this week's bake – toll house chocolate chip pie

I made this week’s bake on a whim. It was one of those rare occasions when I came across a recipe online, and I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand to make it. My only hesitation was that I usually share my bakes with my co-workers, and since I would be working from home because of the virus, there was no one to help me eat it.

This recipe would have been super quick and easy if I had a pre made pie shell, but I didn’t. So, I pulled out my old and trusty pie crust recipe, and got to work on it.

In my opinion, there are several key secrets to making a good pie crust, and a good pie crust should be as tasty as the filling. The first key is sifting the flour with the salt.

The second key is to use ice water when mixing the dough.

And the last secret was taught to me by a dear friend, and that is to always roll out your dough between two pieces of wax paper. The wax paper can be a life saver. If your dough is too dry, the wax paper keeps it from falling apart when transferring it to the pie plate. And if your dough is too moist, it keeps it from sticking.

Once you’ve rolled out the dough to a round that is large enough to fit into the pie plate, remove the top piece of wax paper.

The bottom piece of wax paper gives support to the crust as you lift it, flip it, and maneuver it into the pie plate.

Once the crust is in place, peel off the wax paper, trim the edge, turn it under, and crimp it. Then set the crust aside and prepare the filling.

After beating the eggs until light and foamy, mix in the flour and sugars, and finally the softened butter.

Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, and mix well. Then spoon the batter into the unbaked pie crust.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes and then cool for 30 minutes. It is recommended to serve warm with ice cream. I didn’t have ice cream on hand, but I did have the first piece while still warm.

I personally, found the pie to hold it’s shape better when it was totally cool, and I liked it better then also. The pie didn’t necessarily remind me of a chocolate chip cookie. I found it similar to a pecan pie, only not as rich. It was the perfect mixture of sweetness, chocolate, and crunch.

Since I liked it better the second day, this pie would be a great “make ahead” desert for either a dinner you’re planning or attending. I would definitely make it again, but to save time, I would use a pre made pie crust, making it an easier prep. And if you’re wondering if I ate it all myself. The answer is yes, I did.

The full recipe for the pie filling can be found on the food blog, A Family Feast.