cream.
Mix on HIGH until the powdered sugar is mixed in.
With the mixer running on HIGH, sprinkle in the half-teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix it in.
When everything has been thoroughly incorporated, shut off the mixer and take out the bowl with the whipped cream topping. Give it a final stir with a rubber spatula and set it on the kitchen counter.
Get the pie crust with its chocolate filling out of the refrigerator and set it next to the mixer bowl with the whipped cream topping.
Peel the plastic wrap off the chocolate filling and use the rubber spatula to transfer mounds of whipped cream to the surface of the chocolate filling.
Work quickly to dot the entire surface of the chocolate filling with whipped cream. Continue transferring the whipped cream until the mixer bowl has been emptied.
Using the rubber spatula, spread the mounds of whipped cream together to cover the entire surface of your Chocolate Cream Pie. Make sure the whipped cream topping goes all the way out to the edge of the pie crust.
Using the flat edge of the rubber spatula, press it against the surface of the whipped cream topping and pull it up quickly. This should cause the whipped cream to form a point on top. Make “points” over the entire surface of your Chocolate Cream Pie.
Choose the decorating topping you wish to use on top of the whipped cream. You can use more than one topping to really make it look fancy.
If you choose shaved chocolate, use a sharp knife to “shave” the edge of a bar of sweet chocolate. Place the shaved pieces in a bowl and, using your impeccably clean fingers, sprinkle the shaved chocolate over the surface of your pie.
If you choose chocolate curls to decorate the top of your pie, simply run a sharp knife down the long edge of a bar of sweet chocolate. If you don’t lift the knife blade, it will form a curl of chocolate. Use these chocolate curls to decorate the top of your Chocolate Cream Pie.
Maraschino cherries are always colorful on top of a pie. Cut the maraschino cherries in half vertically and transfer the halves to the surface of the whipped cream topping, rounded side up. Make a large circle of cherry halves around the edge or a design of your own making using the cherry halves.
If you choose butterscotch or caramel ice cream topping, simply drizzle it all over the surface of your pie in a pretty design.
Refrigerate your Chocolate Cream Pie for at least 2 hours before serving.
To serve, cut your Chocolate Cream Pie into 8 pieces and remove the pieces with a triangle-shaped spatula. Place each piece on a dessert plate and serve with a carafe of strong, hot coffee or tall glasses of milk.
Yield: This pie will serve 8 people . . . or 7 if you invite Mother. She’ll tell you she couldn’t possibly eat more of something so rich, but you won’t have to twist her arm to get her to agree to a second helping.
Chapter Sixteen
“What are those, Hannah?” Lisa pointed to the pan that
Hannah had just moved to the bakers rack to cool.
“Tortilla Snickerdoodle Cookies. Except I’m not sure I should call them cookies when they’re really sweet snacks.”
“If they taste as good as they smell, you can call them anything you want to,” Lisa said.
“They do!” Mike said from his stool at the work station. “Right, Norman?”
“Right!” Norman agreed.
Lisa hurried over to take one triangular-shaped piece from the bakers rack. She bit into it, started to smile, and popped the rest into her mouth. “Good?” she managed to say with her mouth full. “These are great, Hannah. We could sell bags of these to the kids from Jordan High who come in here after school.”
Hannah smiled back. “That’s one of the best things about you, Lisa. You always see a way to promote things and you’re almost always right. Jordan High students would love to munch these on their way home. Norman and I finished a whole bowl last night while we were watching an old movie on television.”
“That’s the sign of a good munchie,” Lisa declared, grabbing another Tortilla Snickerdoodle Cookie from the rack. “Are these hard to make?”
Hannah shook her head. “They’re really easy. All you have to do is cut flour tortillas into pieces, dip them in melted butter and then into cinnamon, sugar, and cardamom, and bake them for ten to twelve minutes in the oven. A kid could make them . . .