More Brandy

There’s a new challenge out in blogland, started by some of the fine baking ladies at Tuesdays with Dorie: You Want Pies With That? Now, who doesn’t love pie? It has to be my favorite dessert of all. (I’ve been known to bake pies rather than cakes for birthdays.)

Each month there will be a specific theme. For October, the theme is “I Love that Movie!” Well, there was no doubt in my mind which movie I would choose. Who can forget the infamous/famous Potzdorf pie fight in “The Great Race,” starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood? After Prince Hapnick is bombarded with pies, he pauses, gives the pie debris on his face a taste, then says, delightedly, “umm, brandy! Throw more brandy!”

So, in honor of Prince Hapnick, I made a Brandy Alexander Pie (actually two mini-pies) with a graham cracker crust. It’s great for a hot day since there is minimal cooking.

Brandy Alexander Pie

Filling for a 9 inch pie crust of your choice:

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs separated
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup creme de cacao (I used dark creme de cacao)
• 1 cups heavy cream, whipped (whip another cup for garnish, if you wish)

Instructions:
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a sauce pan. Add 1/3 cup sugar, salt and egg yolks. Stir to blend. Heat over low flame until sugar and gelatin dissolve. Remove from heat. Add liquor and chill until mixture starts to thicken. (Don't let it get too thick or the egg whites and whipped cream won't blend evenly.) Beat egg whites until stiff, adding 1/3 cup sugar. Fold into thickened mixture. Whip 1 cup cream until stiff. Fold into pie filling. Garnish with the other cup of whipped cream, if desired. Chill for several hours or overnight.

For the crust, I crushed enough graham crackers to make a generous 1/3 cup, then blended in 2 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons butter. I pressed the crumbs into two tart dishes, then baked them for about 9 minutes at 375°F.