Crack Pie Recipe

[sasserwazr]

For many of you, whether through personal experience or food-related media, Crack Pie doesn't need an explanation. The famed dessert from Momofuku Milk Bar chef, Christina Tosi, has been widely hyped as the most delicious and addictive sweet in NY. Unfortunately, I do not live in NYC and, therefore, can only imagine the experience until my next visit.
Luckily, the recipe for Crack Pie looms amongst the internet; most recently on LA Times.
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/...

However, there exists a handful of accounts, from bloggers and commenters who have attempted the recipe, that claim it comes out of the oven tasting, not just non-delicious, but awful and ugly. Some have suggested that Tosi has mentioned the addition of corn starch even though it's not in any published recipes. There is no mention of the pie in Chowhound.

Has anyone attempted to make Crack Pie? Did you use this recipe? If not, will someone who has tasted the pie from the bakery construct it and compare?

[kattyshack]

i'm obviously late to this party, but i happened upon this adapted recipe for crack pie while surfing. i began researching different versions so i landed here. i'm curious because this version i found that sparked my interest came out much lighter and creamier looking than most -although someone who reviewed the pie after trying the posted recipe commented that hers came out much darker; like a caramel color. i wonder what would account for the difference in color. any ideas?

http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/201...

[Becca Porter]

Lighter egg yolks? The corn powder is my favorite part though, so I wouldn't omit it.

[twlaz]

Crack pie is amazing. Get the book. Make it, add the mixed berries and eat the entire thing in an hour. Then cry over the 5 lbs you gained. Head to the gym for the week and then make the candy bar pie. Oh and by the way... here's the recipe I used for it before I got the book http://momofukufor2.com/2010/02/momof...

[sweetpotater]

We made crack pie and didn't like it at all. Dumped 3/4 of the pie. Sort of sad.

[kdw1]

I just made this from the new cookbook. I made one 9.5" pie and 9 mini cupcake sized "pops". I didn't seem to have enough crust for two pies, but, as I found out during baking, the crust does expand, so next time I might spread it thinner, although I love the thick cookie crust.

Both were amazing. The pops were not filled as much as the pie and were so addictive; you could eat one after the other...the filling was not as gooey or as rich, and probably over done to Milk Bar standards - they didn't appear browned in the oven, but bubbled up, so I took them out where they proceeded to "fall". We all thought they were ruined, but I froze them anyway and we tried them. They were to die for.

The pie was decadent and rich. I had one piece last night for my birthday and as a treat ate the last remaining piece for breakfast...I feel sick. It is much richer although, the recipe states to fill it up 3/4 of the way and I filled it almost to the top and I still had leftover filling. Did anyone else have too little crust and thus, too much filling?

The freeze-dried corn can be found with the dried fruits and nuts at Whole Foods...I had to hide it from my family because we were shocked at how good it tastes even alone. It was worth making the pie just to be turned on to that product!

I would never pay $44 for any pie, but I will make this again and again. My husband does not have a sweet tooth and only occasionally takes a bite of dessert and he ate more of this than anyone and said over and over that he wants this for his birthday too. ENJOY!

ps:If anyone needs the recipe from the book, let me know, it is different and the book mainly has a lot of ice cream recipes...and cookies that call for ordering glucose from Amazon.com. I may only make one more cake from this cookbook...although the reading is interesting.

[BiscuitBoy]

I wouldn't mind seeing it!

[mtoo]

If you live near a Hobby Lobby, you can get glucose there. I would guess that Michaels and WalMart also both carry glucose in the Wilton area of their cake baking sections.

[kdw1]

THANKS for the tip on the glucose!

[BiscuitBoy]

recipe?

[kdw1]

It's long -that's why it's expensive! It went smoothly to make the three recipes in order - quite easy. I think I found all my typos!
Makes 2 (10") pies
CRACK PIE
1 oat cookie (recipe follows)
15 g/1Tbs. light brown sugar tightly packed
1 g/1/4 tsp salt

55 g/4 Tbs. butter, melted or as needed (I used 1-2 Tbs more)

1 recipe Crack Pie filling (recipe follows)

Confectioners Sugar, for dusting

OAT COOKIE CRUST
115g/1 stick butter (room temp)
75 g/1/3cup light brown sugar packed
40g/3Tbs. granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
80 g/1/2 cup flour
120 g/1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/8 tsp baking powder
.25g or pinch baking soda
2g/1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. Heat oven to 350. Combine butters and sugars in bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle and cream on med-high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Scrape sides and on low speed add yolk and increase to med speed at beat for 1-2 mins until sugar dissolves and the mixture is pale white.
2. On low speed add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix for a minute until any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated.
3. Pam spray or line with parchment or silpat a quarter sheet pan. Plop dough in in center and spread to 1/4" thick. - It will not cover the entire pan.
4. Bake for 15 minutes until it is caramelized on top and puffed slightly but set firmly. Cool completely. (will keep in fridge wrapped for 1 week.)

CRACK PIE FILLING
You MUST use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, a hand whisk or a hand mixer will not work. Keep the mixer on low speed through the entire mixing process to avoid getting too much air in your filling.

300g/1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
180 g/ 3/4 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
20 g/ 1/4 cup milk powder
24 g/ 1/4 cup corn powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

225g/2 sticks/16 Tbs melted butter

160 g/3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

1. Combine sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, corn powder and salt in the bowl of stand mixer with paddle and mix on low speed until blended.
2. Add the melted butter and paddle for 2 -3 minutes until all the dry ingredients are moist.
3. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and mix for 2 - 3 minutes until white streaks from the cream have completely disappeared. Scrape sides.
4. Add the egg yolks paddling them just to combine be sure not to aerate the mixture, but it should be glossy and homogenous.
5. Use filling right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.

