Of Life and Custard Pies

Hey. I'm back. Just like I said I would be. See, I can keep my promises after all! (Except that time when I was 13 and I promised my Dad i'd finish all my math homework by the end of the week... Yeah, sorry about that, Dad.)

I'm not gonna lie, I've been hesitant to write anything for awhile now. Half because I have too much to say, and half because I don't know how to say it, so let's just start from the beginning and work our way to this point...I've been makin' changes lately in my life. Moving away from the place I called home, out in the middle of nowhere with no family or friends to speak of (sans one person, who has kept me sane for the past month and a half). Working a part-time job at a bookstore that makes me sign papers that I won't blog about them on the internet. Yes, I'm serious.

Lately i've been feeling like a person who is at the beach for the first time. You see the ocean and it looks so beautiful. Everyone around you is splashing about, having a great time in the water... totally disregarding the oncoming wave from behind thats going to swallow them up whole. Instead of running away and never coming back in the water, they just let the waves hit them, take them under, and then trust that the water will allow them to come back up for air. So you think... Hey, that'll happen to me! And there you go, running into the beautiful ocean, having a great time, getting hit with a few waves and surviving each one. Your confidence builds. Your heart races. You feel confident. You don't think anything will happen.

Then a big, big wave hits... And you think you're prepared. So you dive right in and let it take you away... Until you release you're caught in a tide. You can't get to the surface. It's pulling you away from the others. You need help, but all you can do is splash around, freak out, try to yell, and pray that the tide lets you go. You swim, swim, swim away, as fast as you can... and then, if you're lucky, you pull your head up over the water, gasp for air, and swim back to shore. With your eyes burning from salt water, and congestion in your lungs, you cough up nervous laughter. Half because you can't believe you're okay, and half because you don't want anyone to see how scared you were.


The new life I've started off into the world is much like that. I'm finally getting a taste of some real waves, instead of just standing at shore, watching other people take the risk of falling into the tide. Life outside of the four walls I was living is scary, and not as green as I thought. Working 10 hour shifts with little break and little time to myself is not very glamorous. Getting on your feet and finding out that you have 32 cents to feed yourself for a week is not fun. Thinking of all the things you have to pay for, all the things you want to do but can't. Realizing how limited your limitless freedom is... It's all very daunting. And when the only person you know that can hold you up is the least person you get to see every day... well, that's where things get really lonely. And then it all just seems like you're working just for the sake of surviving and not for the sake of living.

But amongst all those bad things, are the good things that make the bad things worth going through.


Case in point.

There are always upsides to badsides, and nothing in life comes free. Except love. But even that, we have to work for. To retain trust, friendships, etc. And while we almost never see the results, or the big picture right away, if we keep going... it will pay off, in the end. As long as you do what you love, keep close to those who you care about like family and friends, and keep your eyes to the sky and your hands on the plow --- you'll be okay. Maybe not now, or tomorrow, or the next day... but one day, you'll be alright. We all have to learn. Some, harder than others. As for me, this whole new experience has opened my eyes in a lot of ways. For that, I am grateful.
And I am not without blessing in it all.

I do miss my family. Especially my mom. And up till a couple of weeks ago, I had missed baking as well. Thankfully, that one special person that I got around to help me out did me a huge favor and bought me a hand mixer. Something I had been completely without. That very same day, he went out and bought me ingredients to bake... And I've been doing much better ever since.



As a thank you, I made him this. It's a custard pie. Literally. Custard pie. It's his favorite dessert ever, one that he hadn't had since he was a kid. Apparently they stopped selling it at the store and he hasn't found one ever since. Sure, there's LEMON custard pie... but this stuff? This stuff is pure eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk. Dumped in a pie crust that I didn't bake from scratch (because pie crusts scare the heebiejeebies out of me). A sprinkle of nutmeg and some cornstarch and you've got yourself a velvetty smooth, mouth pleasing, subtly decadent custard pie that is way too easy to consume five servings in one sitting. It is not overly sweet on the taste buds and gives you just the right amount of flavor so that you're not just tasting eggs and sugar (because seriously, who wants to eat eggs and sugar? Um, no sir.)

