, custard cups and/or ramekins.

Pat crust down with back or side of measuring spoon.

For Filling:

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, pudding mix and pumpkin pie spice in large mixer bowl; beat for 1 minute or until blended.

Fold in 2 cups of whipped topping.

To Assemble:

Warm dulce de leche in microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 15 to 20 seconds to soften; stir well. Spoon dulce de leche on top of each crust. Spoon in about 1/2 cup pumpkin filling.

Top with a dollop of remaining whipped topping and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice. Keep refrigerated at least 2 hours before serving.

Links:

• Pots of Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cream Pie
• Get a Libby’s Pumpkin or Carnation coupon

Related pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts

 

No-Fail Sweet Potato Pie: Southern Charm on a Plate

 

Written by Liz -

Being from the South/Midwest/Above Texas, the thought of a sweet potato pie with a pecan pie topping really appealed to me. Plus, this one even had “No Fail” in the recipe title (thanks to Rene Garza for this recipe)!

After making the Roasted Banana Cream Pie with Butterscotch Ganache (so good!) in the Nestlé Kitchens during this summer’s pie contest, I was ready for something a little easier…a little slower, with a nice Southern drawl.

Watch the video above to see how easy it is.

No-Fail Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients for 8 servings:

FILLING

• 3/4 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 large or 3 small to medium)
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 can (14 ounces) NESTLÉ LA LECHERA FAT FREE Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell or Homemade Pie Crust

TOPPING

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

FOR FILLING

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Wash and wrap sweet potatoes in foil, as shown above.

BAKE for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on size. Unwrap and rinse potatoes under cold water; remove skin. Break apart in large bowl. INCREASE oven temperature to 425° F.

POUR melted butter in bowl with sweet potatoes. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Blend in sweetened condensed milk, grated orange peel, cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, salt and egg. Pour into unbaked pie shell.

BAKE at 425° F, as shown above, for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce temperature to 350° F.

FOR TOPPING

MIX together egg, corn syrup, sugar, butter and nuts in small bowl; spread over pie.

BAKE for an additional 25 minutes or until set.

Links:

• No-Fail Sweet Potato Pie
• Sweet Smiles this Holiday season with La Lechera

Related Recipes:

Chocolate Cappuccino Decadent Pie – 1st prize

White Chocolate-Mascarpone Key Lime Pie

 

Chocolate Cappuccino Decadent Pie: Employee Pie Contest Winner

Written by Chris -

Soon after we finished selecting, baking and tasting pies from this summer’s pie contest, we decided to start all over again with an employee pie contest. Let me say, we had a ball testing the top recipes in our Nestlé kitchens! Between the two pie contests, I tasted so many pies. Too many pies actually. It’s very difficult to practice moderation with all the tasting that’s required (but someone has to do it, right?). The only thing that got a workout was my stretchy pants – oy! Happy to say, I packed those pants away until we start testing recipes for our next recipe contest.

We truly loved so many of the recipes – and quite honestly, had a hard time picking the winner. This Chocolate Cappuccino Decadent Pie created by Dawn Gilday just edged out a lovely No Fail Sweet Potato Pie that Liz will be sharing on our blog soon.

Perugina Cappuccino Chocolate Bars are used in this recipe and they are absolutely delicious. But here’s a little tip: in a pinch, 2 cups (12-ounce package) of Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels plus 1 stick pack of Taster’s Choice House Blend 100% Pure Instant Coffee can be used in its place.

Give yourself a little time with this recipe. I have found it’s best to make it the day before you are planning to serve it. Whip the cream and garnish just before serving.

Chocolate Cappuccino Decadent Pie

Ingredients needed for 10-12 servings:

CRUST

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, chilled in freezer
• 5 to 8 tablespoons ice-cold water
• Parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Pie weights, dry beans or rice

FILLING

• 5 (3.5 ounces each) PERUGINA Cappuccino Chocolate Candy Bars
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ CARNATION Evaporated Milk
• 1/4 cup cornstarch 
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING

• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

For Crust:

Combine flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until it resembles small peas.  Add water 1 tablespoon at a time around the edge of bowl, mixing with a fork in between until dough holds together.  Form dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Roll dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to form a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Carefully transfer dough to 10-inch deep-dish pie plate.  Fold extra pastry under around sides to build up edge.

Flute edge (above) by using the forefinger of one hand and pinching the dough next to it between your forefinger and thumb of the other hand. Continue around pie.

Line pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill at least two-thirds full with pie weights, dry beans or rice as shown above. Bake with weights for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; cool for a few minutes and carefully remove pie weights and parchment paper. Poke small holes in the bottom of the pie crust with a fork.