PIE
Heat the oven to 350.
1. Put the oat cookie, brown sugar and salt in food processor and pulse until broken down to a wet sand.
2. Transfer crumbs to a bowl, add the butter and knead the butter and the cookie until moist enough to form a ball. If not moist enough, melt an additional 1-1 1/2 Tbs, and knead it in.
3. Divide the crust evenly between 2, 10" pie pans (I did not have enough for 2, 9")
Using your fingers and the palms of your hands, press the oat cookie crust firmly into each tin making sure the bottom and sides are evenly covered. Use them immediately or wrap well in plastic wrap and store at room temp for 5 days or fridge for up to 2 weeks.
4. Put both pies on sheet pan, Divide the filling evenly to fill them 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15 mins only. The pies should be golden brown on top but will be very jiggly. (if making mini muffin pops - they do not appear to brown, they bubble)
5. Open oven door and reduce the temp to 325. Depending on your oven, it may take 5 minutes longer for the over to cool to the new temperature. Keep the pies in the oven during this process. When the oven reaches 325, close the door and bake for 5 mins longer. The pies should be jiggly in the bull's eye center but not around the outer edges. If too jiggly, leave in the oven for an additional 5 mins or so.
6. Gently take the pies out of the oven and transfer to a rack to cool to room temp or place in fridge to speed up process. Freeze your pies for at least 3 hours or overnight to condense the filling for a dense final product. (Freezing is the signature technique and result of a perfectly executed crack pie.)
7. Transfer pies from freezer to fridge for a minimum of 1 hour to defrost. If not serving right away, wrap well in plastic wrap in the fridge, they will keep fresh for 5 days. In freezer they will keep for 1 month.
8. Serve cold! Decorate with confectioner's sugar either passing through a fine sieve or dispatching pinches through your fingers.

Note: I tried it warm, not hot, but not room temp and it was also delicious. Not sure which way I like better. You can add pecans or mixed berries as well and use less filling.

[BiscuitBoy]

ah, THAT'S where the corn powder goes! Muchas gracias

[FitMom4Life]

I just made this, and did not bother with my stand mixer. I used a whisk for the filling, and a hand mixer for the crust. Turned out perfect.

[gmm]

I can verify that Michael's does indeed carry it. It's inexpensive, and if you check the weekly ad on their website, they almost always have a coupon for 40% off a regular priced item.

[2004rs]

seconded for Michael's in the Bay Area

[libstewart]

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of! $44 for a pie made of basic pantry ingredients. Hold on to your hats folks - all this is is Chess Pie (Martha was right) with a oatmeal cookie crumb crust. The "secret ingredient" of ground freeze dried corn can be substituted with ordinary corn meal. There are nearly as many recipes for chess pies as there are families who make them. I love them - but all they are is over-the-top sweet. If that's your thing - this is your pie. But $44 - give me a break!

[julesrules]

I'm not going to debate you on the price issue, but I don't think cornmeal is made from sweet corn.

[Becca Porter]

Cornmeal and freeze dried corn powder are as different as cornmeal and hominy. Totally different flavor, texture, color.

The price seems much less crazy when you take into account their use of Plugra butter, KA Flour, locally sourced cream/eggs, etc. Sure you could make the pie for much less money using cheaper ingredients... but they don't do that.

[alkapal]

what is the difference between cornmeal and freeze dried corn powder? is it the method of drying only? is the powder sweeter than the meal?

[kdw1]

Freeze dried corn is a light, airy, nicely sweet piece of corn. It is night and day different than cornmeal which you would use for cornbread. The freeze dried corn does not come in powder form; the styrofoam-textured kernels turn to powder instantly in a food processor or blender. It is so good I would buy a machine to freeze dry corn at home...it's $4.50 or $5 per small bag and as I said, delicious.

[Becca Porter]

Yeah, I am sure that whatever dried non-sweet form of corn that they grind to make cornmeal would not taste good eaten fresh out of hand. It is starchy and not sweet. Freeze dried corn is like the best summer sweet corn...dried. It is still plump, sweet, bright yellow, and full of corn flavor.

[alkapal]

i know that it'd be a different flavor, but i'm curious how slow-roasting & drying corn kernels and then buzzing them would work. just using my imagination.

[julesrules]

I might even try making a strained puree from frozen peaches and cream corn. At 1/4 cup per pie I don't think it would make too much difference to the texture. Roasting would be interesting too but a different flavour, as you say. Who knows, maybe even a better flavour. The author encourages everyone to play in the kitchen so why not!

[alkapal]

thanks, that is good to know.

[twyst]

"This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of! $44 for a pie made of basic pantry ingredients. "

You understand restaurants are in business to make money right? That's not even a crazy markup by dessert standards. You can make a cake for $5 and turn around and sell 12 slices for $7 a pop without batting an eye. The food cost is not why its so expensive. You are paying for their rent, refrigeration, labor etc. If you find this kind of markup an issue eating in restaurants may not be for you.

[libstewart]

Best reason I have ever heard to stay in my own kitchen. I'm not buying the "corn thing" the amount of the ingredient used does not turn that pie into gold. So you guys think an 800% markup is a fair margin? This is probably a big reason restaurants fail. Don't know if you've heard it or not, but our economy is failing. My husband and I volunteer at a food bank - I could not pay for that pie with a clear conscience.

By the way, I am an accountant so I think I have a grasp on raw materials, overhead, the calculation of cost of goods sold..... I also understand value.

[kdw1]

I agree with you on the price, after reading the cook book, I can tell you the price of their multiple rents in NYC are figured in to the price of the pies. I used all organic ingredients as well and I'm sure the total per pie does not come to $10. It is labor intensive as it is a full day of baking, cooling, assembling, baking and freezing.

The corn powder would not be missed, but it is that little touch that would make you say, "this is so close to the bakery's but I can't put my hand on what's different." It's the difference between drizzling syrupy Balsamic over your stew or not...you don't miss it, but when it's there it does enhance the meal.

