August 29th

Yesterday was David's birthday and I really dropped the ball on the whole 'making a home made dessert' front.  It's practically mandatory that if I'm home, and healthy, I bake for people's birthdays, even if baking means, well, not really baking.  Like Samuel's first birthday cake made out of ice cream sandwiches.

David had requested an angel food cake with lemon curd filling.  I was completely up for it, but then all of a sudden I really wasn't anymore.  I realized we needed to go to the grocery store, and I didn't have enough eggs, and blah blah blah.  So I convinced him that what he wanted instead was a cherry chocolate pie that could be whipped together in no time flat.

{Disclaimer: I'm not a *big* fan of prepackaged foods.  You know, the 1950s-era-put-gelatin-in-it type of stuff.  But, I do firmly believe in 1) knowing what you can manage in each season of your life 2) living within your means and 3) not settling for doing nothing at all just because you can't do something exactly the way you want to.  Which are all good reasons for every home cook to have at least a few of these 'throw it together' type recipes in his/her repetoire.  End of disclaimer.}

Okay.  Let's make a pie.  Get yourself some plain chocolate cookies.  You'll need half a box this size to make a 9" pie crust.  I like these ones because they have a dark chocolate taste and aren't too sweet.

That's about the amount you need.

Now crush 'em.  Don't get neurotic about crumb size, all you need is 'roughly' bread crumb sized pieces, but a few larger chunks are fine because they're all going to get mushy in a minute anyway.  Here's where option #1 comes in.  You can use the fat of your choice (butter, unsalted butter, margarine, veg. oil, etc.) depending on your budget and/or inclination.  Heat it up and add enough to make a soft mush, but not, you know, gross.  Just soggy.

Now press it into the bottom of your pie plate.  Some people like to also press up the sides.  I don't, because although I know mathematically it doesn't not decrease the overall volume of filling the plate can hold, it feels like it does.  And I like pie filling.  Now press harder.  You want that as firm as can be.  Ok, now put it in the fridge while we work on the filling.

Alright.  You can see I'm using Je11o here.  Don't feel you have to, a plain gelatin mixed with fruit juice is also fine.  I always though a can of frapped pineapple might be nice.  Make your Je11o, put it in the fridge.  Do not let it *set*.  You want to stir frequently and take it out when it starts to firm up.

Hellllllo whipped cream.  While the pink stuff is doing it's thing in the fridge, get yourself out the whipped cream.  I suppose you could use a non-cream product as well, although I've never tried it.  You want two cups of the finished product, and 250mls gives you just about that.

Seriously, if you're going to eat two cups of whipped cream, at least whip it with a whisk instead of the electric beater.

With the Je11o firmed up a bit, pour that cream into it.

And just stir it all up until it's completely mixed.

Isn't that pretty?  (By the way, if you do this and put the mixture into glasses in the fridge, it will separate into layers of colour and look very nice as children's desserts at family dinners.  Add some chopped fruit for another layer.)

And then just pour the filling into the pie plate on top of that crust and chill in the fridge for a few hours.  Voila.  Pie.  Very pretty.  I had a picture but for some reason it doesn't appear to be on my camera anymore and let me tell you, the pie isn't in the fridge to take another picture.