Crack Pie – What would you sell for just one more bite?

After reports of this dish originating in New York and reports of it’s spread to Sydney and the Eastern Seaboard of Australia, I can confirm that Crack Pie has made its way to Adelaide. Possibly for the first time in Adelaide (I’d like to hear your experience if you’ve made it here in SA), I give you Momofuku’s Crack Pie…

So this is it ladies and gents. I’ve made it and survived although its difficult getting through each day of not eating one of these things right now. Of course I’m referring to Crack Pie. A dish which I believe originates from a milk bar in New York called Momofuku where you can purchase a crack pie for US$44. Their website can be found here: http://www.momofuku.com

They also have a great cookbook containing all of their famous and truly wonderful recipes:

You can buy it here from Amazon, if fact, I HIGHLY recommend that you do!

Anyway, this item became famous and was featured on TV and there was an article in the LA times which can be found here: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-crackpierec11-2010feb11,0,2787157,full.story

By the time I found out about it, it was on an Australian food blog called A Table for Two which is run by talented NSW food blogger, ultra talented photographer and general all around cool guy Billy whom I met with Helen from ‘Grab your fork’ at the World Food Media Awards after party in Adelaide. Billy’s article can be found here: http://www.atablefortwo.com.au/2010/05/06/momofuku-milk-bars-crack-pie/

It’s become a pretty hot topic recently and I thought I really ought to make it after hearing about it from the sources above and after reading some of the general internet urban myths about it. For example, it is thought that an individual who bought an original crack pie from Momofuku in NY after getting into their lift to get to their apartment, after dropping the pie on the floor, phoned their flatmate to ask for a couple of forks after which they proceeded to eat the pie off the floor. How can you not want to try this?

How would you describe the taste of this thing? It’s pretty much sensory overload. In terms of flavour, it is sweet with slight hints of salt and with a hint of vanilla. In terms of texture, the base makes it crunchy, the top is chewy and the middle of the filling is gooey. It is everything at the same time…almost zen like in its simplicity and deadly to the hips. This really is not diet food and has plenty of fat, sugar and complex carb. Protein is incidental. The oats, flour and egg contain a little. This dish is all about indulgence both calorifically and in terms of the senses. The dish is so named as it is thought to be as addictive as its illegal counterpart. After having tried it, I couldn’t agree more. Since eating my last bite on Sunday, I keep thinking about it. Not only the taste but its mouthfeel. There’s not many things like it.

The recipe below is pretty much the one from the LA times. The only things I have altered were adding the conversion of temperature to degrees centigrade for all my Australian readers. Plus the tip on putting the pies onto a tray and not directly onto the racks is more an issue of practicality. There is so much butter in this pie that the cooking process releases some of the butter and it drips fat onto the bottom of your oven and starts to smoke and burn which then becomes hard to clean. Putting a tray underneath or putting the pies onto a tray during cooking means you will only have to clean your tray and not your oven!!! You have been warned!!!

Oatmeal Cookie for Crust
Ingredients
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 large egg
1 cup rolled oats

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 190 C degrees (375 F).
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
5. Stir in the flour mixture until fully combined. Stir in the oats.
6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. This can be stored for a couple of days if required.

Crust
Ingredients
Oatmeal Cookie (made earlier as per above recipe)
1/4 cup butter (soft)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
First break up the cookie into pieces and pulse in a food processor until a breadcrumb like consistency and place into a bowl. Add butter, brown sugar and salt into bowl and mix using a wooden spoon until evenly combined.

Divide the crust between 2 x 10-inch (approx 25cm) pie tins. Using your hands, press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus a 3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon milk powder
1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 egg yolks using large eggs

Powdered sugar to garnish

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 175 C degrees (350 F).
2. Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.
3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.

4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.
5. Place the pies on a tray before placing in the oven.
6. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 160 C degrees (325 F) and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.

7. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. Serve cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

I REALLY urge you to try this, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting more!!

Tagged as: A Table for Two, Crack Pie, Dessert, LA Times, Momofuku, New York, Pie, Recipe