[twyst]

"So you guys think an 800% markup is a fair margin? This is probably a big reason restaurants fail"

Quite the contrary, even extremely busy restaurants with these kinds of markups fail. You are looking at it from a pure ingredient standpoint. The restaurant has to pay rent, pay electricity, pay someone to make it, and pay someone to serve it. The margins in restaurants are extremely tight. Without these kinds of markups NO restaurants would be able to open for business. Restaurant owners arent rolling in the money with these kinds of markups, they have to mark things up this way just to stay afloat. Desserts and Liquor are indeed the big moneymakers, but if they didnt make a lot of profit of of them almost every restaurant would have to close its doors.

[kdw1]

twyst: I think the very few, extremely famous restauranteurs have led people to believe that restaurant owners are rolling in the money, hanging with celebrities and owning multiple houses. I agree, those are the exceptions. I have a 13 year old daughter who mostly burns everything she cooks, but wants to be a chef. Go figure!

This bakery has multiple locations and employees. The labor to make these pies is spans a full day. I think I was not clear in my description that while it doesn't cost $10 to make the pie, there is rent and labor.

I wish I was in NYC to have the real pie, but I wouldn't pay $44 for a whole pie, I'd buy a $6 slice, and one of everything else...that being said, this is the first time I've ever seen a pie priced at $44. Obviously, people are buying it or they wouldn't be making them. We get caught up in the excitement at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor and leave with a $100 bag of cheeses. So, when you've got a good thing...if you make it, they will come!

[visciole]

A macaron from Ladurée costs $2.70 and is the size of a half dollar, which could make this pie seem like a bargain.

Also, if you go calories/dollar it probably comes out OK ;)

[alexgs]

Lots of people here talking about it, talking about it being made on TV and talking about those who rave about it. I made it. It's decadent, very sweet, but not cloying. It turned out excellently. Don't think I'll make it a lot thought for fear of my arteries clogging shut. But, boy is it goooood.

[julesrules]

Did you make a version with or without the freeze-dried corn she calls for in the cookbook?

[juniebug]

I did use the freeze-dried corn. It's available at whole foods and online; I see it at other grocery stores in Seattle as well. You have to grind the dried corn to a flour, using a food grinder (clean coffee grinder is what I used.

[julesrules]

Yes I saw your detailed report on the true recipe, thank you for that. If you are baking from the book why don't you come join us in the thread about it?

I am trying to find the corn here in Canada. Maybe our Whole Foods has it, I haven't checked any real stores yet. Online my best best seems to be survivalist websites, for example I can get a $150 case from safecastle.com :) Luckily I did find a smaller amount available at incaseof.ca (in case of disaster I think they mean!)

[cheesymama]

Jules, did you find the freeze dried corn at Whole Foods in Toronto?

[julesrules]

I haven't tried them yet. Will let you know if I find something. I also want passion fruit puree for the grapefruit pie, probably want to make that first since it is grapefruit season.

[lyndak]

Bauly carries freeze dried corn and all sorts of other freeze dried foods.

We've bought from them for our camping meals and have always had a positive experience dealing with them.

http://www.bauly.com/Site/Home.html

[julesrules]

Nice find, they also have freeze dried berries which are required for some other recipes. But do they have a retail store or do you order by phone? Can't quite figure it out from the website.

[lyndak]

I order by phone. I know they're located in Mississauga but I'm not sure where exactly. I usually place an order over the phone and they send it out by ExpressPost. Great people to deal with.

let me know how your crack pie turns out, I'm going to make one also but I'm waiting for when I have a full day to dedicate to it.

[Becca Porter]

I bought this puree for the grapefruit pie: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005...

It looks like they are out of it today, but I find that a lot of things restock quick. The pie was outstanding!

[julesrules]

Good to know, it sounds amazing, and I was hoping you would report back on the other thread "Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook for $500 vs Online ordering for $300". The grapefruit/sweet/salt combo is also in one of my favourite drinks, the paloma, and I love passionfruit so the recipe is just so appealing. I don't think I can order foodstuffs from amazon in Canada but I should be able to find the puree locally... I hope!

[alexgs]

Here is the recipe I used - http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/.... Followed it to the tee, except for I screwed up and used half and half instead of heavy cream and my GF and I baked the pies in 9" pie pans rather than 10". Turned out great. No corn or anything.

[helena143]

FYI don't waste your time making this recipe w/out following the recipe from the cookbook, which just came out; it has the secret ingredient, which will require some effort to get

http://live.gourmet.com/2011/09/secre...

[Becca Porter]

Agreed, along with several tips that really change the recipe. It is SOOO good when done right. I love it with lots of pecans added.

[lilgi]

I can't wait to get my hands on that cookbook now. Thanks!

[juniebug]

I made crack pie for Thanksgiving, following the recipe in the Milk Bar cookbook exactly, including the corn powder, the milk powder and FREEZING the pie before serving. The recipe in the cookbook makes two pies. The one we ate on Thanksgiving had only 3 hours in the freezer and was good. The one we pulled out on Saturday after 3 days in the freezer was way better, caramelly, oozy, but not runny, and wonderful. I would definitely make the pies again, using the cookbook recipe (Corn powder is just those freeze-dried corn kernels (justtomatoes.com) ground to a powder in a food grinder. I used dried milk powder that I already had for baking. Otherwise ingredients were common and available. There was not a crumb left by last night.

[BiscuitBoy]

at what point does the corn powder get added?

[lilgi]

I'm looking forward to trying the crack pie recipe this week.

[emily]

The Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook is finally up at Amazon ~ to be released on October 25.

[Becca Porter]

Thanks! I have it preordered...

