CRACK PIE

Crack Pie is one of the many popular desserts from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. I’ve heard a lot about it, but haven’t ever thought about making it until I found this recipe while learning a little more about a blog I follow: i am a food blog. Her previous food blog was a venture called momofukufor2, in which she tried all the recipes in the Momofuku cook book, and this pie was included. As the name suggests, this pie is quite addictive with its oatmeal cookie crust and butterscotch type filling, and you’ll find yourself eating it straight from the pan after a while instead of cutting it into neat, little slices. A whole pie in NY is normally $44, but this recipe gives you two! A pretty good deal, I would say, and more to share… Or not. 

I baked my pies at 325 degrees for way longer than 10 minutes, probably 20 to 25 minutes, as mine was still oozing and looked like liquid at the 10 minute mark. It will be different for each oven, so keep a close eye on it and take it out when you think it has been in long enough and starts settling. Also, if it looks like your pies are bubbling in weird globs, don’t worry, that’s normal. I was a little concerned with how they looked when baking, but they turned out fine. Just in case, I would bake these pies on a cookie sheet to catch any over flow.

Crack Pie

From Momofukufor2

Makes 2 pies (I used 9-inch cake pans)

Oatmeal Cookie for Crust

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup softened butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

Scant 1 cup rolled oats

Crust

Crumbled cookie for crust

¼ cup butter

1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling

1 ½ cups sugar

¾ cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon milk powder

1 cup butter, melted

¾ cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

2 prepared crusts

Powdered sugar to garnish

To make oatmeal cookie for crust: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until fully combined. Stir in the oats. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

To make crust: Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

To make filling/assemble: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. Serve cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.