Bayou Goo Pie

Recently, Hurricane Harvey wrecked havoc on the Houston area, so I have been thinking about my visit to Houston earlier this year. MDS and I were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed visiting Houston. We especially enjoyed the terrific food while we were there. So when I heard of a local place called House of Pies, I knew I needed to make a stop. As you might expect from its name, House of Pies offers so many types of pies, it would take quite a long time to sample them all. But the Bayou Goo Pie on the menu caught my eye and did not disappoint. House of Pies also serves delicious food, so bring your appetite. I do not know if House of Pies suffered damage from Hurricane Harvey, but if I make it back to Houston, I will definitely seek out House of Pies again.

In the Houston area, bayous are quite common. Bayous are swampy or slow moving rivers in tidal areas. Buffalo Bayou runs through downtown Houston. In places, it has been channelized and developed. But in many places, it is lined by parks so it was part of my morning runs while I was there. Much like running along the Lake Front Trail in Chicago, running along Buffalo Bayou brought me close to nature in the heart of a major American city. It was a nice escape from the city. I know that as Houston recovers from Hurricane Harvey, Buffalo Bayou will be part of that recovery.

This pie's name captures its essence. It is gooey as a result of layers of deliciousness. Although none of the steps to make this pie are difficult, it does take some time. With a crust and then three layers each requiring time to cool, is not quick to make. But it is worth it. The only problem I had was that my pudding layer did not set enough, so it was not quite gooey enough. In the recipe below, I increased the amount of corn starch. I really liked the pecan crust, but if you have nut allergies, another type of crust, like chocolate cookie crumb crust, would work just as well.

Bayou Goo Pie

• 1 cup flour
  
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup ground pecans
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 Tbsp. corn starch
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
• whipped cream
• chocolate shavings

Crust: In a bowl, blend together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until crumbles form. Mix in the pecans. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Sweetened Cream Cheese Layer: Soften the cream cheese in the microwave. Blend in the powdered sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Refrigerate while preparing the next layer.

Pudding Layer: In a sauce pan, mix the sugar, corn starch, milk, and eggs. Cook over medium heat, frequently stirring, until the mixture thickens and is about to boil. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and two teaspoons of vanilla. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Add in the chopped chocolate (do not blend in the chocolate) and pour over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for at least five hours.

Whipped Cream Layer: Top the pie with whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Enjoy!