Wanda’s Lasting Legacy: Snickers Brownie Pie

“‘This is your Christian day of rest,’ Janya said. ‘You bake pie all week, and tomorrow, even if Wanda’s is closed, you will be there preparing for Tuesday.’

Wanda stared out the narrow rusty window with its view of scrub and one screeching blackbird. ‘Wanda’s Wonderful Pies? That’s work. But creating a new pie in my own kitchen, even this scrawny, good for nothing excuse for a real kitchen? Well, that’s magic, pure and simple. You see the difference?'” (From Sunset Bridge, coming in July 2011)

I have to confess–actually I already did on these pages–that pie has never been my favorite dessert.  But  how can anybody write about pie or get to know Wanda Gray as intimately as I have, and not take home some of her enthusiasm?  I’ve baked more pies in the years I’ve been writing the Happiness Key series than I ever made before.  And no one at home is complaining, including me.

This holiday when faced with choosing a potluck dish for a Christmas party, I chose pie, of course.  And I went right to one of my favorite pie cookbooks to see what would be festive enough.   I first discovered Ken Haedrich’s Pie: 300Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie when I needed a prize to include in my contest to celebrate the arrival of Happiness Key in bookstores.   After reading the reviews, I bought one for my winner’s basket, and one for myself.  I’ve never regretted that impulse.  After all, as Wanda says:

“Any woman who is afraid to be caught eating pie is a woman in need of a brain transplant.” (Sunset Bridge)

After careful study–what fun!–I decided to try Ken’s Snickers Brownie Pie for my upcoming party.  It was decadent and rich enough to serve lots of partygoers, and no surprise, turned out to be one of the hits of the evening.  When I mentioned this on my Facebook page, I got requests for the recipe.   I tracked down the author’s email address and wrote to ask him if I could publish it here.  Ken got right back to me and gave his permission.   I’m sure Wanda would say pie makes friends out of strangers.

“Nothing was easier to talk about than pie. Wanda figured if countries at war could just sit over pie at the negotiation table and talk about recipes before they delved into who invaded what strip of land, then everything would work out just fine for everybody.”(Sunset Bridge)

So, with Ken’s permission and my hearty endorsement of this recipe.  Here’s the recipe.  I’ve made a few changes in Ken’s text to make it easier to understand in this shortened format, plus, for the same reason, I haven’t included the terrific recipes for either his Graham Cracker Crumb crust or for the Warm Mocha Sauce, both which you can find in his book.  Of course you can also substitute similar crusts and chocolate syrups from your grocery store shelf. 

Any possible mistakes are mine, not Ken’s.

Let me just add that this is a great recipe for a gathering of friends, but likely not something you’d whip up for a quiet dinner for two.  It’s meant to be shared among many who will appreciate their small, indulgent slice of chocolately heaven.

Snickers Brownie Pie from Pie: 300 Tried and True Recipes by Ken Haedrich

1 large Graham Cracker crust

Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Two 3.7 ounces Snickers bars, sliced crosswise about 1/2 inch thick 
 

Prepare the brownie layer: Put the butter in the top of a double boiler set over, not in, barely simmering water. (Emilie’s tip:  If you’re using two stacked saucepans instead of a double boiler, crumple aluminum foil in the bottom one so the top one will rest on the foil without spilling.)   As the butter starts to melt, scatter the chocolate on top and leave for 5 minutes, then whisk to smooth.  Remove the insert from the double boiler and set chocolate aside to cool for 15 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the egg, egg yolk, and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix until evenly blended.  Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir until evenly combined.  Scrape the batter into the chilled pie shell, smoothing the top with a spoon.  

Bake on the center rack of the oven for exactly 18 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes.  Arrange the sliced Snickers bars in a single layer over the brownie layer.  Set aside to cool.

Peanut Butter Cream

3/4 cup cold heavy or whipping cream
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
Two 3-ounce packages of full fat cream cheese
 
Using a chilled medium sized bowl and chilled beaters, beat heavy cream with your mixer until it holds soft peaks.  Add the confectioner’s sugar and continue to beat until stiff but not grainy.  Blend in the vanilla and set aside.
 

Combine the peanut butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with the mixer until evenly combined.  Add almost half the whipped cream and blend on low speed.  By hand add the remaining whipped cream and fold in until evenly combined.  Smooth the peanut butter cream evenly over the Snickers slices.  Cover with loosely tented aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Drizzle with Ken’s warm Mocha Sauce or any good quality chocolate syrup.
 
“Did anybody’s grandmothers make cupcakes? No, that’s something a harried mother makes with a mix and takes to her kid’s classroom on his birthday, so little John and Jill Classmate don’t fight over the size of their pieces. But pie? That’s America, that’s our heritage, that’s our grandmother in the kitchen with a checkered apron and a rolling pin!” (Sunset Bridge) 

Many thanks to Ken Haedrich for allowing me to publish this.

6 Comments

  1. Ruthanne on December 13, 2010 at 8:51 am

    How much chocolate in the last layer? Can hardly wait for Sunset Bridge even though the sun will set on my friends there.

    • Emilie Richards on December 13, 2010 at 9:28 am

      If you mean the mocha sauce? For the most part it’s a mixture of coffee, whipped cream and semisweet chocolate chips drizzled over the top, almost more as decoration than anything else, although it’s yummy. Any good chocolate syrup would do the same, although this one is yummy. I’m glad you’re excited about Sunset Bridge. I’ll be sorry to lose my friends there, too.

  2. Ruthanne on December 13, 2010 at 10:07 am

    In the Peanut Butter Cream section – “blend in the chocolate and set aside.” Is that where the vanilla goes in or is there really chocolate in this part? In any case I can hardly wait to try it.

    • Emilie Richards on December 13, 2010 at 10:19 am

      Oh wow, good catch! Thank you. Yes, meant to type vanilla. Did I have chocolate on the brain? Think it’s all fixed now.

  3. Debbie Haupt on December 14, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    Thanks Emilie, I’ll be sure to put this recipe in my collection. And it’s funny because at my office party this year we’re going pot-luck too and my contribution 3 pecan pies, pecans from my yard so it’s close to my heart.
    And I’m (im)patiently waiting for Sunset Bridge with bittersweetness because I’ll sure miss those gals, but who knows maybe they’ll make a cameo appearance somewhere else. 🙂

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours and all the fine commenters here on your blog.

    Deb

    • Emilie Richards on December 14, 2010 at 3:55 pm

      And the same to you, Debbie. Wanda says, enjoy making those pies.

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