Chocolate Brownie Pie

I still have no idea how I ended up with several packages of ready made pie crust in my freezer. Apparently I was going to make a ton of pies. Homemade pie crust is always the best but the ready made ones are a very good and super easy substitute. I have used both brand name and generic and I find that they are both equally good. So, I had pie crust but I was also craving chocolate. I blame that on the red wine. This combo Chocolate Brownie Pie is from the 1955 Gold Medal Jubilee 1880 - 1955 Cookbook.

Looks easy enough. I've had cream pies, fruit pies, and nut pies but not a brownie pie. I'm not certain how the brownie will taste combined with the pie crust.

I had everything on hand except the pecans. Since we are staying in I raided my nut collection in the freezer. Roasted hazelnuts go well with chocolate. Done! Barely had enough dark corn syrup to make it.

Usually I cheat and heat the chocolate in the microwave but I decided to follow the directions. I had enough time and nothing better to do. If you do use the microwave keep a very close eye on it and only heat in 15 second increments, stirring after each one. It is very easy to ruin chocolate...sometimes several times in a row.

 Didn't have a rotary beater so I busted out the hand mixer.

 Yum...hazelnuts and chocolate...

Looks like a pecan pie! I am incredibly bad at pie shells. I cannot make a crimped edge to save my life and they always turn out a little wonky. Or drip all over my oven. This looks like a good start.

My kitchen smells heavenly!! As I thought. My pie shell looks terrible. Fine in one corner, too long in another, somehow one side even shrunk.

 After letting it cool off, the pie deflated a bit. Still smells so good!

The inside looks like a brownie! Sounds silly but I was not expecting it to be cake-like. I thought it would be more like a fudge brownie. What a pleasant surprise!

Oh wow! This was great! Lighter than a brownie and because it is technically a pie, you can add Cool Whip or whip cream to it. And yes, the very first picture has more Cool Whip than pie. So what. The hazelnuts were amazing in it but pecans would probably be wonderful as well. I'll have to try that next time. Dylan's preference would have been pecans. Walnuts would be good also...maybe chocolate chips...

My Rating: Amazing! I'm trying to decide when to make my next one.

Dylan's Rating: (After I stared at his plate) What? There's still half a pie left.

Fudge Bars

I used to actively avoid recipes from advertisements and company promotions and then I tried a few. They were great! I felt like an idiot. Now it's fun to watch people's faces when I tell them that the delicious chicken wings they are munching on came from a paper towel advertisement.
This fun booklet was put out by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture in 1964.

 I really wanted to do something chocolatey today.

Simple ingredients! Lots o' nuts!

It looks sooooo good especially with the icing!

Always, Always! ALWAYS! Read the recipe and ingredients carefully. While making the icing I realized that I did not use the correct amount of chocolate in the bars. I only used half of what I was suppose to. But it still turned out great.

It is best to wait until the icing sets before cutting unless you can't. Despite my mistake, these turned out very good! They don't stay together very well but they are good enough that no one minds eating the crumbs.

My Rating: Keeper!

Friends and Family Rating: "Yum! Not overly sweet. I like that."

Honey Nut Brownies

Honey is becoming more popular in baking once again. I enjoy honey but it is not an ingredient I bake with a lot. This booklet from the 1941 is full of interesting recipes.

 And it as been reviewed by the American Medical Association. Bonus!

 In a book full of honey I had to pick something with chocolate.

The ingredient list is pretty usual except there is more nuts than any other ingredient. I bought some great honey from a local farm stand...so yummy...

 So many walnuts! The batter was so liquid I was afraid this was going to be a complete failure.

 I had to add about 10 more minutes to the baking time but it baked up lovely.

 The finished product looked light and chocolatey! It is more of a cakey brownie with a touch of fudgeyness.

 This recipe was easy and only need minor baking adjustments, which could be my oven. I had my doubts about this one but it turned out great. You must wait until it cools to cut. Or just grab a spoon and dig in. Very light and fluffy. It was mostly walnuts with a light but distinct honey taste.

My Rating: Keep for a rainy day

Friends and Family Rating: "Yum!" "Gooey but not sticky"