Guess what? Today is National Pie Day. Why today? I don't have a good answer for that, but when I have given you a perfectly good reason to eat pie, your follow-up question shouldn't be "why", but "why not?" and the only thing you should really be concerned with is how you'll celebrate.
Happily, in Seattle, there's an annual Pie Day Party in the Ballard neighborhood; however, even if you're nowhere near Seattle, you can still enjoy this extremely easy and incredibly delicious recipe for Pudding Pie in a Rice Krispie Treat Crust (which, incidentally, is what I will be bringing to the party). Though I used caramel pudding, you could use any flavor you like (vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, or even pistachio sound good to me) -- either way, the resulting treat, which has a satisfying mix of crunchy, gooey, and creamy textures and flavors, is good to the last bite.
Pudding Pie in a Rice Krispie Treat Crust
Serves about 8
Ingredients
- 1 batch Rice Krispie Treat Batter
- 1 batch instant pudding (3.3 ounce size box)
- optional: mix-ins for your pudding (chocolate chips, caramel sauce, coconut flakes, etc)
Procedure
- Prepare your pie plate by buttering it generously (the slices can be hard to remove if you don't).
- Make Rice Krispie treats as you usually would, in the microwave or on the stovetop; however, instead of pressing the mixture into a square pan as usual, press it into your pie plate, pressing the mixture down on the bottom and up the sides, holding a piece of waxed paper to press so the mixture doesn't stick to your hands. You might not use all of the treat batter; if not, press the remaining mixture into small ramekins or form into Krispie balls to enjoy later.
- Let the crust cool completely.
- Prepare your instant pudding (typically by whisking the pudding and 2 cups cold milk together until it starts to thicken); if desired, add a handful of chocolate chips, a swirl of caramel, or whatever mix-ins you'd like. Spoon the pudding into your pie crust and keep refrigerated until you're ready to serve it. Ideally, let the pie set for about an hour before serving so the pudding can completely thicken.
- Use a very sharp knife to slice, to ensure that you cut through the krispie treat crust; serve using a cake server.