A Nerd Cooks

... and bakes and mixes the occasional cocktail!

Pies

Homemade Cherry Crisp

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Before you start baking pumpkin everything, honor the remaining days of Summer by baking and enjoying a Homemade Cherry Crisp. You will not be disappointed.

I’ve talked about it before (see my Strawberry Crisp post) but a crisp/crumble really is pie’s less fussy cousin. It still delivers the same sweet, juicy flavor that you get from a pie. But there’s no chilling and rolling of dough involved. Just mix up a crumbly topping, sprinkle it on your fruit, bake, and you’re done!

Homemade Cherry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

September is a weird month for me, food-wise. You’re just as likely to find me making a summer fruit-filled crisp or whipping up a hearty mushroom risotto or turkey pumpkin chili. <shrug emoji>

I’m doing my best to not rush into Autumn (even though I love it) and to savor the last bits of summer. Starting with this Cherry Crisp. While still warm (or reheated), top it with some vanilla ice cream. It’s the right thing to do.

Homemade Cherry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

The topping for this Cherry Crisp is based on the one from my Strawberry Crisp.

Homemade Cherry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Homemade Cherry Crisp
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Author: Lauren Pacek
Ingredients
For the filling
  • 5 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 3 tbs bourbon, optional but recommended
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
For the topping
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the filling

  1. Add all of the filling ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine.

  2. In an even layer, spread the filling into a 9-inch pie plate. Set aside.

To make the topping

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping. Mix until crumbly and everything is incorporated. 

  2. Sprinkle the topping over the cherries in an even layer.

  3. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the cherries and juices are bubbling around the edges.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

  • 2 lbs of cherries will yield approximately 5 cups after pitting
  • I'd recommend investing (~$10) in a cherry pitter to make your job easier

 

Homemade Cherry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

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This Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie has it all: cool and creamy peanut butter filling, a sweet chocolate graham cracker shell, and crunchy toppings! 

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks

We can all agree that chocolate and peanut butter are flavor soulmates, right? I’d be hard pressed to identify a more complementary flavor duo. And I bet you would be, too.

Chocolate and peanut butter come together in this cool, frozen pie. It’s fast and easy enough to make on short notice. Plus it requires almost no baking. Just pop the crust into the oven for ~12 minutes, and the rest is just mixing, freezing, drizzling, and you’re done!

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks

But also! Pi Day is nearly upon us! You know, pi = 3.14 … March 14th … 3/14.

Not that I really need much of an excuse to make pie… but I made this in celebration of the day. May your Pi Day be filled with this and other tasty, tasty pies.

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks

The recipe for this pie comes from Handle the Heat.

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 20 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the crust
  • 14 whole chocolate graham crackers
  • 1 tbs light brown sugar
  • 7 tbs unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
  • melted peanut butter
  • melted chocolate
  • mini Reese's cups, roughly chopped
  • peanut butter chips
Instructions
To make the crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and sugar until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Alternately, put the graham crackers in a large zip top bag and pulverize them with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, add the melted butter, and mix until combined.
  2. Press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool the crust completely on a wire rack.
To make the filling
  1. In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and peanut butter until it is light and fluffy.
  2. In a separate bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
  3. Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter/cream cheese mixture. Pour it into the prepared pie shell and freeze for 3 hours.
To make the topping
  1. Drizzle the top with melted peanut butter and melted chocolate. Top with chopped mini Reese’s cups and peanut butter chips. Serve frozen or refrigerated.

Looking for more pies? Go sweet with Key Lime Pie or Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Pie. Or maybe go savory and handheld with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Feta Hand Pies.

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks

Strawberry Crisp

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This strawberry crisp is everything you could want it to be: sweet, tangy, and subtly spiced  It is just about perfect when topped with vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

I have a bad habit of buying 2-for-1 pints of strawberries, regardless of how many I already have at home.  I can’t help myself.  They’re so good at this time of year.  Plus, I’m usually eating them for breakfast with yogurt and for lunch on this strawberry balsamic salad, so buying a ton of strawberries usually isn’t a big deal.

However, this past week, I’ve been eating overnight oats, so the strawberries started piling up.  I thought a pie would be a nice way to use them up, but honestly?  I find pie a little fussy sometimes.  That’s probably mostly because I’m still not very good at making pie crust.

