Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium saucepan. Add yolks, then
immediately but gradually whisk in both milks. Drop in vanilla bean. Cook
over medium heat, stirring frequently at first, then constantly as mixture
starts to thicken and begins to simmer, 8 – 10 mins. Once mixture simmers,
continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Remove pan from
heat; whisk in butter and brandy. Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds and
whisk them back into filling.

Pour filling into shallow pan (another pie pan works well). Put plastic
wrap directly over filling surface to prevent skin from forming; cool until
warm, about 30 mins. Pour warm filling into pie shell and, once again,
place sheet of plastic wrap directly over filling surface. Refrigerate pie
until completely chilled, at least 3 hours.

Whip cream to soft peaks. Add sugar and vanilla, continue to whip to barely
stiff peaks. Spread over filling and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE CREAM: Follow above recipe, adding 2 T. unsweetened cocoa to
cornstarch mixture and stirring in 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet
chocolate with butter. Substitute 1 t. vanilla extract for vanilla bean.

COCONUT CREAM: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to
300. Scatter 1-1/4 C. sweetened flake coconut in 9″ square pan. Bake,
stirring occasionally, until evenly golden brown, 20 – 25 mins. Cool to
room temperature. Follow recipe above, stirring 1 C. of the coconut into
filling once butter has melted. Continue with recipe, sprinkling remaining
coconut over whipped cream topping.

BANANA CREAM: The safest and best place for the banana slices is sandwiched
between two layers of filling. If sliced over the pie shell, the bananas
moisten the crust; if sliced over the filling top or mashed and folded into
the filling, then turn brown faster. Follow recipe above, spooning half the
warm filling into baked shell. Peel 2 medium bananas and slice them over
filling. Top with remaining filling. Continue with recipe.

ORIGINATOR Cook’s Illustrated SUBMITTER Grace Wagner wgmm@citynet.net
DATE 9/2/97

In large bowl beat together first 1/2 c shortening and 1 c sugar on high
until fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk. Stir together flour, cocoa and
salt, set aside. Dissolve baking soda in hot water; cool slightly. Add
flour mixture alternately with soda mixture and buttermilk to creamed sugar
mixture. Beat till well mixed. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons 2 inches
apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for
10-15 min.

TOPPING
4 oz Semisweet chocolate
2 tb Butter
2 tb Salad oil
1/8 ts Pure vanilla extract
Crushed peanuts (opt)
White chocolate shavings
Dark chocolate shavings

For the crust, crush the wafers and pat the crumbs into a greased 9″
pie pan, pressing evenly ont the bottom and sides.

For the filling, whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly mix in the
sugar, peanut butter, and melted butted. Whip the cream and vanilla
until firm. Blend 1/3 cup of the whipped cream into the peanut butter
mixture. Fold this mixture into the remaining whipped cream until
totally blended. Fill the pie shell, smooth the top, and chill in the
freezer for at least 20 minutes.

For the topping, combine all but the optional ingredients and melt
them in the top of a double boiler until the chocolate melts. Cool
slightly. Spread the mixture on the cooled peanut butter pie,
starting from the center and working out. Chill or freeze until ready
to serve.

If desired, decorate the top with crushed peanuts and white and dark
chocolate shavings before serving.

CREMA F
1 1/2 c Whipping cream
3 tb Sour cream

Make the Crema Fresca ahead of time: mix cream and sour cream together.
Cover and let stand at room temp. until thickened, 8 hours or overnight.
Chill until ready to use.
Char the chili peppers over a gas flame until blackened on all sides.
Wrap them in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam. Peel and
core the chilies. Remove seeds, rinse and pat dry.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously butter a 9″ pie pan (preferably
porcelain or stoneware with 2″ sides). Open up chili peppers and arrange
around sides of pan skin side down, point toward center of pan, extending
about 1/2″ above rim. Cover bottom of pan with chilies.
Finely grate cheese with onion and garlic in a processor using on/off
pulses, about 30 seconds. Add eggs and salt. Process until smooth,
stopping to scrape down the sides, about 15 seconds. Mix in the Crema
Fresca (the Mexican equivalent of creme fraiche). Pour this filling over
the chilies. Curl the edges of the chilies over the filling.
Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out
clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cover chili edges with foil to prevent burning,
if necessary. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve hot or at room
temperature. Serves 6 main course servings.

1. Prepare Cookie Crust.

2. Heat oven to 350′F. Lightly grease 9 inch pie plate and small
baking sheet. Between 2 sheets of floured waxed paper, roll out
cookie crust to 12-inch round. Remove top sheet of paper and invert
crust into greased pie plate. Remove remaining sheet of waxed paper.
Trim crust edge even with rim of pie plate; reserve scraps. ams;
Reroll scraps to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out as many stars as
possible (see Note). Place half of stars on baking sheet. With water,
moisten rim of crust; press remaining stars randomly onto rim of
crust. With fork, pierce bottom and all around side of crust to
prevent shrinkage. Line crust with aluminum foil and fill with
uncooked dried beans or pie weights.

3. Bake cookie crust 15 minutes; remove foil with beans and bake 8 to
10 minutes longer or until edge of crust darkens slightly. Bake stars
on baking sheet 5 minutes or until edges darken slightly. Cool crust
in pan on wire rack; remove stars from baking pan to wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, prepare chocolate filling: In small bowl, with wire
whisk, beat half and-half, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt
until smooth. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and chocolate to boiling
over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Slowly add cornstarch
mixture and return to boiling, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to
low and cook 1 minute more until thickened. Remove from heat and stir
in 2 t vanilla.