[sugarcube]

It is a very rich and sweet pie. The filling is gooey and there's a nice texturally pleasing crispiness and toasted flavour from the oatmeal crust.
For those uncertain about whether they will like this pie, I would recommend halving the ingredients and just making one rather than the two suggested ( I used the LA Times Recipe)
A thin sliver will be more than sufficient (or if you're like me.. several!) I usually like a pie wedge dolloped with some creme fraiche.

Cheers!
http://theavidbaker.wordpress.com/201...

[DiningDiva]

I made the LA Times recipe today. It's not that difficult. But...it appears to be rather oily. Is this normal? The recipe calls for chilling, which I haven't yet done. I suspect all that butter will resolidify upon chilling?

[DiningDiva]

I can answer my own question. Once chilled it was not oily. It was, however, utterly addicting. Ooey Gooey, proving one can never be too rich or too sweet. Loved it, will make it again

[yenna]

Oh man, this is exactly my kind of dessert: rich, buttery, sweet, and gooey. I made the LA Times version of Crack Pie on Sunday -- in honor of National Pie Day, of course! -- and absolutely loved it, as did my family. I do have to say, however, that while I had to fight back my gluttonous urges and hold myself to one piece, my mother felt that it was too rich and was content with a small sliver. So, as this thread shows, this dessert is not for everyone. I mentioned to my friend that it is for serious sweet tooths only!

Next time I think I'll try my hand at the Bon Appetit version. The major difference that I can see is that the Bon Appetit version makes one 9-inch pie (serving 10-12) that uses the entire cookie crust recipe while approximately halving the filling of the LA Times version. Since my crust was extremely thin -- the bottom crust was almost indistinguishable from the pie filling -- I'd like to try again with the thicker crust, particularly because it was fabulous and is now my new favorite pie crust.

One other note: according to the LA Times recipe, 1/8 of a pie (or 1/16 of the the total recipe), has 432 calories and 27 grams of fat, of which 16 of those grams are saturated. I don't what it says about my baking preferences, but that's not terrible for a dessert!

[housewolf]

Let us know how that recipe turns out for you, I'll be interested to know. I found this to be quite an amazing dessert - VERY rich and decadent.

[dryrain]

Did you ever try and make it a 2nd time? If so was it better with thicker crust?

[iL Divo]

watched a couple of videos and I 'have' seen her make it before.
but reading the recipe, I can't wrap my head around how to do it.
right now my microphone isn't working on the computer so I can't hear what she said which would have made it easier.

[iL Divo]

not heard of the dessert or the restaurant or the Chef but have now..............YEAH!
next time I'm i NYC, I will be looking up the address and perhaps get lucky enough to dine there at lunch, do they even do lunch there? just looked up the address and it's doable for when I am there. thankful for the subway.....

I'm gonna check out the recipe as listed above, thanks for posting...
after that, I'll read the comments....

[spinachandchocolate]

Wow, I calculated the nutrition in this and it has 52 grams of fat and 20 gram of saturated fat for a tiny sliver. Scary!

[brookewb]

I made the LA Times version of the recipe for Thanksgiving yesterday. Not all that impressed. Seems like it should be a bar and not a pie. One guest even asked if it was an actual pie. I was disappointed, hoping to give the guests a real treat, and it was just ho-hum.

[Jay F]

Has anyone made the LA Times recipe, which makes two 10-inch pies, in a half sheet pan?

[Sunshine123]

I made two pies yesterday, one exactly as this recipe, and one "non-dairy" version as I have lactose intolerant family members. In the blind taste test today, no one could say which was "real" - slightly different but both yummy.

For the non-dairy version I used margarine instead of butter; non-dairy creamer instead of heavy cream; powdered non-dairy creamer instead of powdered milk; and added a teaspoon of corn starch disolved in a small amount of water.

I used the same crust for both using margarine instead of butter as a shortcut

I also did a shortcut and baked both at same time, which didnt seem to be a problem. 15 mins at 350 and about 20-25 mins at 325, after an overnight in fridge both set up just fine.

[Tom P]

Very, very clever!

[pharmnerd]

Nope, in pie plates, but imagine it'd work fine in a half-sheet pan. Might need to increase recipe to fit though [ pi r-squared x2=?? :) ].

[bitsubeats]

Found the recipe in the newest issue of Bon Appetit magazine (rip gourmet). I will be making this asap as well as the malted chocolate cake.

[akp]

Has anyone made the Bon Appetit Crack Pie recipe yet? I haven't had a chance to cross-reference the other recipes posted in this thread, but when I saw it in the magazine, I knew that I wanted to make it.

[mendogurl]

Does milk powder mean powdered milk?

[PommeDeGuerre]

Yes, milk powder is a fussy term for powdered milk.

[jeanmarieok]

Actually, the milk powder she refers to is a baker's milk. It's not the same as powdered milk from the grocery store. The protease in the powdered milk has been denatured so the gluten is not attacked so readily. The bakers powdered milk uses a higher temperature in the process than regular grocery powdered milk and cannot be reconstituted to fluid milk as easily. It's real fine grained, and heavy, not flaky like powdered milk from the grocery.

[mia0514]

After visiting both the East Village and Midtown Milk Bar locations over the weekend and spending approx. 25 bucks on 5 slices, I finally decided to give the LA Times recipe a try. The pie turned out very well. As most other posters, I did have to extend the cooking time for about 10 minutes, but after that, it was perfect. As good as the original :-)

[sasserwazr]

awesome

[harpist921]

I made the pie for Easter and it came out wonderfully with a little extra baking time (I baked it in a convention oven). I also chilled it after it was done. Maybe that would work better for some of you who didn't have such good luck?