All was not lost, however, because we have the crisp.  All of the pie-like goodness without any of the fussiness.

Strawberry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

Sweet, ripe strawberries are quartered, doused with lemon juice to help cut through the sweetness a bit, and coated in a flour and sugar mixture.

The strawberry goodness is then topped with a crumbly mixture of sugar, flour, butter, and pecans, for crunch.  Salt, for contrast and flavor enhancement, and cinnamon, for spice, are also added.

Want some more fruit crisp goodness?  This apple crisp from Joy the Baker is pretty darn fantastic, too. Need more treats that feature strawberries? This Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam is 10/10 and these Strawberry Crumb Bars are pretty great, too!

Strawberry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

This recipe is based on, but modified from, this one found on Craving Alaska.

5 from 1 vote
Strawberry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Strawberry Crisp
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the filling
  • 2 pints strawberries, hulled and quartered
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the topping -
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Add the strawberries, lemon juice, sugars, and all-purpose flour to a large bowl. Toss until the strawberries are well coated. Pour the strawberries into a 9-inch pie dish. Set aside.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping. Mix until crumbly and everything is incorporated. Sprinkle it over the strawberries in an even layer.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow the crisp to cool slightly.
Recipe Notes

Note: It's optional, but totally recommended, to eat this while still warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.

 

Strawberry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

Strawberry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust

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Pumpkin pies aren’t just for Thanksgiving! Give this version a whirl and add it to your holiday table.Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust | A Nerd Cooks

Despite what I just said, I did make this pie for Thanksgiving this year.  Nonetheless, it definitely would make a fabulous addition to your Christmas/other winter holiday table.  Pumpkin and chocolate play really well together (check out this cheesecake or these cookies, for proof), and this pie is no exception.  The pie itself is super creamy and flavorful (I find that pumpkin pies can be a bit bland), and the cookie crust is chocolatey and much easier and quicker than traditional pie crust.

This recipe came from the blog Spoon Fork Bacon.

You’ll need:

For the crust – 

  • 12 oz. chocolate wafers (or Oreo cookies without the filling), finely ground
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

For the pie filling –

  • 1 28 oz. can pumpkin puree
  • 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 5 tbs unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 1/2 tbs brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

For the whipped cream –

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish – 

  • Shaved milk chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground chocolate cookies and melted butter.  Press the crust into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan.  Bake for 15 minutes, then allow it to cool slightly before filling.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and nutmeg.  Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell.  Bake 55-70 minutes on the center rack, or until the filling is set, but is still slightly jiggly in the center.

Allow the pie to cool completely.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.  Top the pie with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust | A Nerd Cooks

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Pie

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This pie is a bit special, because it was made for my friend Olga’s birthday.  She has begun the tradition of hosting a Pi(e) Party–Get it? Like 3.14, but also pie–due to the proximity of her birthday to Pi Day, and the general deliciousness of pie.

It’s also special because it tastes great.Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Pie | A Nerd Cooks

I had originally considered making a savory pie (think macaroni and cheese), but couldn’t help myself and had to go with a somewhat more traditional option.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Pie | A Nerd Cooks

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Pie | A Nerd Cooks

I found this recipe via Foodgawker on Taste and Tell.

You’ll need:

For the crumble topping

  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup peanuts

For the pie

  • 1 pie crust (I cheated and used a store bought, refrigerated crust)
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbs cocoa powder
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup flour

For the sauce

  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 12 oz. jar caramel ice cream topping
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll out your pie crust and line the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish with it.  Place the pie dish in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to fill it.

To make the crumble topping, combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and flour in a small to medium bowl.  Cut the ingredients together (using two butter knives) until combined.  Then add the peanuts and stir everything together.  Put the bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.

To make the pie filling, heat the butter and chocolate in a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.

Remove the bowl from the heat, add the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and brown sugar, whisking until combined.  Next, add the eggs one at a time, whisking to combine between additions.  Add the vanilla extract, salt, and flour, and whisk again to combine.

Pour the filling into the refrigerated/frozen pie crust.  Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the filling is puffed up and the center is set.

Allow the pie to cool for about 20 minutes.

While it’s cooling, make the sauce by combining the peanut butter, caramel sauce, and salt.

After the pie is partially cooled, drizzle some of the sauce onto the pie.  Reserve the rest for serving.  Allow the pie to cool completely.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Pie | A Nerd Cooks