I was pretty paranoid about how this would come out since I had never made a CUSTARD pie before... and I haven't had too good of a history with making custards or anything that has to do with hot milk and eggs. But as I stood there in the kitchen, waiting for him to take his first bite after a very terrorizing warning that if it was bad, he would tell me straight up, my dreams remained in tact as after the first bite all he could say was "Oh my God" for literally 5 minutes straight. Amazing what nostalgia can do for a person. What better way to thank someone? :)

Custard Pie

INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups milk (fat free is fine but not recommended)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (if you're not a fan of nutmeg and can smell it a mile away like some people i know, you can just replace it with cinnamon or leave it out entirely)

1 deep dish 9in. pre-baked pie crust.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 345F. Pour milk and heavy cream into a medium sauce pan over medium heat on your stove stop. Let the milk scald until it is barely steaming, about 6 minutes.
2. While that's going, in a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg.
3. When milk is steaming (DO NOT BOIL), add it in a slow, steady stream to your egg mixture, whisking constantly (if you have a handmixer with a whisk attachment, take it out!). Once you have poured all the milk into the egg mixture, pour the ENTIRE mixture BACK into the sauce pan. DO NOT STOP WHISKING UNLESS YOU WANT SCRAMBLED EGGS.
4. Continue to whisk until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Take the sauce pan off the heat and pour it into a prepared pie crust, then stick it in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle is still a bit jiggly and the top of the pie looks toasted (don't worry if it rises while baking, it will flatten out in the fridge).
6. Transfer pie to the refrigerator for it to set or eat warm with a big spoon and never share t with anyone ever again. For the pie to be the right temperature, it's best to leave it in there for 5 hours or overnight.

Serves anywhere between 8 and 16 people.

Pumpkin. Cheesecake. Pie. Hold my hand.

Let me ask you a question, dear reader.

What do you do when you have half an opened can of pumpkin puree in your fridge and a smidgen of left over cream cheese from mini-cheesecakes past accompanying it?

This.

This is what you do.

You go crazy and in a frenzy of inspiration and seasonal delusions you make this.

Pumpkin. Cheesecake. Pie.

This isn't just your Mama's pumpkin pie, let me tell you. This baby is chock full of a ton of ingredients that will have your tummy going "Uhm, yes" and your dietician going, "Uhm, share." Yeah, it's that good.

Oh, and by the way -- did I mention it has a sugared almond/ginger crust? No? Well. It does. And don't even think you can get out of this easy by using some store-bought graham cracker crust. Oh no. This pie crust and filling were meant to be, and it's so incredibly easy to

make... Best part about it? Totally easy to make Gluten-Free. Bonus points? I think so.

Really though, this pie is pretty awesome. I got the original recipe from allrecipes double layer pumpkin pie. Admittedly, I've never had pumpkin pie. Ever. But i'm sure i'd like it either way. This was really good though. Perfect balance of sweetness in contrast to the natural flavor of the pumpkin. And the almondy/ginger crust just brought out the best in the cinnamon and nutmeg in the pumpkin itself. You'd think for the amount of sugar this pie has packed in, it would be too sweet. But it's not at all.

So if you happen to have some left-over pumpkin puree sitting in your fridge -- totally make this. If you don't have any cream cheese... go get some. If you don't have any almonds... Well. Okay. If you absolutelyhavetouseapremadecrust... It may be a little time consuming but it's worth it people, really.

Did I mention it's a pumpkin cheesecake pie?

I can't get over this.

Now, I have one more question for you, my lovely reader:

Want a slice?

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie w/Almond Ginger Crust

(Original recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

Pie Crust Ingredients:

roughly 1 cup of finely chopped almonds

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

5 tablespoons salted butter, divided

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat flour (optional, can sub almond meal for gluten-free crust)

Pie Filling Ingredients:

2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. First, we'll make the pie crust. It's incredibly easy. Take a medium skillet and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in it over low-medium heat. When butter is melted, add almonds, ginger, and sugar. Toss together to coat and let simmer over medium heat, tossing around occasionally to make sure the almonds and ginger are toasted evenly.

