Black Bottom Pie

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a punny one from Rosemary Zwick:
 
I tried one of those fad diets. All I got was fadder and fadder.

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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According to James Beard, this pie first appeared around the turn of the
century, but it didn't gain much attention until food writer Duncan
Hines mentioned it in the late 1930s. The pie was a favorite of Marjorie
Kinnan Rawlings, author of "The Yearling," and this is the recipe she
published in her book "Cross Creek Cookery" in 1942.

Black Bottom Pie

Note: This recipe calls for uncooked egg whites. If salmonella
contamination is a concern to you, please do not use this recipe, or
substitute pasteurized, dried egg whites, available in the baking section of most supermarkets.

For the crust:
14 crisp ginger cookies
5 Tbs (75 ml) melted butter

Roll out the cookies fine. Mix with the melted butter. Line a 9-inch (23
cm) pie tin, sides and bottom, with the buttered crumbs, pressing flat
and firm. Bake 10 minutes in a preheated 350F (180C) oven to set.

Basic Filling:
1 3/4 cups (450 ml) milk
1 Tbs (15 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
4 Tbs (60 ml) cold water
1 Tbs (15 ml) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
A pinch of salt

Chocolate Layer:
2 squares melted chocolate
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

Rum-Flavored Layer:
4 egg whites
1/8 tsp (0.5 ml) cream of tartar
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
1 Tbs (15 ml) rum or 1/2 tsp (2 ml) rum flavoring

Topping:
2 Tbs (30 ml) confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
Grated bitter or semi-sweet chocolate for garnish

Soak the gelatin in the cold water. Scald the milk, add 1/2 cup (125 ml)
sugar, mix with the cornstarch, pinch of salt, then beaten egg yolks.
Cook in double boiler, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens
and will coat the back of a spoon. Stir in dissolved gelatin. Divide
custard in half. To one half of the custard add the melted chocolate and
vanilla. Turn while hot into cooled crust, dipping out carefully so as not to disturb crust.

Let the remaining half of the custard cool. Beat the egg whites and
cream of tartar, adding 1/2 cup (125 ml) of sugar slowly. Add the rum or
rum flavoring. Spread carefully over the chocolate layer. Place in ice
box to chill thoroughly. It may even stand overnight. When ready to
serve, whip the cream stiff, adding the confectioner's sugar slowly.
Pour over the top of the pie. Sprinkle with grated bitter or semi-sweet chocolate.
Makes one 9-inch (23 cm) pie to serve 6 to 8.
Received on Thu Feb 19 18:59:41 2009