German Chocolate Pie- Oh my!

When I lived near a Marie Calendar's restaurant, my favorite dessert was German Chocolate Pie at Marie Calendar's.  I can remember going there shortly after Kristen was born with my mother, who had come to help after the birth, with my beautiful, new baby girl in tow.  I don't remember what I ordered for lunch, but I sure remember how delicious that German chocolate pie tasted.  I have looked from time to time, but have never been able to find a recipe.  So, based on my heavenly memories, I made up a recipe, using, as a base, the banana cream pie recipe on here.  I, of course, substituted chocolate pudding for vanilla, and substituted the other ingredients for the bananas. I think it tastes very much like Marie's- as best as I can remember. 

German Chocolate Pie        Makes 2 pies
 1 small (3.4 oz) box instant chocolate pudding

1 cup cold water

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2 pie crusts (oreo, graham cracker, or baked pastry shells)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2- 1 cup miniature chocolate chips

1 cup or so of coconut

1 cup or so  nuts

In a medium bowl, mix together the pudding mix, cold water, and sweetened condensed milk.  Mix well and put in fridge.

In another bowl, whip 1 cup cream until soft peaks form. Fold it into the pudding.  Fold in most of the coconut and nuts and some of the chocolate chips.  Put the mixture in the fridge.  Sprinkle some chocolate chips into the bottom of two pie shells (I prefer a baked pastry shell, but the others are good too.) Microwave for just a few seconds to slightly melt the chocolate.  Divide the pudding mixture between the two pies.  

Whip the other cup of cream with 1/3 cup powdered sugar.  Top the pies with the whipped cream.  If using store-bought crusts, replace the plastic dome and store the pies in the fridge.

*Because my husband prefers plain chocolate pie, I make one plain chocolate pie and one German chocolate.   I put half of the pudding mixture in a pie shell for him, and then mix in (just half of the above amounts) of the coconut, nuts, and chocolate chips for the German chocolate one.  I think this might be my favorite kind of pie.

Schaumtorte

Spring! Spring means strawberries. Strawberries mean dessert. This is a yummy, lowfat dessert (well relatively lowfat as desserts go) that includes those wonderful strawberries. You can also make it in the summer with fresh peaches. It seems most cultures have a version of this meringue dessert. This is the German version. There used to be a rester . . .restara . . .resterau . .. place to eat here in town that served German food. This was the only dessert on the menu. People came from miles around to eat there and enjoy the Weinerschnitzel, Spaetzle, and Schaumtorte. Unfortunately, they are no longer in business, but the Schaumtorte lives on!

1 cup egg whites (6-8 eggs- doesn't have to be exact)(Save the yolks. You can mix them with 1/2 tsp. salt, put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them for later use. A great way to use them is in Egg Yolk Cookies- recipe follows)

1 tsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Combine the above ingredients and Beat at high speed until very, very stiff. Leave the mixer on and very slowly add the 2 cups sugar. Butter or spray well two glass or ceramic pie pans (not metal) Be sure to spray the sides and lip, too. Divide the mixture betwee the two pans. Bake at 300 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 and bake for 30 minutes more. Then turn off the oven and DO NOT open it. Just leave the tortes in there for about three more hours without disturbing.

Remove from oven. Very carefully remove the top peak from each torte. Fill with fresh, sweetened whipped cream ( 1 pint cream beaten with 2 T. sugar and 1 tsp vanilla) and fresh strawberries or peaches mixed with sugar. Top with the piece of broken torte. Oh my gosh, yum!