For Thanksgiving 2009, my Aunt Lesta, Uncle Mike, and cousin Shelly decided, on the spur of the moment, to get in the car and drive up from Katy, Texas to our house in Claremore to celebrate the holiday. Just a few months later, they were back (with Shelly's daughter, Paige) for Grandma Remke's funeral and then a few weeks after that, they were back for my Great Aunt Isabelle's 80th Birthday Party.
On one of those three visits (and I can't remember exactly which one), I made Brownie Pie. I had two pie shells that needed to be used and I had all of the ingredients for my yummy homemade brownies, so I thought, "What the heck? I'll make a Brownie Pie."
Don't ask me how I thought to combine brownies and pie, because I can't remember that, either.
It doesn't pay to get old. Trust me.
This strange dessert apparently made quite an impression, because Aunt Lesta recently asked for the recipe. And, I've been really busy around this place after the holidays. She's moved from asking to reminding to begging. Hounding is surely next.
So, my sweet Aunt Lesta, sister of my beloved mother, what follows is my Brownie Pie recipe. Please note that this recipe (minus the pie crust) also makes a fine pan of regular old brownies, too, crispy around the edges and moist and chewy toward the center.
Begin with two sticks of sweet cream (unsalted) butter (1/2 pound). Add two and a half cups of packed light brown sugar and six one-ounce bars of chocolate - three unsweetened and three semi-sweet.
Microwave these just until the chocolate is melted. Stir together well. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Meanwhile, crack four eggs into a separate bowl and whisk them together.
Unroll a Pillsbury pie crust and place in a pie plate. Crimp the corners.
Add two teaspoons of vanilla extract and the eggs to the chocolate mixture, stirring quickly to combine. Be sure to stir quickly or you could end up with scrambled eggs.
Next, add two cups of all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well.
Place chocolate brownie mixture into the raw pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack and serve with ice cream or Cool Whip.
To make brownies instead, pour brownie mixture into a greased 9x13-inch Pyrex pan and bake 40 minutes at 325 degrees.
Rich and decadent - two words you will surely use to describe this dessert. Enjoy, Aunt Lesta!
