Hershey's Easy Chocolate Lover's Cheesepie

Why is it that most of the posts on this blog are sweet? Maybe because they are easy to make or maybe because I have a sweet tooth. Maybe because I just can't resist the recipes that bring comfort and make you fat. I don't know but I do know that Hershey's hit the nail on the head with this easy and not so fat free dessert.






The main players on the stage!







Start by beating the cream cheese and the sugar until mixed well. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time beating slow and well after each egg. That's pretty much all there is to the filling. MMMMM I love to taste the filling even if it does have raw eggs in it.

















Add the 1 2/3 cups of chocolate chips and stir until they are incorporated pretty evenly.



















Pour it into the pie shell and spread it to the edges. There is alot of filling in this recipe. I actually put a little in a ramekin because it seemed like too much for the pie shell. I just guessed at the cooking time for the ramekin, but I did bake it in the same way as the big pie after the pie came out of the oven.








Remove it from the oven and let cool!












Add the ganache (I actually made a little extra by adding 2 squares of semi sweet baking chocolate and 2 more Tbls. cream so it would be nice and thick on the pie) and spread it to the edges of the pie and if by chance you get in on your fingers (Oh, was that an accident?) just lick it off! I like to almost lick the bowl clean but I use a spatula instead of my fingers!







I just don't think there is anything I don't love about this pie. It's easy, it's pretty and it is just down right deeeeeeeelish! Try it out. I promise it will become one of your favorites too (Just ignore the calories) :)



Easy Chocolate Lover's Cheesepie
Hershey

3 pkgs. (8 oz) cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups Mini Chocolate Chips
2 Tbls. whipping cream
1 extra serving size graham cracker crust (9 oz)

Heat oven to 450*

Beat the cream cheese and the sugar until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the vanilla. Stir in 1 2/3 cups of the chocolate chips. Pour into crust.

Bake for 10 minutes at 450. Without opening the door decrease the temperature to 250* and bake for 30 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Cool completely. Cover. Refrigerated until chilled.

Place remaining 1/3 cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Add the whipping cream. Microwave on high for 20-30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Spread on top of cheesepie. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Cover

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie and Easy Pie Crust

I love chocolate chip cookies and I love pie so when I saw this recipe I thought, "Well, why not" It's good but not necessarily my favorite. Give it try. You can't go wrong with chocolate anytime.





I mixed the recipe like I do when I make cookies. I didn't beat the eggs first and then add everything else. Maybe the texture would be different if I did. This batter is just like a cookie dough and seemed to work fine. I have a habit of not always following the recipe but if you aren't sure of your cooking skills, follow the recipe:)





Spread the cookie dough batter into the pie shell and bake!












Bake until it is golden brown on top.













The finished pie. I didn't add the pecans to the pie because my kids would rather not have nuts. I just sprinkled them over the top for those who wanted them. If I was making the pie for just me, I would definately add the pecans. I liked this recipe but I am not convinced it is one of my favorite pies. There are so many that I would choose over this one so, I will most likely not make it again. You decide for yourself!


Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Recipe from Nestle

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
2 large eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C white granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 C chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark works best, you might find milk too sweet)
1 C chopped pecans (you are welcome to make it without nuts)

Vanilla ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream for serving (a must! I prefer ice cream)
optional: chocolate sauce (honestly, doesn't really need chocolate sauce, but it looks pretty!)

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.



Easy Homemade Pie Crust





My mother was such an amazing pie maker. Her pie crust recipe is very easy, uses basic ingredients and I have never had it not work for me. It is flaky and yummy. Sometimes I just make pie crust with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over it to make a fun little treat. My kids love the left over cinnamon and sugar crusts whenever I make pies. Try this recipe. It really is easy.

Easy Pie Crust

For a single pie

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
1/4 cup cold water

Mis the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until little pebbles like peas. Add the water and mix with a fork. Do not over mix. Roll out on a slightly floured counter top. Bake at 425* for 9-10 minutes or until brown.

Icebox Key Lime Pie

Our Icebox Key Lime turned out like we thought it would. We weren't too worried because Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen try and test their recipes 100 times. It was a pretty easy recipe to follow and the end product was yummy.







The recipe called for 6-8 limes or 40 key limes. We used more than 8 to get our 1 cup of juice. We don't know that we would want to squeeze that many again so we were wondering about using the lemonade pie recipe and substitute limeade instead. It might work. We were a little worried about the pie being bitter because of the lime zest (when we tasted the filling it tasted a little bitter) but as it sat overnight in the crust and with some whipped cream, it tasted much better.





We don't use my food processer very much but this recipe was a breeze at the touch of the finger!




In the end our Icebox Key Lime Pie was a hit. We liked the lime flavor and the texture. We most likely will make it again sometime but for now, on to our next recipe!

Yummy Pie

This week we decided to try a dessert. We love watching America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country on PBS (Since we don't have cable or dish with all those cooking shows). This is a recipe from Cook's Country called Icebox Key Lime Pie. The recipe is actually quite easy. They say to use regular limes-that the pie is just as good and lot less expensive. Have fun with this recipe. We are salivating already.

Icebox Key Lime Pie

Ingredients
CRUST
8 whole graham crackers , broken into smaller pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
FILLING
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
8 ounces cream cheese , softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 cup fresh lime juice from 6 to 8 limes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and sugar in food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter in steady stream while pulsing until crumbs resemble damp sand. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely.
2. For the filling: Process sugar and zest in food processor until sugar turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Add cream cheese and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add condensed milk and pudding mix and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Stir gelatin and 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl. Heat in microwave for 15 seconds; stir until dissolved. With machine running, pour gelatin mixture, remaining lime juice, and vanilla through feed tube and mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.
3. Pour filling into cooled crust, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, let pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.