Mini Oreo Pies for Pi Day

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Pi Day comes once every year on March 14, but this year will have a special day that comes only once per century. This Saturday will be March 14, 2015, which means it’s going to be pi, 3.1415, to four decimal places! Most people won’t live long enough to experience two 3.1415 days in their lifetime, so that’s why we should all commemorate this particular Pi Day…with none other than pies. If you celebrate the right way this year with yummy pies, you’ll always remember at least 4 decimal places. By the way, I’m proud to say that I can recite pi really far. Let’s see…. there’s apple, cherry, pecan, banana, chocolate cream, etc.

Click here for the ‘Mini Oreo Pies Recipe’

Okay, I’ll stop being irrational. (heh) Pies aren’t just those desserts you eat on Thanksgiving with a can of whipped cream. Pies can also be bite-sized and Oreo-filled! Oreo-lovers, let’s reunite and make a Pi Day Pie. We’ll enjoy milk’s favorite cookie on mathematicians’ favorite day of the year century. My recipe for mini Oreo pies are filled with a light cookies ‘n cream pudding and topped with an appropriate chocolate pi. Trust me, nobody can resist Pi Day desserts. Eat some, and I’ll have you saying this in no time: I ate some pie

Here’s what you need:

1

20 Oreos, melted butter, 1 (4.2 ounce) package cookies ‘n cream pudding mix, cold whole milk, whipped topping (or homemade whipped cream), and chocolate chips.

2

In a blender or a food processor, add the 20 Oreos. Blend and process until you get fine crumbs and no unruly chunks of Oreos remain.

3

Feel the crumbs to make sure it’s a fine powder. This looks good. Now add the melted butter and blend until combined.

4

The melted butter allows the cookie crumbs to hold a shape. Now grease a mini muffin pan –we’re making pie crust shells.

5

Grease the pan, I said! Do as I say, not as I did above. In a buttered or well-oiled pan, add several teaspoons of the Oreo crumb mix and shape the crust into a little pie shell, with a sturdy bottom and sides all around.

6

Pack ’em in tightly like that. Stick this tray in the fridge for about 30 minutes until the crust firms up.

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Meanwhile, let’s melt some chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, nuke some chocolate chips for 20 seconds. This is about 1/3 cup or so.

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Remove from the microwave and stir. It’s important to melt chocolate in intervals, or else it’ll be a disaster. Stir and return to the microwave for 15 seconds.

11

Do the same again. Stir and return to microwave now for 5-10 seconds.

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It’s melting nice and slowly, which is exactly what we want. Microwave for another 5 seconds, if needed.

13

Bingo! That’s what it should look like. This is beautifully melted chocolate, done correctly in the microwave. You might have a few tiny chips that need a little more melting, but just stir and they will eventually melt.

14

Fill a little zip lock bag with the melted chocolate and squeeze it to one corner. Cut off a tiny bit of the bag’s corner to create a piping bag. The smaller you cut the piping hole, the easier it’ll be to work with. Line a little baking sheet with parchment paper, too. Without parchment paper, you’ll never be able to remove your chocolate garnishes.

15

We’re piping pis! It’s simple. Pipe one straight line for the top and add two lines to make the “legs” of pi. Make sure the right leg has a little tail going up.

16

Stick that in the fridge for about 15 minutes. They’ll harden and be the nerdiest chocolate decorations you’ve ever made.

17

Time for the jello pudding. Grab that packet of cookies ‘n cream pudding mix.

18

Add 2 cups of cold, cold whole milk. Don’t you dare use reduced fat milk. It just isn’t right, I tell you.

19

Whisk that together and you’ll have pudding in about 2 minutes. The pudding mix will seem watery at first, but trust me. Once the gelatin does its magic, it’s amazing how pudding thickens before your eyes.

20

As if cookies ‘n cream pudding wasn’t good enough, let’s add some whipped topping. Grab that Cool Whip. If you feel like whipping up some fresh cream, go ahead and use that instead.

21

Whisk that together and you have THE perfect pi pie filling.

7

Okay, it’s been about 30 minutes. Grab those Oreo pie crusts. I’ll admit it: sometimes they’re difficult to loosen up if you don’t properly grease your pan. Get a thin knife and loosen the crust if you can. If not….

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Flip the pan upside down on a tray or a large cutting board. Hold the mini muffin pan in place and give it a strong TAP on the counter. The crusts will most likely pop out perfectly.

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Like that.

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Let’s fill ’em up with puddin’.

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A big ole spoonful should suffice.

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Grab the chocolate pi decorations and plop one on each mini pie.

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Be a boss and eat some pie on Pi Day.

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Mini Oreo Pie Recipe for Pi Day

Total time: 45 minutes
Prep: 45 min
Cook: 0 min
Yield: about 15 mini pies
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
20 Oreo cookies
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted + more for greasing pan
1 package (4.2 ounces) Jell-O Cookies ‘n Cream Instant Pudding mix
2 cups cold whole milk
½ cup whipped topping (e.g., Cool Whip)
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
In a food processor or blender, grind Oreo cookies to a fine powder. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Transfer cookie crumb mixture to a large bowl. Grease a mini muffin pan with melted butter or vegetable oil. Spoon a few teaspoons of cookie crumb mix in each cavity. Using your fingers, press crumb mix into a compact pie shell with a base and sides. Continue until crumb mix is all used up. Transfer pie crusts into fridge for 30 minutes until the crusts harden.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips on high for 20 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir chips evenly around with spoon. Microwave for another 10 seconds, remove, and stir. Repeat process for several more 5-second intervals, with consistent stirring, until all of chips have melted. Transfer melted chocolate to a small zip lock bag and squeeze all chocolate to one corner of bag. Using sharp scissors, cut a tiny corner off to create a piping bag. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, pipe small “pi symbol” garnishes. Transfer tray to fridge and allow chocolate to harden for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pudding mix with cold whole milk. Whisk until pudding thickens, about 2 minutes. Add whipped topping, and mix until combined.

Remove pie crusts from fridge and loosen each one with a butter knife gently on the sides. If possible, lift crust out with your fingers, being careful not to crack the shells. If this doesn’t work, flip the muffin pan upside down on a large flat tray or a cutting board. Hold the muffin pan in place and give it a strong tap on the counter to force the shells out of the pan.

Place pie crusts on a large serving tray. Scoop a large spoonful of pudding mix into the crusts. Top each pie with a chocolate pi garnish. Serve immediately or store in fridge for 2 hours before serving.

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