Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Chock Full of Crazy & Another Pie

Dear Reader,

I am plum-crazy these days, and no that's not a pun for once!!  I'm actually getting ready to move myself to another country for work and I leave tomorrow... so why am I blogging tonight? Well, whether I'm hopping over to another country or to another world, I would never miss a chance to bake for You Want Pies With That blog.

This month's theme, chosen by the very talented and wise Food Librarian is to bake a literary pie, and let me tell you, I am stoked for this theme!  I love reading; books have been my constant companion for years and until this day, I consider the better worn covers on my shelves to be some of my best friends.  The written word has the capability to take you away to a world you never imagined, or a world you want to join, or a world you dare not join...  A literary work can inspire and infuriate, lift up your soul or make you re-evaluate your self-worth.

The main dilemma I faced in this challenge is how do you choose just one book when you love so many?  Let me tell you, I went through about 30 books with 30 good ideas, however, I have a tragic taste in literature and found my pies to be depressing in inspiration.  I finally settled on a modern favorite by a notable commentator:  Breakfast of Champions written by Kurt Vonnegut.  I went through an intense Vonnegut period where I read everything he ever wrote; I was obsessed.  The main character in Breakfast is much in the same- completely obsessed with a writer, so much so that the consumption causes some interesting results (I don't want to ruin the novel.)  To do justice to the novel as a pie, I wanted to take the irony and disconnect present in most Vonnegut novels and literally become inspired by a breakfast treat (the Wheaties slogan is more of a commentary on product placement and corporate infiltration and less an actual meal.)  And since our protagonist is obsessed, I decided to "stuff" said breakfast treat so it would be consumed with itself.  This is perhaps far too symbolic but it was also far too delicious for its own good ;)


Stuffed French Toast Pie
Inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions





Step One:  French Toast Pie Crust

Ingredients:

8 oz gluten-free stuffing cubes, frozen (I like Whole Foods brand)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbs milk (I use lactose skim milk)
2 tbs light brown sugar
1 tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of cinnamon
maple syrup (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine all above ingredients.
Pat the cubes together into a pie plate until it forms a crust.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Cool before filling.
*Optional- brush crust with lite maple syrup

Step Two: Stuffed Filling

Ingredients:

1 box of cheesecake mousse prepared (I like using Nestle's European Sugar Free, you will need milk)
1/4 cup of mascarpone cheese
2 tbs sugar
1 pint of blueberries or fruit of choice
whipped cream

Directions:

Prepare mousse as directed (combine 2 pouches with 1 1/2 cups cold milk)
Beat in mascarpone cheese.
Add sugar.
Fold half of the fruit into the filling.
Pour into completed pie shell and chill for 1 hour (if you don't use a deep dish pie plate, you will have leftover filling, yum!)
Top with berries rolled in sugar and whipped cream after chilling.  
Return to chill or serve immediately!

Note:  gluten-free breads do not keep for long unfrozen, so prepare when you can serve the pie out as soon as possible.  




This is probably the most successful/creative gluten-free pie crust solution I've come up with thus far and I really enjoyed making and eating it.  Thanks for such a great theme Mary!

6 comments:

  1. I've never read Breakfast of Champions, but I love that we had this challenge... it's given me a lot of new books to read! I love french toast, this pie would be great for a birthday breakfast treat!

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  2. I haven't read that either, although I do remember reading some of his other books. I will have to keep an eye out for it.
    I love all the thought that you put into this! Looks delish!

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  3. Wow, what an interesting pie. Sounds good too!

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  4. You crack me up! You need to start reading Breaking Dawn immediately, it is SO good!

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  5. This is amazing! What a perfect pie and interesting tie in...haven't read the book but it is on my never ending list of must reads. Thank you so much for playing along with my theme this month! - mary the food librarian

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