Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, February 19th 2017 edition. By: Blaise Doubman 

A chocolate chip cookie – in pie form!
Blaise Doubman

I love experimenting with different types of chocolate chips cookies and over the years I think I have made just about every kind imaginable! I have made giant chocolate chip cookies with potato chips and candy pieces added and I have made miniature chocolate chip cookies using mini chocolate chips and sprinkled sea salt. Chocolate chip cookies of all shapes, sizes and textures have passed through my kitchen and into the hands, and mouths, of my taste testers. A lot of the creations are not even a cookie, by definition of the term. Some of their favorites? Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake, chocolate chip cookie dough brownies and crumbled chocolate chip cookie pudding. It seems that I have managed to transform my love for chocolate chip cookies into just about everything – including now, a pie!

I happened to think to myself one day, why is there not a pie that is basically a giant chocolate chip cookie? The crust would have to be delicious, thick enough to stand up to a giant cookie filling the inside of it and it would, of course, have to be simple yet taste amazing! I have a pie crust recipe that I always turn to, but for this I wanted something different. Enter my good friend Dorothy Boulanger. She gave me a pie crust recipe that a friend of hers had given her in 1979. This recipe was different because there is no rolling out of the pie dough, no transferring from surface to pie dish, no pre baking necessary and no fat used – cooking oil is called for in the recipe! I was highly skeptical at first but promised her I would give it a try. I am so glad that I did! It is simple, easy, foolproof and delicious! For something different in taste and texture, give this recipe a try! Shoutout and special thanks to my friend Dorothy Boulanger for the fabulous pie crust recipe. I will be adding this recipe into my pie crust recipe rotation schedule.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

This pie crust is amazing! There is no rolling, proofing, pre baking or hassle! This crust recipe is enough for one pie crust. It can easily be doubled to make a double pie crust – one for the bottom of your pie and one for the top. When making the chocolate chip cookie dough filling, feel free to substitute butter for the solid vegetable shortening. Also feel free to add different types of chocolates or stir in your favorite toasted nuts.

For the pie crust…
1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons pure vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cold milk

For the chocolate chip cookie filling…
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
½ cup white granualted sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¾ cup white all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips mixed with 1 tablespoon white all-purpose flour

Lightly grease an 8-inch or 9-inch pie dish with non-stick cooking spray and preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Next, make the pie crust by combining the white all-purpose flour with the salt in a bowl. In a measuring glass, pour in the pure vegetable oil and the milk, but do not stir together. Take the vegetable oil and milk mixture and pour into the combined flour and salt. Stir together lightly with a fork, using a light hand. Once the dough is ready, it will form into a ball and appear to be moist but not sticky in touch. Take the dough and press it into your lightly greased pie dish. Press the dough evenly all over the bottom and up the sides.

To make the chocolate chip cookie dough filling combine the softened unsalted butter with the solid vegetable shortening in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add in the white granulated sugar, light brown sugar and pure vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy in texture and light in color. Add in the 2 large eggs and beat well before adding in the white all-purpose flour.

Finally, gently fold in the flour coated semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Place the chocolate chip cookie dough filling into the unbaked and prepared pie crust. Smooth out the top, being sure that the dough is level inside the pie.

Place in preheated oven for exactly 70 minutes.

Once the pie has baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.

Ask and Answer: My search for the perfect peanut butter pie is something that my social media followers have been asking and wondering about lately. My search came to an end when a local resident shared with me a confidential recipe for one of the areas most famous peanut butter pies. I am not allowed to share the recipe, although I am allowed to share the “special crumb topping” that really makes the pie even more delicious. A combination of peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar, mixed until crumbly will melt in your mouth and top the best pies!