Momofuku's Crack Pie Recipe

"Crack is whack."--Whitney Houston

Not if you poll the loyal, um, addicts of the Momofuku Milk Bar's crack pie, it isn't. (In this example the crack in question=sugar.) Watch Anderson Cooper wax poetic about this dessert (at the 3:50 mark). You can now by a whole crack pie on-line direct from Momofuku for $44, or you can make it yourself.

Gloria was busy in the test kitchen last week and decided to whip one up for the family to sample. Crack Pie is Momofuku pastry chef Christina Tosi's take on the old school classic, chess pie, the difference being her oatmeal cookie crust. I'm definitely keen to try the crust recipe with a different filling. Perhaps a cheesecake. The crack pie filling tastes like pecan pie filling, without the pecans, and it's really, really sweet. Too sweet for my taste, to be frank. But who am I to keep crack pie off the streets?

Momofuku's Crack Pie

Ingredients for cookie

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 egg
Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

Directions for cookie:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.

5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.

6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Ingredients for crust

Crumbled cookie for crust
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions for crust:

1. Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Ingredients for filling:

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (3/4 ounce) milk powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 egg yolks
2 prepared crusts
Powdered sugar, garnish

Directions for pie:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.

3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.

4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.

5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown (similar to a pecan pie), about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.

6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Servings: Makes 2 pies (6 to 8 servings each)

Note: Adapted from Momofuku (as published in the Los Angeles Times). This pie calls for 2 (10-inch) pie tins. You can substitute 9-inch pie tins, but note that the pies will require additional baking time, about 5 minutes, due to the increased thickness of the filling.

Each of 16 servings: 432 calories; 4 grams protein; 45 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 27 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 187 mg. cholesterol; 36 grams sugar; 125 mg. sodium.

Are you hooked on crack pie? Tell me about it.

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

Comments

[Kitchen Monki Dan on March 23, 2010 at 02:59 PM]

Soooo good, yet soooo bad for you. But still, soooo good. The oatmeal cookie crust is definitely the key. I've made it once and have been dreaming about it ever since!

[StellaCadente* on March 23, 2010 at 03:09 PM]

@Kitchen Monki Dan: Yah, I am a big fan of the crust, but I don't care for the filling much. I am imagining the crust would be great with a barely sweet cheesecake filling. Going to see what I can come up with.

[Kitchen Monki Dan on March 24, 2010 at 11:18 AM]

ooh, that is fab idea. I'm thinking of somehow combining Rose Gray's Chocolate Nemesis with the oat cookie crust... that would be pure evil.

[Cindy Wambeam on March 24, 2010 at 11:43 AM]

I haven't tried this myself, but every one I know who has baked the recipe says the same thing -- toooooooooo sweet. Restaurant goers seem to be nuts for it, though, which makes me wonder if the recipe is actually the same as what is served at Momofuku's? If so, is it just that they serve such a small slice that people don't notice the sweet?

Anyway, based on what you all are saying here, I think I'll give the crust a try.