Bake (without the weights) for an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden (above).  Cool on wire rack. 

For Filling:

Break off 6 squares to use as garnish and set aside. Break the remaining chocolate bars into pieces.

Melt broken chocolate bars and butter in a double boiler over medium-low heat.  If you don’t have a double boiler, add an inch or two of water to a medium saucepan and place a medium bowl over the top, like shown above. Continue stirring until melted (this should take 6 to 10 minutes). 

Whisk evaporated milk and cornstarch together in medium bowl; beat in eggs. Stir into melted chocolate mixture along with vanilla extract (shown above).

Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture has thickened (consistency should be that of very thick syrup, shown above). Remove from heat and cool for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

FOR TOPPING:

Pour cream into a well-chilled bowl and add powdered sugar. Beat until soft peaks form. Spoon over chocolate filling, making peaks with a spoon. With a vegetable peeler, shave reserved chocolate bar over pie; sprinkle with almonds.

Enjoy with a spoon. I hope you love this pie as much as we did! 

Links:

• Chocolate Cappuccino Decadent Pie
• Get a Toll House or Carnation coupon

Related Recipes:

Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream Pie – 1st place

Roasted Banana Cream Pie with Butterscotch Ganache

Announcing the Winner of our Pie Recipe Contest: Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream Pie

Written by Chris

Thank you to all of you who entered our Nestlé Kitchens “There’s Always Room for Pie” recipe contest! We had a ton of fun reading through all the recipes and a good several days of testing and evaluating. We tasted some really exceptional pies! With no further ado, here are our winners… drum roll please….

1st place goes to Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream Pie by Milisa Armstrong! We started with this pie above…

and ended with this…which says a lot considering we had so many pies to taste!

This was the pie most judges kept coming back for and of course, it rated the highest among all pies we judged. Ice cream pies consistently perform well in competitions, perhaps because it brings us back to our childhood. Milisa really nailed it in all judging categories (recipe creativity, use of product, visual appeal & ease of preparation).

Her recipe was highly creative with the flavors she chose (dulce de leche and coffee, a tasty coffeehouse combo!). We loved the delicious layers throughout – crumbly, creamy, chewy and crunchy, all in one bite. She made great use of three Nestlé products (Dreyer’s/Edy’s Grand Ice Cream, Nestlé La Lechera Dulce de Leche and Nestlé Toll House morsels).

The crust is made with graham crackers and almonds. This is topped with softened coffee ice cream, a handful of chocolate morsels, a layer of warm dulce de leche, some whipped topping and a sprinkling of more chocolate morsels and toasted, sliced almonds. It’s a snap to put together (check out the video below) and it is outright beautiful! All of the judges thank you Milisa, we are so happy you entered our pie contest!

Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients for 10 servings:

CRUST

• 9 graham crackers
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING

• 1 container (1.5 quarts) DREYER’S or EDY’S Grand Coffee Ice Cream, softened
• 1/2 cup NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Dulce de Leche
• 1 tub (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, chopped, divided
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

FOR CRUST:
PREHEAT oven to 325° F.

ADD graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until crackers resemble fine crumbs. Add crumbs to bowl along with chopped almonds, sugar and butter; stir to combine. Press into bottom and up sides of 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

BAKE for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

FOR FILLING:
SPREAD ice cream into cooled pie crust, smoothing out over bottom of crust. Sprinkle with half of the chopped morsels.

HEAT dulce de leche in microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for a few seconds to soften; stir. Pour over chocolate morsels, spreading as evenly as you can.

SPOON whipped topping over dulce de leche, covering entire surface of pie. Sprinkle with remaining chopped morsels and sliced almonds.

FREEZE for 30 minutes. Remove pie from freezer and cover with foil. Place back in freezer for at least 4 hours or until pie has set. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before you are ready to serve. Store any leftovers covered in freezer.

2nd place: Roasted Banana Cream Pie above by Lorie Roach (photo curtesy of Lorie)

This banana cream pie is outstanding! Lorie really knows her way around the kitchen. It scored very high marks for creativity, use of product and visual appeal. Lorie made great use of two Nestlé products, Nestlé Toll House morsels and Nestlé Carnation evaporated milk.

The crust is made with crushed vanilla wafers, then topped with a layer of homemade butterscotch ganache. This is topped with a roasted banana custard that is made with evaporated milk. After this sets, it’s topped with a sweetened whipped cream and additional butterscotch ganache. This pie was a little time consuming to put together, but for special ocasions, this pie is absolutely perfect and worth the effort! We kept the leftovers in our fridge for a day or two and all of us, especially me, kept coming back for a spoonful. Yes, it’s that good! Perhaps a little dangerous.

