Cookie dough cream pie

I had a delicious chocolate chip cookie dough cream pie at a restaurant years ago and have been looking for a recipe since. I may have found it. Raw cookie dough inside a brown sugar pudding that tastes somewhat like cookie dough itself. Ignore your diet, folks.

Notes: This makes a deep dish pie! I doubled the recipe to make 2 pies for a church event. I used pre-made Oreo crusts for a shortcut. There was enough filling for 3.
Baking the egg-less cookie dough makes a pretty little garnish, but the cookies themselves were overly crisp and buttery for me. Next time I think I'll skip that step and use regular cookies or Famous Amos.

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (7 oz)
• 6 tablespoons butter

Press into pie pan, bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Dough:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick butter
• 3/8 cup brown sugar
• 3/8 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars, ass milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and mix into soft dough. Make 8 small balls (about 1/2 teaspoon) and bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes. Press rest of raw dough into pie crust.

Pudding:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, flour and salt, whisk in 1 cup milk. Heat to boiling on medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue for two minutes, until custard is thick. Remove from heat. In separate bowl, whisk remaining milk into egg yolks. Whisk a dollop of the hot custard into the egg/milk mixture, then whisk into warm custard. Heat to boiling again for one minute, whisking constantly. Remove from hear and whisk in butter and vanilla. Pour over cookie dough and chill several hours or overnight.

Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream to soft peak stage, add rest of ingredients and beat to stiff peaks. Spread over pie. Reserve eight dollops to pipe around circumference; garnish with mini-cookie.

Creamy Key Lime Pie

It's turning out to be Pie Month in the Kitchen. I made this for a dinner we're hosting tomorrow night.

• Graham cracker crust (homemade or purchased)
  
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  
• 3 eggs yolks (save white for meringue, if desired)
  
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/3 cup key lime juice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
  

Meringue: (optional)

3 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon corn starch

1/3 cup sugar

Beat cream cheese with electric mixture until fluffy. Over double boiler, cook egg yolks, milk and lime juice for 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gradually beat into cream cheese, until smooth. No need for further cooking if you are skipping meringue; just chill overnight. If you want meringue, beat egg whites until foamy, add starch and cream of tartar, then gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Top pie, swirl, then bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until browned. Chill pie several hours or overnight.

Key Lime Pie

• 1 ready-made graham cracker crust
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate eggs, save 3 whites for meringue. Beat egg yolks into sweetened condensed milk, add lime juice and mix thoroughly. Beat one egg white until stiff, fold into milk mixture. Pour into pie crust. Beat remaining egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy; add corn starch. Gradually add sugar to egg whites while beating, until stiff peaks form. Top pie with meringue; bake for 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

Chicken Pot Pie

An easy, make-ahead, all-in-one supper. I use ready-made crusts.

• 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken (I poach a couple of boneless chicken breasts, then saute with the onions and garlic, but any will do.)
  
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 2 cups green peas
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• double pastry pie crust, deep dish

Cook peas and carrots until tender. Melt butter in skillet, saute onions and garlic until tender. Stir corn starch into milk until smooth, cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat, mix in thyme, salt and pepper In mixing bowl, combine chicken, peas, carrots, onions and milk mixture. Pour into pie crust, top with other crust and seal. Cut four slits in top crust. Bake on cokie sheet for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

Easy Deep-Dish Apple Pie

My 11-year old likes to make this on her own.

• 6 cups peeled and sliced apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 double-recipe pie crust
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Toss apple slices gently with lemon juice. Mix sugars, flour and spices, add to apples. Pour into pie-pan lined with bottom crust, top with the remaining crust, seal edges and cut four slits in top crust. Cover edge of top crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes more. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.