Chapter Five: Pie Management

Thursday is Groundhog Day. On February 2nd some men donning top hats and tails will pull a woodland creature out of a stump in Pennsylvania so we can divine whether we will start to enjoy the rebirth of spring or if winter will stay its icy grip on our lives for six more weeks.

That's a lot of pressure for a little guy yanked out of hibernation a month early.

Since we're on the topic of stressful situations, my pie a week endeavor has started turning more into work rather than the fun activity I had hoped. Pies require a lot more than I expected with far more steps than I usually have in my baking forays.



Mix, chill, form, chill, bake, cool, fill, bake, cool completely. Then (finally) enjoy the fruits (or chocolate, or meats) of your labor.

I'm terrible at pre-planning. The fact that I can probably tell you what pie is coming up next is a near miracle but I can't seem to manage to get myself to the store and gather ingredients beforehand. (Family meal planning? Food prep? Laughable.) I had anticipated having weekends for baking before posting the tales on this blog on Monday. Now it feels like I end up waiting until I have just enough time to get it done. My time management skills are not up to task either.

This weekend, for example, I started the pie after getting back from the store. Well, no. Because my youngest was napping I had to wait until after nap time. Then I started. And when it was safely in the oven, I laid out the plan... after it comes out, we (yes, as a family) go to the gym (because, seriously, a pie a week could take its toll if unchecked) then the pie would be cooled for finishing. The only problem was there would only be an hour of childcare left at the gym on this schedule.

We ended up getting it all done, but not without some rushing and grumbles. And like the meme says, no one regrets working out. Not really.  However,  I didn't get to finish the pie to the satisfaction of my mind's eye. I had planned on decorating it with a little marzipan groundhog, but the almond paste was frozen and there was no more time.

I would like to say this realization of time management will help with my workflow in the future, but I already know I'm staring down the barrel at at least five things I have to do today.

And now, it's nap time.

In the hopes for a new spring in my management and a timely spring season, I focused this week on a Mississippi Mud Pie, envisioning my children slapping around in muddy puddles that I've heard April will bring, provided Phil fails to wipe the sand from his eyes and the skies are sufficiently cloudy.

Mississippi Mud Pie

Crust:

9 chocolate graham crackers (1 sleeve)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons espresso (I made mine with instant espresso powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Topping:

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the crust preheat the oven to 375º F. Pulse the graham crackers and pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter and process until evenly moist. Set aside some of the chocolate crumb mixture for topping. Press the rest into the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch pie plate. Bake until set, about 10 minutes; transfer to a rack and let cool.

To make the filling, melt the butter and chocolate over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour and salt until smooth. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, coffee liqueur and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until smooth and evenly combined. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake about 30 minutes until set (it will look like a brownie). Cool about two hours, or until your workout is done.

Whip the cream with the remaining ingredients and top the pie. Sprinkle the remaining crumble on top and enjoy!

What I learned from this pie:

The flavors seemed a little muted for my taste, but husband thoroughly enjoyed it. I would add 1/3 cup sugar to the crust next time because the chocolate crackers were a bit too bitter. The eggs weren't properly combined, so there were a few "ew" moments when I tasted egg in my chocolate. Using a beater instead of just a spoon would have helped that. I would probably also increase the baking time to 40 minutes because the filling, although holding its shape admirably, was a little too loose for my liking. This is much more of a delicate pie than I was expecting.