3rd place: White Chocolate-Mascarpone Key Lime Pie above by Lisa Speer

This is another pie the judges kept coming back for – simply refreshing and not too filling. Lisa used two Nestlé products in her pie, Nestlé Toll House morsels and Nestlé Carnation sweetened condensed milk.

We really liked her creative use of ingredients – the filling is a mixture of melted white morsels, sweetened condensed milk, mascarpone cheese, lime juice and lime zest. This is poured into a delicious, crumbly baked graham cracker crust. The pie itself is not baked, so it is very simple to put together making it perfect for effortless entertaining.

Lisa recommends garnishing this pie with a dollop of whipped cream, slices of lime and toasted coconut. It’s a gorgeous pie, isn’t it? Here’s a little tip – after it has firmed up in the refrigerator, freeze it for an hour or so before serving. Each piece slices beautifully this way. It’s also really good completely frozen. Yes, I sampled it this way too!

We had a lot of top pies – so many that we will be highlighting those in future posts. Here’s our top 10 roundup:

1. Caramel Machiatto Ice Cream Pie by Milisa Armstrong
2. Roasted Banana Cream Pie with Butterscotch Ganache by Lorie Roach
3. White Chocolate-Mascarpone Key Lime Pie by Lisa Speer
4. Summertime Pots of Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cream Pie by Maggie Moran
5. Farmhouse Berry Pie by Melissa Binig
6. Chocolate Banana Pie with Coconut Pecan Crust by Heather Connell
7. Frozen Peach Mascarpone Pie with a Salted Pecan Crust by Debbie Huber
8. Caramel Chip Cannoli Pie by Brandi Evans
9. Oatmeal Scotchy Caramel Mousse Pie by Barbara Mayo
10. Frosty Turtle Temptation by Natalie Klein

Thank you again!

Links:

• Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream Pie
• Roasted Banana Cream Pie
• White Chocolate-Mascarpone Key Lime Pie

Five Delicious Ways to Eat Ice Cream

Written by Liz

Ice cream is my favorite summertime dessert, and lately I’ve been trying many different ways of making it. Here I give you five delicious ways to eat ice cream from our kitchens. Have National Ice Cream Day!

1. Mini Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches with Fresh Mint Ice Cream

Vanilla ice cream blended with fresh mint and sandwiched between two chocolate mini brownie bites shown above…who can resist?

Ingredients for 20 sandwiches:

• 1 package (16 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Mini Brownie Bites Bar Dough, prepared according to package directions
• 1 1/4 cups Vanilla DREYER’S or EDY’S SLOW CHURNED Light Ice Cream, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Directions:

STIR together ice cream and mint in large bowl; freeze for 1 hour or until almost firm.

TO ASSEMBLE: Sandwich 1 tablespoon prepared ice cream between 2 brownie bites; serve immediately.

NOTE: If ice cream is frozen for longer than 1 hour, let soften slightly before assembling sandwiches. Prepared sandwiches can be wrapped tightly and stored frozen for up to one week.

2. Ice Cream Cookie Cup Delights

These ice cream cookie cup delights are the perfect combination of ice cream and cookies, sure to satisy any dessert craving. A chocolate chip cookie cup, covered with rich fudge sauce and nuts, is filled with your choice of ice cream and decorated with Toppers. This is one dessert that is sure to impress!

3. Backyard Fun Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Science never tasted so good. An outdoor experiment kids will love, this homemade ice cream shown above is sure to be a summertime favorite.

4. Ultimate Ice Cream Sandwiches

With large, soft, chewy cookie sides, each full of delicious premium toppings ranging from macadamia nuts to peanut butter cups, this fun-to-eat treat is the “ultimate” indulgence for kids and adults alike. It’s perfect for enjoying summer fun in the sun.

5. Tamarillo & Fruit Ice Creams

The marriage of succulent tropical fruit with creamy ice cream is a dessert match made in heaven! Whether you choose tamarillo, passion fruit, mango, coconut, or Andean blackberries to flavor your ice cream, you will be delighted with the results, shown above. If you are not familiar with tamarillo (or tree tomato), be sure to try it in this recipe. As a native fruit, it makes a truly authentic Bolivian dessert. And its sweet-tart flavor is especially refreshing. You can find a wide variety of frozen fruit pulps, including tamarillo, at Latin American grocery stores.

Related ice cream recipes:

Black Bottom Mocha Ice Cream Pie

Ice Cream & Candy Bar Pie