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Caramel Cream Pie (Worth the Splurge)

Caramel Cream Pie

I rarely wander into the world of dieting on this blog. That’s partly because I understand that the word “diet” is socially-loaded and very personal. We all have different needs. We all have different bodies, and we all have the right to take care of (or not take care of) those bodies as we see fit. However, the main reason I stay away from the subject is because I don’t diet. I guess you’re thinking that this Caramel Cream Pie is proof enough of that fact.

But if it were all so simple I could stop right here and offer you a slice of Caramel Cream Pie without feeling even a twinge of guilt. But I do feel a slight twinge.

The reason I don’t diet is because I believe I eat sensibly. Meaning I eat the foods I enjoy with rather predictable frequency and in quantities that make sense for a man of my age and body type (and that makes sense to me). Some people might call this eating in “moderation”. But the word “moderation” implies that there’s some sort of outside constraint holding me back.

Many (if not most) of my meals are meatless. This doesn’t mean I’m moderating my meat intake. It means my body doesn’t always need animal protein to run at its optimum. When my body needs meat, I feed it meat. Your body might be different than mine.

Same goes for sweets. I can go weeks on end without eating anything sweeter than a banana or cocktail cherry. However when the urge to eat sweet hits, I go ahead and splurge. I like the word “splurge”. Unlike the word “moderation” the word “splurge” implies that a treat like Caramel Cream Pie is a bonus. Something extra.

Which is exactly how I view sweets. In most cases a bite or two is more than enough to satisfy me. Which brings me to this Caramel Cream Pie. I realize it’s a splurge for most any body type (there’s that twinge I mentioned), but trust me– it’s worth the splurge. GREG

Caramel Cream Pie

Caramel Cream Dulce de Leche Pie 

Print This Recipe Total time Yield 8Published

My Cream Cheese Crust can be found here: http://​www​.sippitysup​.com/​r​e​c​i​p​e​/​c​r​e​a​m​-​c​h​e​e​s​e​-​c​r​u​st/

Caramel Cream Pie

Ingredients

  • cream cheese crust (see notes)
  • 3 (14oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
  • flour (as needed for rolling)
  • 2 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • semi-sweet chocolate (as needed for curls) optional

Directions

Prepare Cream Cheese Crust recipe (see notes). Divide dough in half, shape into 2 discs about 5‑inches in diameter and 3/4‑inch thick. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days), or freeze up to 1 month.

Remove the paper labels from the unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk. Place the cans in a large saucepan, add enough water to come half-way up the sides. Place the saucepan over medium to medium-high heat and bring to a low boil. Cook 1 ½ hours, adding more water as it evaporates. Using tongs invert the cans and continue to boil them in the sauce pan, monitoring the water level as necessary for another hour. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out one disc of chilled dough to a 12-inch round, a generous 1/8‑inch thick. Carefully fold dough in half, and slide it onto the rolling pin. Transfer to a 9‑inch pie pan. Unfold the dough, easing it gently into the pie pan; do not stretch the dough. Fold the overhang under creating a double thick rim. Crimp the edge decoratively with your fingers; use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough in several spots. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Save second disc of dough for another purpose. 

Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Line chilled pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice. Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes. Carefully remove weights and liner and bake until the bottom crust is a light golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove pie shell from oven and allow to cool completely.

Open the cans of the cooked and cooled sweetened condensed milk. It will have turned caramel in color and be as thick as pudding. Scrape the caramel into a fine mesh sieve, use the back of a wooden spoon to push the mixture through the sieve directly into the cooled pie shell, smoothing the top. Cover the pie with plastic wrap, pressing it in direct contact with the caramel to avoid forming a skin. Refrigerate at least ½ hour. The pie can also be made a day ahead to this point.

Meanwhile, pour the whipping cream into a mixing bowl, and beat until soft peaks form. Add the sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream over the chilled pie and garnish with chocolate curls (if using). Refrigerate 1 to 3 hours before serving.