5. Immediately spoon chocolate filling into pie shell. Refrigerate at
least 4 hours. Meanwhile, prepare Chocolate Curls.

6. Just before serving, in small bowl with electric mixer on medium
speed, beat heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and remaining 1 t
vanilla until soft peaks form.

7. Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with large star tip;
pipe 3 evenly spaced concentric circles on top of pie and a 1-inch
dot in center. Gently score top of pie into quarters. Arrange
Chocolate Curls on top of whipped cream on 2 opposite quarters,
hiding the scored lines. Place reserved stars on top of remaining 2
quarters of pie. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to
serve.

Cookie Crust: In small bowl, combine 1 1/4 C unsifted all purpose
flour and 1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder. In large bowl, with
electric mixer on medium speed, beat 1/2 C (1 stick) butter,
softened, 1/2 C sugar, and 1/4 t salt until combined. Add 1 large egg
and 1/2 t vanilla extract; beat on high speed until smooth and well
blended. Reduce speed to very low. Add flour mixture; beat on very
low speed until manageable dough forms.

Chocolate Curls: Soften one 6-oz bar semisweet or bittersweet
chocolate in warm place (80′ to 85′F) for several hours or microwave
on high (100%) power 10 seconds. To form curls, hold softened
chocolate in one hand; using sharp vegetable peeler, dig blade into
edge or side of chocolate and bring peeler toward you; chocolate
should come off in curls. If chocolate is too cold it will splinter;
if it is too warm, it will not curl. Place curls on oiled plate and
refrigerate.

Note: Use 1/4-inch star cookie cutter or cut pattern for 3/4-inch
star from clean cardboard. If cardboard pattern is used, place
floured pattern directly on dough and cut around pattern with sharp
knife.

1 c sugar
1/2 stick butter — melted
2 TB flour
3 eggs — beaten
1 ts vanilla
1 c buttermilk
1 c coconut — grated
1 9 inch pie crust — fluted &
: unbaked

Mix all the ingredients together. Pour into pie crust and bake in a
preheated 300 degree oven for one hour. Cool before serving.

PIEROGI DOUGH
1 lg Egg
1/2 c Milk
1 1/2 tb Sour cream
1/2 c Water
2 1/4 c All-purpose flour, or more
-as needed

-PIEROGI FILLING-
1 1/2 lb Parsnips, peeled
2 Shallots, peeled
1 ts Unsalted butter
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & freshly ground pepper
2 ts Freshly grated or prepared
-horseradish
4 oz Farmer cheese or goat cheese

SAUTEED APPLES
2 ts Unsalted butter
2 Apples, peeled if desired,
-cored, and thinly sliced
3 ts Sugar

1. To make red-cabbage slaw, whisk together vinegar, sugar, and
caraway seeds in a medium bowl. Toss in cabbage. Season with salt and
pepper. Let marinate for at least i hour, or up to overnight.

2. To make pierogi dough, whisk together egg, milk, sour cream, and
water. Stir in flour a little at a time until dough comes together.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and
elastic, up to 10 minutes. Incorporate more flour if dough is too
sticky. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour.

3. To make filling, place parsnips in a medium saucepan and cover with
cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, 20 to 25
minutes. Drain and put through a food mill to puree.

4. In a small saute pan, cook shallots in butter until soft, 1 to 2
minutes. Stir into puree and add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly then mix in horseradish and
cheese.

5. On a lightly floured board, roll out dough to 1/8 inch. Cut out
circles using a 3/4-inch-round cutter. Set circles aside on a floured
tray. Place a round T of filling on each circle. Lightly wet edges,
fold over, and seal by pinching.

6. To make sauteed apples, heat a medium saute pan over medium-high
heat. Melt butter, add apple slices, and toss to coat. Add sugar and
toss again to coat evenly. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes.

7. When ready to serve, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add
pierogies and boil for 5 minutes after they float to the surface;
drain. Pierogies can be eaten right away or browned in a small amount
of butter. Serve with red-cabbage slaw and sauteed apples.

COCONUT CREAM VARIATION
1 c Coconut
Whipped cream
Toasted coconut

-BANANA CREAM VARIATION-
4 Bananas; sliced
Whipped cream

-CHOCOLATE CREAM VARIATION-
1/2 c Chocolate chips OR shaved
-semi-sweet chocolate bar
Whipped cream
Chocolate curls

Place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Mix well. Place over
medium heat and stir constantly until thickened.

Coconut: Add coconut to pastry cream. Pour into a pre-baked 8″ pie shell
and refrigerate until cool. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with
toasted coconut.

Banana: Slice 4 bananas into pastry cream. Pour into a prebaked pie shell
and refrigerate until cool. Top with whipped cream.

Chocolate Cream: While pastry cream is still hot, stir in chocolate until
smooth. Pour into baked pie shell and refrigerate. Top with whipped cream
and chocolate curls.

Yield: 6 servings.

This restaurant is owned by Candi Bachtell.

FILLING
3 c XXXXX sugar
1 ts Vanilla
3 Egg whites
1/4 c Lard

Mix all till smooth.

drop on greased baking sheet about a large serving spoon full at a time.
Bake each full for 8-10 min. Remove to rack and let cool.

Filling: whip till all is smooth.