Four Stack Pie

Here's the first of the pie recipes I promised you.  Maybe one of them will find its way into your Fourth of July celebrations!  Though if not for the 4th, then really just about any day will do.  After all, any day is a good day for pie, right?

Four Stack Pie
Printable Recipe
Adapted (very, very slightly) from Family Circle Magazine
Yield:  12 servings (1 9-inch deep-dish pie)*










Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 large box (5.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
• 3 cups milk
• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' (aka powdered) sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (approx 4 oz) frozen whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip), thawed

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Using your hands or a pastry blender, mix together the flour, butter, pecans, and granulated sugar until well combined and crumbly.  Press into bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep dish* pie plate.  Bake crust for 18 to 20 minutes or until very lightly browned.  Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
2. While crust is cooling, whisk together the chocolate pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate.
3. Beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until completely smooth.  Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cooled crust.  Top with chocolate pudding, then spread the whipped topping over the pudding.  Chill for at least one hour or until set.

*This recipe calls for a deep dish pie plate and it means it.  It yields plenty of filling, so much so that if you don't have a deep dish pie plate (which I didn't the day I made this recipe), you can use two regular pie plates for twice the goodness; the pie(s) won't stand quite as high, but they'll taste just as good!

Happy baking!