With Pi Day (March 14) just around the corner, I thought I’d share one of my favorite pies. This recipe comes from my Grandma Betty’s recipe collection. It is delicious and unique. A little chewy and crunchy. Sinfully sweet with a hint of salty. The perfect pie!!
My Aunt Patty makes this every Thanksgiving, but I think it would be great on Pi Day or even Easter. This is a meringue crust which might sound scary, but it’s not hard at all. Check out the notes below for a couple tips!
Make sure to tag June on Facebook or Instagram if you make any of these recipes!
You’ll cover with whipped cream, so no one will be the wiser. 🙂
Ingredients
3 Egg Whites, room temperature
1 C Sugar + 1/2 tsp Baking Powder, combined
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
14 Ritz Crackers, crushed
2/3 C Pecans, chopped
1/2 C Dates, chopped
1 container Cool Whip or homemade
Directions
- Separate eggs and allow egg whites to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before beating.
- Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine sugar and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Grease a 9-inch pie plate with butter or cooking spray.
- In a glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
- Gradually add sugar and baking powder mixture (1 tablespoon at a time is good). Beat until sugar is dissolved. You can test this by rubbing a small amount between your fingers. If it feels smooth, the sugar is dissolved.
- Beat in vanilla.
- GENTLY fold in crackers, dates and nuts.
- Spread into pie plate and bake 30 minutes.
- Place on cooling rack and cool completely.
- Once cool, cover with whipped cream and refrigerate 3-4 hours before serving.
Notes
- Before placing egg whites in mixing bowl (use metal or glass), thoroughly wipe down bowl and beaters. You don’t want any greasy residue in your bowl or it will prevent egg whites from foaming.
- This crust freezes well and can be made a couple days ahead of time. Just save the whip cream topping until the day you need it. If thawing from frozen, thaw at room temperature uncovered.