Thursday, December 23, 2010

an interesting recipe

So, my little brother has less than a year left on his jail sentence.  He now gets to communicate via email which has been SO fun cuz we can share quick little blips here and there throughout the week.  He's doing really well and lately has been working hard with the other men in his unit to decorate their building....amazing!  2,500 feet of paper chain!!!!  Crazy!  I get tired after 10....10 links!!!  Anyway, he and a friend are becoming quite the chefs using food they buy at the commissary and only a microwave to cook it.  Some of it (fish burritos????) scares me, but then there's some that I may try (he did say that most of this stuff he wouldn't even consider eating "on the outside")  Anyway, here's a pie recipe (following his brief comment about it) he and  his friend are making for Christmas:

Yeah, the chocolate mint mocha pie? It's not bad -- not something I'd eat out in the world, but surprisingly, not bad. Here's the recipe, if you've ever a mind to try such a thing.


Matt's Chocolate Mint Mocha Pie
8-10 peppermints, finely crushed

1 chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast packet

1/2 chocolate bar, diced or crushed

1 teaspoon instant coffee (or more or less to taste)

1 container non-dairy creamer (in our case, about 7 oz)

chocolate chip cookies, Nilla Wafers, or any cookie you'd like (crust)



Put peppermint dust in a microwave-safe bowl, add hot water, nuke for 2 minutes, stir -- working towards making a peppermint syrup. Nuke and stir, nuke and stir. A thin syrup is ideal.

Pour half the creamer into a slightly larger bowl, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water, stir. Should be fairly thin, but stir for consistency. Warm water works best. Gradually add the rest of the creamer, adding water if needed, to make a mix the consistency of thick gravy. Add Instant Breakfast packet, coffee and mint syrup. Stir, then let stand for 10-15 minutes. Should stiffen to the consistency of toothpaste (or marshmallow fluff).

In another bowl, crush the cookies and add a few drops of cold water, mix to make a dough. More water as needed, but not so much the dough goes soup.

In ice cream dishes (y'know those glass dessert cups?), or if you go prison-style a bunch of empty Philly cream cheese 8-oz style tubs, coat the sides with a layer of crust evenly, and pour in some of the marshmallow mix. Should make seven or eight. Top with chocolate chunks, let stand in ice or a 'fridge to cool.



Try 'em -- they're pretty good!