Easter Pie-stravaganza Part Three: Chocolate Almond Cookie

Pie number three... AKA the pie that almost never was.

I decided to make yet another pie while I was out walking the trail that runs behind our house last Sunday.  I do my best thinking out in the fresh air, and it also builds an appetite.  We were going to be heading out the door in three hours, should I really be making another pie?  "Yes", my stomach answered loudly!

Because time was an issue, I used the other pie crust recipe in my arsenal, a no-roll pie crust.  I use this quickie mainly when I make quiche, but it is perfect is a super sweet pie such as this one.  I prepped the crust and the filling, popped it in the oven and within minutes SMOKE!  I had used an 8" tin pie plate which was a bit too small for the job and when the filling started to melt down it overflowed.  Like a chocolate chip volcano, buttery lava flowed all over the racks and the bottom of the oven.  Frig.  I threw a baking sheet lined with parchment on the bottom rack (note to self, do this first next time) and about 10 minutes later I had some tasty cookie lava to munch on.  I decided to let the pie finish cooking, but was pretty sure it was a goner.

It looked like a giant cookie when it came out of the oven, not a trace of pastry to be seen.  It smelled delicious however, so it got wrapped in foil and taken for the trip to dinner anyway.  It was still so good, actually it was Hubby's favorite of the three (he is a major Chocoholic).  This pie tastes like a big, chewy chocolate chip cookie and I've made it with almonds, walnuts and pecans with success.  None of them were that pretty mind you, but they were all uber tasty!

Chocolate Almond Cookie Pie

Adapted from Have Fork Will Eat

1 9″ pie crust (I used my no-roll crust, see below)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup ground almonds 

1/2 bag (about 1 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Camino 71% Bittersweet)

1/2 cup cake/pastry flour

1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped or whole

In mixing bowl, beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla with fork until well blended.  Add in ground nuts and flour and mix until well incorporated, but do not overbeat.  Fold in chocolate chips and extra nuts (I first tried putting extra nuts on top, but they just got swallowed by the pie when it baked).  Scrape mixture into unbaked pie shell and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees, or until a nice crust has formed on the top.  Let cool for at for at least 3 hours so it can set up enough.  This pie is great warm or fully cooled, alone or with whipped cream (a caramel drizzle on the plate? OMGood!)

My No-Roll Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups pastry/cake flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar (omit for savory pies)

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 tbsp milk

Mix flour, salt and sugar with fork right in the pie plate.  Make a well in center and add the oil and milk and mix with fork until dry ingredients are all coated, it will look like small marbles.  Press dough by hand up sides and along bottom of plate.  If blind baking to be filled after cooking, prick all over with a fork and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.