2. As soon as they start getting nicely toasted (watch for burning) and fragrant, let them simmer for a minute or two longer before taking them off the skillet and letting them cool on a kitchen towel or a few paper towels piled on top of each other.

3. While almonds are cooling down, melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe container. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.

4. Wait until both the almond/ginger mixture and melted butter is cooled completely before proceeding. This is because we are making a crust, not almond butter, and if the almonds are still warm, they will not give a crusty texture.

5. With a food processor or hand blender, grind the almond/ginger mixture until it gets a mealy texture. Then, dump into a separate bowl. Add the melted butter, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour (or almond meal). Mix together until you have a crumbly crust-like texture. Don't worry if you have left overs -- I did. And if your crust is a little warm, that's okay. Just as long as it still has a mealy feel to it.

6. Press your crust into a 9 in. pie pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool on counter while you make your pie filling.

7. To make your pie filling, lower your oven to 325F. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time, being careful not to over mix. Reserve 1 cup of this batter and pour evenly into your COOLED pie crust. Set aside.

8. Add your pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

9. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until center is almost set (it should be a little bit jiggly in the middle). Allow to cool, and then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with a cookie leaf or whip cream if desired.

Peanut Butter Ice-Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust

I have done it.

I have finally made the pie.

I know what you must be thinking right now.

1. Why are there pretzels on the pie?

2. Why are you making a FROZEN pie in October?

3. What do you mean by "The" pie?

4. Is it some secret formulated pie that will end world hunger?

5. Will you be giving me this hunger-ending pie recipe anytime soon?

6. Why am I even reading this list?

7. Seriously. What the heck. Pretzels.

While this isn't the pie that will end world hunger, or really any special kind of pie; it is, in a way, special to me. You see, my mother isn't a dessert person. She has a savory tooth. She's more of a double cheese omelet with bacon bits and mushrooms kind of person for breakfast. The kind of chick that likes to sit down in a big leather chair with a white fuzzy robe on watching reality t.v. while munching on BBQ chips and cream cheese. She does not, needless to say, have much of a desire for anything sweet.

Except today.

I went out on a mission to find a dessert my mom would love. Even though she isn't a sweet person, I knew there had to be something I could make that she would literally love. Sure, she's eaten my sweets before. Cookies, apple pie, etc... but nothing she's gone back to second helpings for. Well, whatdya know. The day has finally come.

With peanut butter pie and pretzels.

The peanut butter pie is nothing special. You got peanut butter, cream cheese, sugar, butter, and whipped cream which is folded in. Then you got the mystery ingredient: pretzels. A crust made with crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and butter. The contrast in sweet/salty is amazing. Almost too good.

I got the idea when my mom told me about a year ago that one of her favorite things is pretzels dipped in peanut butter. I thought this was the weirdest thing ever (and showed so by saying "ewewewewewewewewewewewewEW" for an hour) until I actually tried it. And then I realized that yes: Pretzels and Peanut Butter. They were meant to be. They were bffl. They were soul mates.

They were in a pie.

And all was good in the world.

So don't be skeptical. Try it out. It's easy to make. Just make sure to freeze it, not refrigerate, and don't leave it out on the counter for too long... Even though it tastes just as good half-melted. :P

Peanut Butter Ice-Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust

PRETZEL CRUST INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoon butter, softened*

1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar*

1-1/4 cups finely crushed pretzels *

PIE INGREDIENTS:

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup milk

3/4 of a 16oz package of frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 pre-baked pretzel crust

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make Pretzel Crust, preheat your oven to 350.

2. Combine butter, brown sugar, and pretzels together in a bowl. Press the mixture in a 9in. pie dish and bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow pie crust to cool.

3. To make the pie, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Using a spatula, fold in whipped topping. (To fold in whipped topping,add the whipped topping and, using your spatula, cut through the middle of the batter, while spinning the bowl around, fold the whipped cream up and over the batter. Do this withall whipped topping until you cannot see any remaining whipped topping.)

4. Spoon into Pretzel Crust. Cover loosely and stick in freezer for up to 1 hour or until firm.

*Additionally, you can garnish like I did above with any left over pretzel crust you may have. Make sure not to overdo it though.