[2m8ohed]

I made the recipe using the LA Times recipe, and I did use 10 inch pans, but it was really liquid after the specified baking time so I ended up extending the time at 325, 5 min at a time, for a total of about 20 more minutes. Chilled before serving. Had some with the family that night and shared a pie with 7 friends the next day. Everyone loved it. By the next day the texture is chewier and the crust a bit softer, which is nice. I would not pay $44 for one, but I did think it was worth the effort. A teeny bit more salt in the crust makes for a fantastic salty-sweet flavor. I also added about 1 tsp of coffee extract in the filling, which cut the sweetness a bit and added depth.

[Tom P]

That was about my own experience. I would also agree with the LA Times reviewer that the pie is much better hot than cold. It was great cold, but about 5 minutes after it came out of the oven.. .wow. That is the way to eat it (I made the double recipe that was in the times, so we tried one hot and one cold)

[saria]

I have to laugh about this pie, because it has never piqued my interest since it sounds horribly sweet, but it makes me realize that indeed the sweet tooth in this country is insatiable and I seem to be in the minority.
For those who want a caramel pie, Jennifer McLagan's salted butter tart is amazing. It's definitely sweet, but with a properly cooked caramel, it's also nicely balanced, and with some whipped cream to cut through the sweetness, it's absolutely divine!

[saria]

Oh, and the recipe for that tart can be found on the Leite's Culinaria site.

[amyzan]

That's the reaction I had, except I had to try it once. Not caramel enough, and not complex or interesting enough, though the texture of the crust married with the pie is a keeper. If anything, I will try the crust with other fillings. Personally, I prefer caramel cooked fairly dark, so look for that in recipes, and also molasses as an ingredient. I suppose my palate has changed as I've gotten older? Which is not to be snobby, saying that it's more "mature" to like more complex flavors over sweet. It's the way I'm leaning these days. Will check out the salted butter tart, as I've been on a kick for salted butter--kouign amann, etc.

[kimchee411]

Have you ever actually had it? This is NOT a caramel pie. It's almost like a candy bar in gooeyness and density and the flavor is very buttery and not *too* sweet but it is very rich, and VERY delicious!

I just came back from NYC last night. I don't have much of a sweet tooth and although I had heard of crack pie, I had no real interest in it and didn't even know what it looked or tasted like, just that it had a funny name. I figured it is one of those over-the-top sugar-loaded desserts that sugar lovers crave. We really just went to Milk Bar because my wife loves sweets. At $5.25 for a small piece of a very thin, very plain and boring looking pie I was skeptical, but that first bite was one I will never forget. It's stinking good and highly addictive! So much so that I brought 2 whole pies back to California. I too balked at the $44 price tag when I first saw the menu, but didn't even flinch in shelling out $88 + tax for these babies. (Actually $105 for 2 crack pies and an order of pork buns -- those pork buns are incredible as well! Sign me up for the David Chang Fan Club!)

Anyway I have the pies sitting in my fridge (one is half eaten less than 24 hours after returning, of course) and am going to iron out a good recipe tomorrow while I have the real deal for reference. I will report back with what I try and the results.

[emily]

Awesome -- I'm looking forward to your direct comparison. I've had the pie from Milk Bar and agree that it shouldn't be described as a caramel pie.

[jmnewel]

I made the pie last weekend, a half recipe for one 10" pie. I cut it into 8 pieces. I thought it would be too sweet to put the powdered sugar on top, so left it off. Because the pie is so sweet, I brought out a tub of crème fraîche, and everybody took some. It really needs something to counteract all that sweetness! It was good, not great. The crust is the most interesting part of the pie, in my opinion. I made a full batch of the crust, so will be using it in other ways, because I don't think I am going to make that pie again, even though it was really easy.

[sibaik]

I made the crack pie for our St. Paddy's Day potluck. Now I see what the hype is about. It is really good. The saltiness of the oatmeal cookie crust and the slight saltiness of the filling lessen the overall sugariness. It is addicting. I baked it at 375 for the first 10 minutes and then 35 minutes at 325 (refused to get brown before that.) Other than that, followed recipe exactly. Great results!

[pumpkin donut]

This is hardly anything different from the Southern classic, Chess Pie which has been around forever. Best recipe I ever got for that was from Southern Living's website.

[amyzan]

I like chess pie much better than crack pie, and they aren't all that similar in texture. Crack pie is MUCH stickier and gooier, whereas chess pie is more like a creamy custard.

[Boccone Dolce]

My boss (who calls me a Yankee) loves his Chess Pie.
I was frantic the night before his birthday last week- couldn't find the exact chess pie recipe I'd made before that he loved, so I used my iphone epicurious app and found a lemony version (actually I was supposed to use the zest of an orange and a lemon but I didn't have an orange so I used only lemon) - well, people freaked out over this pie...
It was a stick of butter, egg yolks (4 I think) - a cup of sugar, the zest, the lemon juice (I never measure) I baked it in a Publix brand pie crust!! They were genuflecting as they passed me in the hall.
I'm going to try it in a cookie crust next time... I can't eat it- way too sweet for me (I don't tolerate sugar) but it's too easy not to make, even for a confirmed 'non-baker but loves her sweets' girl like me...

[gmm]

I just made one yesterday using the LA Times recipe. It's good, but not incredible. I think I pressed the bottom of the crust too thin. The filling basically just saturated the bottom crust and it's stuck in the pie plate. I used an 9-inch pie plate and went about ten minutes longer than the original recipe on baking time. I only made one pie, so I have enough cookie crumbs for another crust. I think if I'd made this again, I'd like to try adding macadamia nuts to the filling. Like other posters said, it's very reminiscent of pecan pie, without the nuts, but the filling is much more buttery.

[HillJ]

http://klutzychef.wordpress.com/2010/...

I gave this recipe version a try yesterday. Boy, hype can really take an adaptation far! Too sweet for me, better with a dollop of Greek yogurt to tang it up and some black coffee but friends who love those gooey, chewy type pies loved it. $44.00 considering how very little it costs to make is really a time factor price. Making the cookie from scratch before creating the crust IS what I'd say you'd pay for... but for a few dollars this is so easy to replicate.

