Happy Thanksgiving! French Silk Pie

I know, I know, I'm a day off.  However, I was too busy celebrating Thanksgiving yesterday, to really sit down and write a post.  So, today, I am taking the opportunity to say what I am thankful for and share with you this amazing French Silk Pie.

I have so much to be thankful for.  I am incredibly thankful for my family, Bri, and Benny.  The amount of love that surrounds me makes me feel grateful and blessed.  Last night, I went to Bri's thanksgiving with his amazing family and then, also my sister's house for thanksgiving with my family.  The fact that we have so many people in our life that are there for us is just amazing.  It was so great to see all the family (plus the food was fantastic!).  This brings me to my next point, I am pretty thankful for food.  I love how food has the power to bring people together and I love making food that can do that.  In addition, I am thankful for my school, the teachers I work with, and my students.  I love everything about my job and I am so happy that I am at this point in my life.  My second year of teaching is going great and makes me so relieved that I am living out the career of my dreams.  And finally, we can't forget about all my crazy, amazing, silly friends that stick by me no matter what.  I love them all.  So yep, I have a ton to be thankful for and I just hope that I can so everyone how special they really are to me.

Last weekend, I went to a "Friendsgiving" and I brought this French Silk Pie.  It was so cool to be part of this evening and see how we can really put together an amazing Thanksgiving dinner.  I had a ton of fun and I hope that this is a new tradition that continues through the years.

French Silk Pie

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp ice water
For the Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 heavy whipping cream
2 tsp powdered sugar
Whipped Cream Frosting:
8 oz light cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups heavy whipping cream
semi-sweet chocolate curls or chips for the topping

Directions:
1. Make the crust.  In a food processor, place flour, sugar and salt.  Process to mix.  Keep processing and add cubes of butter until you have a mixture that resembles wet sand.  Add in the vinegar and 1 tbsp of water at a time until dough forms into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. 
2. Preheat oven to 450.  Once dough is chilled, lightly flour a surface and roll dough out until you have a circle about 12 inches in diameter.  Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan and, place in pie pan and trim edges.  Cover with foil  Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until dough is lightly browned.  Remove and let cool.
3.  Make the filling.  In a small saucepan, combine eggs and sugar.  Cook over low heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and chocolate until chocolate completely melts and is well combined. 
4. In a medium bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in chocolate mixture and beat on high for 5 minutes.  Mixture should be light and fluffy.
5.  In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream with powdered sugar until it forms a stiff peak.  Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.  Pour into pie crust and let chill while you make the topping.
6.  For the whipped cream topping, in a large bowl, beat sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla until well combined.  Slowly pour in the cream while beating and whip until stiff peaks form.  Frost the chilled pie.  If you are using chocolate curls, heat up a chocolate bar in the microwave on 50% power for about 1 minute.  Use a peeler and gently scrape off edges of the chocolate bar to make your chocolate curls.  Place finished pie back in the fridge to chill and set.

Enjoy :)

Oatmeal Cookie Apple Pie

This is my 500th blog post! Can you believe that?  I can't!  I love posting here and although and don't post as frequently as I used to, I still love documenting a little about my life and all the fun food I make!

Last night, I had a great time with some of my teacher buddies.  We ran a 5K and then hung out after for dinner and drinks.  It was so much fun!  Plus, I cam in first in the 5K for my age group!  That was pretty funny and exciting.  We also played Cards Against Humanity which is just hilarious.

In honor of my 500th post and Thanksgiving being right around the corner, I have a yummy recipe for Apple Pie with an Oatmeal Cookie Crust!  I found the recipe on How Sweet It Is and then adapted it a bit to fit what I wanted.  I hope that you enjoy this amazing recipe and (hopefully) another 500 posts to come.

Oatmeal Cookie Apple Pie

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp ice water
Filling:
6 large apples peeled and sliced thin (I used Granny Smith)
2 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
Topping:
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Make the crust: place flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor.  Let pulse and add in the butter until mixture starts to combine.  Add in the vinegar and then the water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture forms into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill.
2. Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the apple cider, brown sugar, butter and vanilla.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 6-7 minutes or until mixture thickens.
3. In a large bowl, toss apple slices with the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Pour the cider mixture over the top and toss to combine.
4. Once dough has chilled, place on a lightly floured surface and roll out until you have a crust that is about 1/4 inch thick.  Place in a lightly greased pie pan.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6.  Place apples in the prepared pie pan.
7.  Make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk the oats, flour, cinnamon and salt.  Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut in the butter until you have a streusel like topping.  Sprinkle the topping over the apples and press down to make sure that it stays in place.
8.  Bake pie for 45-50 minutes.


Enjoy :)

no bourbon- 1 cup apple cider
cinnamon
nutmeg
cloves