So last week was a rather busy one! I made two pies, so you've got two descriptions to look forward to coming up! Huzzah!
Anyway, I went home last Friday (the 23rd), stopping first to visit my sister Erin at school. I had a really good time and got to wander around Notre Dame's campus all afternoon, snapping pictures like the dork I am :) I also got to watch the marching band's rehearsals/marches through campus/pep rally, which was super duper awesome! Seriously, I was blown away... it's amazing what happens when the people in the band actually care about being there and are some of the best at what they do. I spent four years of college in a band that wasn't exactly up to that par. We were so tiny that it was often a struggle to find songs that didn't include the instruments we didn't have. 25 of the only kids willing to even attempt band definitely can't begin to compare to 300 kids who had to audition. Well, that's life at a tiny school that few people have ever heard of.
Gotta love Touchdown Jesus
Hilarious. Gotta love when football players speak.
*ahem*
So then I traversed onto the great state of Michigan, and first of all, I have to say just how much I miss the leaves! Illinois is okay, but driving into Michigan was like getting punched repeatedly in the face by the fist of Mother Nature. And I mean that in a good way. B-e-a-utiful! I miss it so so so so much.
I also miss home a LOT. I didn't realize it until I walked in the front door of my parents' house. There's literally no place like it, and it makes me wonder just how long it's going to be until another place gives me a similar feeling. *sigh* I'm being angsty... moving on! It was really great to see everyone and we had a grand time celebrating my sister's bachelorette party! She gets married in three weeks! Also, my dress fits!!! Yippee skippee!!! I can't breathe, sit, or put my arms down, but it FITS!!!
So for my family, I made a "special" pie... the peanut butter chocolate one that served as my "special" pie the last time. Except this time I made a few changes, notably less peanut butter and more chocolate. I still failed on the more crust part, but otherwise it held up a lot better than the last one and was Delicious with a capital D.
So I got back Sunday evening (6 hours in a car is killer, especially when you have no one to talk to, let me tell you), and I wasn't feeling up to baking, so I waited until Monday to make the actual pie of the week... Chocolate Chip Cheesecake!
The recipe was a little different than most cheesecake recipes, as it didn't call for any sugar but used sweetened condensed milk instead. I was also concerned by the amount of cream cheese it called for, which wasn't much, so I had to call my mom for advice. She thought it was weird too, but there wasn't much I could do about it, so I just had to hope for the best!
Oh, before I forget, the recipe came from Kristine, and while she says there's not really a story to it, it's one that she really loves and her mom bakes it for her quite often.
Well, the recipe also calls for a full cup of chocolate chips to be added to the mix before baking, so I did just that (well, minus a few for sampling purposes... I couldn't put tainted chips into the pie!), and when it was done I added another 1/2 cup of chips (melted) to the top as a glaze.
We felt the goopiness on top was artsy
No matter what anyone argues, there is NO such thing as too much chocolate.Holy heaven, Batman! It was super rich, but also super tasty... once again it was a tad thin (I need to double the recipe for my pie plate), but it was the right amounts of creamy and sweet and fab-u-lous. It's one that will definitely be served at other points in the (hopefully near) future, and it made me really excited to start experimenting with other cheesecake add-ins. Who knew that such a vast world of cheesecake flavors existed?! I do now!
So a few blogs ago I mentioned the National Pie Championships/Festival in Florida... 'member? And I mentioned how I really, really, really want to go? Well, I was watching the Food Network the other day and they had last year's pie bake-off championships on!!! Is it safe to say I was thrilled? I think so. They followed four competitors (one was a complete amateur) as they baked multiple pies for a variety of categories. Some of the competitors seemed a bit terrifying (especially Miss I'm-Going-To-Bake-Five-Pies-In-Three-Hours-And-I-Won-Last-Year), and their recipes sounded top-notch, but once they started baking, I've gotta say, I think I could've spanked most of them. Seriously, I was expecting some crazy professional baking techniques and crusts and fillings, but most were basically what I've been doing. One guy even failed at baking his crust (it shrunk and burned in the oven). Not to sound arrogant, but seriously, I think I could do it... in time, of course, I need to tweak a bit, but it definitely wasn't nearly as intense as I thought it would be. 2011 Pie Championships? Count me in!
Alrighty, that's about all I have for you... next post will include Halloween pics!
Hope you had a festive Fright Night!!!
Also, SEND RECIPES!!! I'm running low!!! Something, anything, I don't care... SEND THEM!!!
Oh, and the poll has spoken and according to you, Grandma makes the best pie. I'll think of a new poll to post... any ideas?
Having you come and visit was so much fun!! Hopefully we can do it again.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that chocolate peanut butter pie was to die for. H-O-L-Y C-O-W!!!
Keep it up!!!
I had a good time! We'll have to figure out sometime that another visit would work... post-January, though.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks! I'll work on thinking of ways to safely send you pie :)
Congrats on getting your dress zipped! Keep up the fantastic work on your pies, they look great! I can't wait until Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteGracias, EB! I can't wait until Thanksgiving either... nothing beats a feast of deliciousness :)
ReplyDelete