[kangabit]

WOW. Ive never tried this pie but just reading the reviews makes me feel like I got sweaters on my teeth. I book marked this site so I can make it in the future perhaps for a holiday treat when lots of people are over otherwise left overs will do me in. Gotta go brush my teeth now.

[pharmnerd]

Made it. Never tried the NYC version. Pretty much as others mentioned, a flat dense borderline over-the-top brown-sugary vanilla-y gooey pie. Definitely needs a counter-balance like milk, coffee, unsweetened whipped cream, etc. As the times article mentioned, I preferred it room temp to warm over chilled.

Friend liked it a lot, but was a one-timer for me. But I like to experiment, so wasn't exactly a waste of my time though.

[freelancer77]

I'm sorry, but since I haven't had the luck to try a slice of the infamous pie, I have to ask: $44?? It's a pie -- one with fairly basic, inexpensive ingredients at that -- so I'm wondering if it's really worth the whopping price tag? Even once you account for the overnight shipping cost alone, is it still worth paying all that money? I believe in simplicity of ingredients, but, that said, I'd wager the price might be warranted if the pie were made from four types of Callebaut and Valrhona chocolates plus, I dunno, pearl dust? Edible gold? So, Hounds, tell me: it's gotta be one HELL of a pie to be worth the cost -- is it?? And should I try making it?

[amyzan]

Sure, give it a go. It's not my thing. If it were more pronounced in caramel flavor, yeah, maybe. But, you may love it. Who knows? The milk powder can be obtained at Whole Foods for around $6/bag, and you'll have a lot leftover. But, it's a very good product, made by Organic Valley, and I do find it useful for bread baking. Unless you'd never use the milk powder again, there's no real reason not to give the recipe a whirl.

[amyzan]

Looks like I'm going to be the lone dissenter on this one. Ho hum. I'd rather have pecan pie for the calorie count, myself. It's sweet and rich, with no other discernible flavors, and the texture is kind of fun, but come on, there are lots more interesting pies out there. I will say, I really like the oatmeal cookie crust. I think I'll use that for other pie recipes. Crack pie reminds me a bit of chess pie with more of a pecan pie texture, but it isn't all that, my friends. I cannot imagine paying $44 for this pie.

I made the recipe from the LA Times, and don't have ten inch pie pans, so baked in nine inch pans. These took a good while longer than twenty five minutes in the oven to set up. In fact, at that point, they were almost entirely still liquid. Yes, I was using an oven thermometer. So, to each his or her own, I suppose. Kind of a fun, different recipe, so enjoyed the experience nonetheless for the results.

[sfdee]

I totally agree. I made 2 pies for Thanksgiving using the LA Times recipe and I was disappointed after all the build up for these pies. My pies looked just like the photos and I had no trouble making them but basically the taste of these pies was just sweet!! Way too sweet!! It helped to put some ice cream or whipped cream over the pie to cut the sweetness. I will not be going to the effort to make this recipe again.

[stilton]

Here's a blog entry, with sorta-in progress photos:
http://momofukufor2.com/2010/02/momof...

[eckbean8]

Has anyone used a substitute for milk powder? I figure normal milk would have too much liquid. My grocery store only carries these huge boxes, and I don't want to buy one just to have a bunch of it taking up space.

[housewolf]

Any health food stores or stores like Whole Foods? They'll have milk powder in smaller sized quantities.

[toveggiegirl]

Or bulk food stores.

[butterscotchtoki]

i actually followed the recipe *almost* exactly. the pies are AMAZING! i strayed from the posted la times recipe in the following ways:
1) i dont have a 1/8 tsp, so i use my 1/2 tsp and improvise;
2) i used my emile henry ceramic 9" pie dishes instead of tin 10" pie pans;
3) baked at 375 for first 10 then 325 for rest of posted time;
4) i dont have a processor to pulse the crust mix, so i used my hand mixer to "pulse".
THEY TURNED OUT GREAT!!! it IS gooey when hot/warm and really not all that pretty if you cut into it. also, the taste difference is IMMENSE btween warm/hot, and cold pie, cold immeasurably better and crust almost chewy. instead, i let it cool completely first, then refrigerated for about an hour or two. i took the 2nd pie to my sister's and she & her hubby polished it off that same day and they aren't much of sweets people. disclaimer: i've never tried the O.G. crack pie so i dont know how it compares first hand. now everyone in my family thinks i'm betty crocker, it's great!

[katbrown2057]

I made this recipe last night. I did it exactly as the recipe in the LA Times indicated. My pie came out extra gooey. When I sliced into it this morning, it was thick, but runny. I don't think I cooked it long enough. It is too sweet for my taste. I was disappointed in it. I would like to try it again. Any suggetions? And it certainly doesn't look like the picture of the pie on the Momofuku website.

[housewolf]

I am sorry, I really don't know what to suggest to you. I've only made the pie once myself and yes, it IS extraordinarily sweet. Some have likened it to Pecan Pie filling without the pecans, which many find too sweet for their taste. It's so sweet because there is so much sugar and fat (with the butter and cream). I don't know what changes to the ingredients to suggest that would make it more to your liking.

At the bottome line, it's a caramel pie with a somewhat unique crust. You might exploring other caramel pie recipies, or possibly even butterscotch pies. I'm just not that familiar with this particular pie, or similar types of pies, to know what to suggest to you.

I'm sorry, wish I could be of more help to you and hope that you find something that works for you. Perhaps someone else has some ideas for you.

[coll]

So, like Shoo Fly Pie (had it once and loved it).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoofly_pie

[bluemoon4515]

I made this pie tonight (cut the recipe in half to just make one)...I had to cook it longer than the recipe stated (maybe 8 minutes), and I think it could have gone a little longer.

