Comfort food: Cookie Pie

This is a recipe of my own invention. It came out of that same lunch where I had the Grilled ABC. But again, comfort food to me involves variations on a theme. Perhaps it has something with President Uchtdorff's talk on creation. When I vary the theme, it becomes my own creation, and as a result of that I get both the warm fuzzy from having invented something as well as from getting to eat it. This recipe makes two pies. I see no point in only making just one pie for a number of reasons. First of all, you never make a pie without the intention of sharing it. And when you are sharing a pie, you should always have at least two at your disposal, partly to offer different choices, and partly in order to have enough for everyone. And since this food is designed to be comforting, I actually reccomend using pre-made pie crust from the feezer section at the grocers. I still have not perfected my pie crusts, and they are quite a bit of work. And since I can't do it exactly right, it tends to only cause me more anxiety, which is counter-productive, don't you think? Why dish up more anxiety when a decent and simple solution can be found a few blocks away for $1.79 plus tax? Not to mention the fact that you can then easily leave one pie with the people you shared it with while you take a few pieces home, all in disposable tins that came with the storebought pie crust. No mess, no fuss, no returning pie pans and no dishes once you finish the rest of it for breakfast the next morning!

But I am getting ahead of myself! We haven't even made the pie yet!

Start with the two pie crusts. Spread something delightful in the bottom of them. So far, I have tried Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chips, and Hot Fudge. Next I am going to try crushed oreos or perhaps some jam. I also like combinations of things. Like peanut butter and then chocolate chips or oreos and then marshmallos. (oh man, that sounds great, and I just barely thought of it...mmmmm.) This is your chance for the variations on a theme so have fun with it!

Next you are going to mix up a standard batch of Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough. You know the recipe. It's a couple sticks of butter and 3/4 cup of both kinds of sugar and you are supposed to add extra liquid at high altitudes, so instead of water I always add extra vanilla, and then I started adding extra vanilla at low altitudes as well and it works just as well, so be generous with the vanilla. And here's a little secret for those of you who are actually reading my ramblings: add even a dash or two of cinnamon and people will think you are a genius chef.

Anyways. When you mix up your cookie dough for this pie, add an extra egg to the mix. It will make the cookie dough more spreadable and more cake-like as it bakes. And once it is all baked, it keeps the insides of the pie that mushy texture that makes it so rich.

Do not add chocolate chips to the dough if you have spread them across the bottom of the pie... The chocolate chips in the dough have a natural desire to sink to the bottom, and it will make it difficult to cut through sort of layer if you have too much. Instead, save the chocolate chips for the top of the pie, where they not only look nice, they also give the texture some vareity.

Split the dough between the two pie tins, spread it out, put your chocolate chips on top, and bake at 350 until it all brown and cookie-looking on top. (30 minutes? a little more? I didn't exactly watch the clock.)

I do reccommend serving them warm. Especially if you have gone with the hot fudge option. and nothing quite compliments a warm pie like a scoop of ice cream. You know, when the warm pie makes the ice cream sort of melty and then the ice cream makes the warm pie sort of saggy and they blend together in pools on your plate and you have to eat them with a spoon because they get drippy and gooey...

I have to admit, it's comforting jsut to write about it.