The vandal is gone. The vandal is gone. The vandal is gone.
If I was one of those chipper people (ahem, April) who went around singing, I would have been belting out those lyrics to the tune of N’Sync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye,” though I’d never admit to actually knowing the song much less having it on my iPod. And I’d certainly never admit to knowing the dance from the video and performing it in my bedroom with April one summer night.
But I digress.
The vandal has been caught. By April – and me, sort of – no less. Can you believe she took him down with a rolling pin? It’s a good thing I like baby pies, or pie-lettes as I like to call them.
And speaking of pie-lettes, I probably should have made those the special today rather than the Lemon Dream Cake in honor of the capture. We could have done “Life’s a Bowl of Cherries” pie-lettes … or “Smashing (Banana) Success” or “Cloud 9 Meringue.”
Yes, Cloud 9 Meringue.
And because Cloud 9 means happy and happy means chocolate for me, what do you guys think of a chocolate crust, banana filling and meringue? You wouldn’t actually need a rolling pin but it is pie and it’s a little closer to celebrating April’s triumph than cake. Right? Right!
Cloud 9 Meringue Pie
For the crust:
3/4 stick of butter (6 tablespoons)
2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (can use chocolate wafers, chocolate graham crackers or Oreos)
1/4 cup sugar
For the pie:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
1 small ripe banana
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
For the crust, melt the butter in the microwave. To make the crumbs, place cookies in a food processor and pulse until you have pieces about the size of a pea. Combine the melted butter, sugar and cookie crumbs. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes.
After removing crust from the oven, turn up to 350 degrees. For the filling, in a medium saucepan, stir together the 1/2 cup sugar and flour. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Gradually stir about half of hot mixture into 3 egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in margarine or butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Keep warm. In small mixing bowl beat egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and cream of tartar on high speed of electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Slice banana into crust. Pour filling over banana. Spread meringue over warm filling, carefully sealing to edges of crust. Bake on baking sheet for 15 minutes or until brown. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set. Store in refrigerator.
– Adapted from SeriousEats.com and ReadyCrust.com
