One of my very first posts here at Shine Your Light was about my son Peter’s favorite dessert: Chocolate Cloud Pie. He turned fifteen this past weekend, and requested the cloud pie for the seventh year in a row! Since I originally posted this recipe without any photos, I thought I’d revisit it, and share with you a few crust options while I’m at it.
This pie is more like a chocolate cheesecake – very easy to make, velvety soft, dense and delicious!
Choose your crust:
1// OREO COOKIE CRUST:
22 Oreos
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2// THIN MINT GIRL SCOUT COOKIE CRUST:
2 packages (1 box) Girl Scouts Thin Mints Cookies
5 T. butter, melted
3// FAMOUS CHOCOLATE WAFERS CRUST:
9 oz. package Famous Chocolate Wafers
2 T. sugar
5 T. butter, melted
4// A STORE-BOUGHT OREO CRUST is perfectly acceptable too!!
FILLING:
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
6 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Choose your crust options. If you are making a crust from scratch, pulse cookies in food processor until fine, then add butter (and sugar if called for). Press crust firmly onto bottom and sides of 9″ pie plate. Bake 10 min. (I used Oreos for this crust and it was so good.)
Beat cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs. Blend in chocolate; pour into crust.
Bake for 35 minutes or until all but center is set. Chill before serving. Garnish with real whipped cream if desired.
Bon appetit!
PS The birthday candles are a bit of a joke in our house. I never seem to be able to locate them when needed (even though I have a container in my pantry neatly labeled “birthday candles”!). Sometimes tea lights are called into play, or piller candles – anything with a flame works! Last year for Peter’s 14th birthday, I found a “4” – that was pretty close, right?
This year everyone was waiting in the dark dining room while I scrambled to find candles, and for his 15th this is what he got – 1 + 4 = 15???
This is what happens when you have a spazzy mom!
Good thing the cloud pie is yummy