I agree with housewolf that it tastes just like a pecan pie without the nuts. Good, but nothing exceptional. I actually made it because I liked the sound of a caramel pie. If I make it again I may add condensed milk instead of the milk powder, I think it'd add a better taste.

[coll]

I'm starting to lose interest.....

[ESNY]

I live near Milk Bar and have had crack pie on numerous occasions. The crack pie, as well as most of the things there, is a love it or hate it product. I'm in the love it camp but know plenty who don't like it and don't get the fuss about the place. Go to the Manhattan board and you'll read raves and rants about it. I haven't tried to make it, so I dont know how this version compares to the original.

I guess I'm saying, if it piques your interest try it and you may love it. But you may also hate it and think it tastes like buttery, sugary goo. Basically if you are ok with a possible fail, its worth a shot that you'll love it.

[coll]

I have so many recipes I want to try, and dessert wise, most involve chocolate or liquor, so it might be awhile...not to mention that sadly, I'm getting very calorie conscious, and if there was some fruit or nuts in there, it might tempt me a little more. I have a recipe I make that sounds a little like it, but involves copious amounts of almonds, so I feel like there's something healthy-ish in there.

[visciole]

I took a look at the recipe and immediately concluded I wouldn't like it because it's a big sugar-n-fat bomb! I like some fruit in my pies, personally, to cut the sweetness, but hey, one man's crack is another man's weak grass. ;)

[julesrules]

If you still have the too-sweet pie hanging around maybe try it with some fleur de sel on top...

[katbrown2057]

My daughter's boyfriend ate half a pie by himself, and then he took the other pie home to share with his friends. So, even though the texture wasn't quite right, in my opinion, he loved love! I must have forgotten an ingredient or whisked it too much for it not to have gotten thicker. Like one of the posters before me, I am a good cook, but very good a baking.

[housewolf]

I made this pie today.

WOW!

It's basiclly a caramel pie with a cookie crumb crust. It's REALLY, REALLY, REALLY rich, sweet and buttery.

I used the LA Times recipe
(this one
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/... )
and made the full cookie crust recipe and filled a half-size ceramic pie plate with about 1/4 of it. Then I mixed up 1/4 size batch of filling and put it in the oven. Took it out and let it cool for about an hour then cut a tiny slice. I'm eating it VERY slowlly, tiny bites, it's so rich.

Be glad to answer questions if you have any.

[sasserwazr]

wow. when you poured the crust, did it resemble the one made on MS in the store?

[housewolf]

Yes, it was a thick, cookie-dough like batter - more like a thin chocolate chip cookie dough before the chips are added. Slightly thinner than. Too thick to pour but it came out easily with the help of a spatula. I can't think of what to compare it to. It's much thicker than a batter but it's a cohesive sort-of wet dough that's too sticky to work with your hands. It's spread in the pan but needed some coaxing to get it into the edges and even. Not at all like what we saw on the NBC video. You cream the butter and sugars togther than add the egg before adding any dry ingredients and that gives you quite a different result from just throwing everything in together.

I'd suggest that you go for it... make a half batch if you're worried. It's easy to halve the recipe but you'd need a smaller pan for baking the crust - instead of a 9x13 you could use an 8x8.

I first crumbled the crust by hand to get large chunks, then threw then in the food processor to get crumbs - more like graham cracker crumbs, but that was just my preference.

[coll]

When you say half the recipe, do you mean half of half (since the recipe is already for two pies)? Now you have me contemplating trying it.

[housewolf]

Actually I made a full recipe of crust, used 1/4 and froze the remaining. Then I made 1/4 recipe of the filling for my pie pan, although looking back it could have accommodated about 1/3 of the filling recipe.

There's also a recipe available for "Crack Pie Minis" - small tart size pies. Still, it makes quite a few - 8 - 10, way too many for me! But a quarter-recipe should fill 2 or 3 of them , so that might be worth a try too.
http://momofukula.blogspot.com/2010/0...

I hope you'll give it a try. It's a bit of work but quite delicious.

[sasserwazr]

lol, it says even one mini pie is too much for one person in a sitting.

[Tom P]

It is extremely rich for sure... but, damn, it was good!

[coll]

I'm definitely trying it next time I have company, for the two of us I'd probably have to make 1/8th of the recipe.

[sasserwazr]

Did you bake it at two temps like in MS clip?

[housewolf]

Yes, that's what I did.

[Tom P]

I am doing the LA Times recipe this weekend for Valentines... I will post back with results. I am an excellent cook but a crap baker, so I am not sure I should be the test case!

[Tom P]

I also made the pie. As housewolf said... wow. Good lord, it is rich. And gooey and sweet. Really, really good. I was suspect the entire time.. the cookie seemed weird when I made it, the cookie crumble crust seemed like it would not support the pie, and it looked pretty ugly. I also had to cook it longer than the recipe called for. But man oh man, did it taste amazing. I think I would concur with the LA Times writer, who said, unlike the chef who designed the pie, it should be eaten hot, right out of the oven. (The recipe says to chill it). We did it both ways.. .both were great but I think I preferred it warm. This is good stuff.

[sarahNC]

I just read an article about this pie in the Chicago Tribune, and in it they say that the crust is made from home-made oatmeal cookies. That might answer the questions below about the crust. The article also mentioned that the recipe uses heavy cream and egg yolks instead of whole eggs, and that it's based on a classic chess pie (also very addictive - I have a coconut chess recipe that's long been my family's favorite pie ever).

[housewolf]

Any chance you could post a link to the Chicago Tribune article?

[greygarious]

And the coconut chess pie recipe, please?

[toveggiegirl]

Here's the Tribune article.
http://mobile.chicagotribune.com/inf/...

[sasserwazr]

Does anyone know if the recipe is in the Momofuku cookbook?

