Toll House Pie

The name might seem familiar. Toll House, you say, in a voice tinged with skepticism. As in . . . cookie?

Correct. A+. Well done. Class, go home.



Really, there’s not much else to say. The filling is simple and rich. It tastes of chocolate and nuts and butter and sugar, just like the cookie that made the restaurant (and Nestle) famous. This version of the dessert makes a tidier presentation, though, and in exchange for your labor in making a piecrust you don’t have to grease cookie sheets and stand over an oven counting the minutes. You don’t have to worry that some of the cookies will come out scorched and some underdone and some oddly-shaped and some oversized. You don’t have to count how many you’ve eaten and worry that it’s seven too many.

The pie is much more forgiving. And like its namesake, it’s open to a bit of improvisation. Perhaps you’d like to try a different flavor chip – milk chocolate, say, or butterscotch? Wise choice. Do you only have pecans or macadamia nuts? Not to worry. Maybe you’d like a bit of fruity chewiness – dried cherries, perhaps? Finely chopped dates? A capital idea. The King requests that the next time I make it I include coconut, and naturally --as usual -- the Queen will be captive to his wishes.

What you have then is a No Excuse Pie. Even if your pantry – like mine - is looking a bit peaked after a string of snowy, housebound days, this is a manageable treat. Pull yourself off your post-Valentine’s Day posterior and get to the oven. Don’t ask for whom that bell tolls, Dear Readers – it tolls for thee.



Toll House Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs until foamy. Add flour and both sugars; blend well. Add butter. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts and pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for one hour. Cool for a bit before serving.