[runwestierun]

Anyone tried making it? I am in the same boat as the OP--I am in OR and I have never had the original.

[ipsedixit]

You can order from Momofuku directly.
https://reservations.momofuku.com/log...

Personally, I'm partial to the Candy Bar pie (or whatever it's called now).

[emily]

It's not in the Momofuku cookbook. The LA Times recipe has different proportions than the recipe floating around on the web and actually seems to be more in line with the amounts Tosi verbally provides in the Martha video (e.g., more white sugar than brown rather than equal proportions). I've had the pie from Milk Bar and it is wonderful. Sweet and gooey. I'll probably try the LA Times recipe sometime soon.

[emily]

Christina Tosi is supposedly working on a Milk Bar cookbook right now, which hopefully will include the real recipe.

[pikawicca]

It is, and I made it -- delicious!

[jeniyo]

holy crap! 8 yolks+butter+sugar? what's not to like?

[Chocolatechipkt]

That's for two pies, though, no? I think I'm going to have to try the recipe--maybe just for one pie. The ingredients are all easily available.

[housewolf]

Here's a video of Christini Tosi making the Crack Pie on a tv show (not Martha), along with the ingredients list in grams. Corn flour/starch is not included. It's about 6.5 minutes.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/shows/lxnewyork/Christina_Tosi_Makes_Crack_Pie_All__National_.html

Here's the video of Martha & Christine making the pie. This one includes the ingredients in ounces.
http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/01/mar...

Also, Momofuku ships the pies - they retail for $44 in store, so I don't know what they would cost with shipping.

[sasserwazr]

the martha stewart crust looks way different than the one made in the nbc show.

[housewolf]

Yeah, you're right. In the NBC version, the crust mixture is quite dry and crumbly going into the oven, whereas in Martha's version, the crust is more batter-like.

In the NBC version, all the 1st phase crust ingredients were mixed together at one time, whereas in Martha's version, the butter & sugars were creamed together and then the remainder of the ingredients added. This would make a difference

And I'm wondering about the last 2 ingredients used for the filling in the NBC version - she didn't name the ingredients as she added each one, but at the end she poured something liquid (white) from the tall clear container and then another white liquid from a small bowl. Unless her cream was split between the 2 for some reason that I can't fathom, I'm clueless...

How possible is it that, given the very few precious minutes given to the cooking demos, that there could have been inacurate measurements of the ingredients? Or a difference in the oats - where one might have used instant and the other used regular, that would have caused textural differences? Just possibilities, 'cause I, obviously, don't really know.

I did the grams-to-ounces conversions on all the ingredients, and all are equivalent (within rouding factors), so the recipes are basically equal. I think it's a question as to whether the iingredients were identical.

I give more credence to Martha's version, since it just looked "more right" than the NBC version which was done on a stringent time allocation in front of a live audience. I'm wary of the accuracy and reliablility of those cooking demos done on network shows where everything is pre-measured and so rushed.

You may have to just make up a half-batch and try it yourself. If you have a kitchen scale it would be easy to halve the recipe so as to limit the expense of the ingredients.

[25dollars]

It could have been cornstarch mixed with a bit of water? That's how I prepare all of my cornstarch before adding it to any recipe.

[kimchee411]

In the NBC version the written recipe says to cream the butter and sugars then add the dry ingredients even though that is not done on camera. I don't think the ingredients are in the correct proportion in the NBC video on camera either. The cookie looks extremely dry. I wouldn't think the TV producers care that what they show is necessarily accurate, just looks like they're cooking.

The liquid in the tall clear container is melted butter and the white liquid is heavy cream.

[felitashen]

I just ordered online last night after reading/researching

* all the rave reviews from Anderson Cooper (he's addicted and so is his mom)
* Martha Stewart (although she wrongly called it Chess Pie at the end of her segment)
* watching Christina Tosi and David Chang MAKE the Crack Pies (looks easy but I know I'd never try it)
* obsessing over their Momofuku Milk Bar online site

then FINALLY committing to BUYING the dang pies!

SO... they don't give a lot of shipping info. But, EACH $44 pie costs about $45 to ship to California (yea, I had sticker shock at first and then decided to COMMIT to this since I REALLY want to try it). They FedEx overnight to maintain freshness. So they are making it and shipping my goodies Monday 2/15, and they're scheduled to arrive Tuesday 2/16 - for the bargain price of $273 (2 Crack Pies and 4 types of cookies (6 each): Compost, Blueberry Chocolate, Chocolate-Chocolate, and Cornflake-Choc Chip-Marshmallow).

Hopefully they arrive that day cuz I'm gonna have a Crack Pie party and do my own Taste Tests.

[emily]

Yikes! Amazing that they can get away with $44 per pie, but it is very tasty! I brought a slice home to CA after my last trip to NYC and fantasized about finishing it off while at work all day. I found the cookies to be grease bombs, though.

[milklady]

Did the treats come? How were they?

[brustleen]

I have read that Crack Pie is in fact a verison on Chess Pie. So Martha was probably saying just what she meant to say.

[FitMom4Life]

"although she wrongly called it Chess Pie at the end of her segment"

Nope. Crack pie absoultely is a type of chess pie. That's all "chess pie" means really...it's a TYPE of pie...from years ago, made with butter sugar and eggs. Many versions have been created over the years, and this is simply another one.

[rworange]

I think this week they are making it on the Regis and Kelly show.

[greygarious]

Check Martha Stewart's website under the TV show - she had a guest a few months ago who was raving over it. I can't recall who, but they passed out samples and there might have been a recipe.

[greygarious]

I remembered later that the guest was Anderson Cooper. The crack pie was shown only in the studio, on the table/island that she stands behind. The videos housewolf linked to must have been from a later show, probably inspired by viewer interest in the Cooper segment. (I have dial-up so can't watch videos).