//

The Fabulous Flop

Have you ever tried to make something that you totally botched up, twice?

Well I did. And I’ve decided to share it with all of you.

I made a French Silk pie. It’s the most luxurious, chocolaty bite of deliciousness that you would ever want to put in your mouth. I had somehow forgotten about this decadent treat, until I was raiding my mom’s recipe box the other day. I happened to stumble upon a treasure of recipes that took me on the most delightful stroll down memory lane. I spent hours giggling with delight while pouring over all of the wonderful dishes and desserts that were so lovingly handwritten by my mom that had been the foundation of my childhood.

I’m not sure who was more delighted…my mom or me…as I left my childhood home with an arm load of recipes. Once home, I relished in the recipes for a while longer and then I knew what I had to do.

I had to make French Silk pie.

My beloved French Silk pie. I’m not even sure that I ever knew, or cared for that matter, what the name of that delicious pie was. All I knew or ever cared about was how much I loved it. The cool, slightly minty and ever so creamy chocolate contrasted with the crumbly pecan crust was like heaven on earth. I just had to have it and I had to have it now

How hard could it be? I thought.

I mean I had the recipe right in front of me written in my own mother’s handwriting AND she was only but a phone call away if I happened to have difficulties.

See?

It was all just perfect. Too perfect. Little did I know of what lay ahead of me.

I was off and running while humming a happy tune.

I gathered the ingredients for the delectable pecan crust: brown sugar, butter, flour and pecans.

Put the flour, brown sugar and pecans in a bowl…

and then began to cut in the butter.

<insert scratch of needle on record here>…

While gleefully cutting in the butter with my pastry cutter, one of the wires decided to break with a loud thwaaaaaaang and proceed to fling pie crust all over my kitchen.

But that didn’t thwart my enthusiasm for my beloved French Silk pie. Oh nooooooo.

I was more amused than anything by the momentary dilemma, I laughed it off and moved right along.

I happily poured the crust mixture into my pie pan and dutifully placed it into the oven and set the timer.

However… I failed to press start.

Brilliant.

As I blissfully went about my business, I began to realize that 15 minutes had come and gone.

I ran to the oven and found this…

By beautiful pie crust was burned.

Halfheartedly I continued on with my mission. I proceeded to make the luscious filling, chilled the pie as instructed and went to dig in. Much to my dismay, the knife that had easily glided through the creamy chocolate deliciousness came to a screeching halt. That burned pie crusted was as hard as a petrified rock.

From the ICE AGE.

So you know what I did? I went for Round 2.

I’m a stubborn girl. And I was on a mission to make a French Silk pie that would make my mama proud. Not to mention satiate my own hankering for a slice of heaven.

So off I went.

I made the crust…

And pushed start this time.

And whaddaya know? A beautiful crust appeared.

Timing is everything.

Next, I collected the ingredients to make the sinfully good filling: butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, peppermint extract and unsweetened chocolate.

O.k. I thought, I’m on a roll now.

I began humming once again.

I creamed the butter and sugar and added the vanilla and peppermint extract.

I smugly added the melted chocolate.

I then, very cautiously and meticulously added each egg.

One at a time, beating each one, as instructed for exactly 5 minutes.

Ha! I thought to myself. I’ve totally got this now.

I let my masterpiece chill all day long just to be absolutely, positively certain that it would be perfection. I was after all, having a dinner party that night and I just knew that this French Silk pie would be the perfect way to end a delightful dinner…right?

An hour before my guests arrived I embellished the pie with sweet little dollops of whipped cream. Everything looked fabulous so far. My Yanni offered to help with the chocolate curls as I went to powder my nose. I pushed all trepidation aside as we enjoyed our evening. Finally the time had come for the unveiling of the French Silk pie, my guests waited eagerly. They had of course heard all about my first flop. Certainly the second round would prove success, right?

Uhhhhhhhh, not so much cocky-pants.

I could not even bring myself to take a photo of what I pulled out of the fridge that night. The whipped cream had, well, unwhipped and turned into a pile of mush. The chocolate “curls” that my husband had so graciously offered to “curl” looked like thousands of tiny ants who were lucky enough to find a pie to consume. Sorry honey. The luscious filling was like loose pudding. The crust? Well the crust wasn’t burned. Let’s just leave it at that.

This photo was taken the morning after when I could finally bring myself to face the music.

It did taste good. Not quiet a slice of heaven per say, but good.

As long as you closed your eyes.

So I’ve learned to embrace the “flop.”

If it’s going to be a flop, it may as well be a fabulous flop, right?

And as for the French Silk pie, well 3’s a charm I always say… and trust me there will be a third.

Cheers to embracing the fabulous flop!

Wenderly

Here’s the handy dandy recipe for you to try!Β  Please report back and let me know ifΒ  YOU were able to pull it off!

Here’s what you’ll need for the crust:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 pecans (finely chopped)
1/4 lb butter

Here’s what you’ll do for to make the crust:
Mix first three ingredients together, then cut in butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until crumbly. Place mixture into a 9×13 inch pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 400ΒΊ then take out, gently pat crust down and chill in fridge.

Here’s what you’ll need for the filling:

1/4 lb butter-softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 squares unsweetened chocolate- melted
4 eggs

Here’s what you’ll do to make the filling:

Cream the butter and sugar, add the vanilla and peppermint extract, mix, add melted chocolate mix until all is incorporated. Next add 1 egg at a time and mix for 5 minutes each (this is very important) on high speed. Pour mixture into crust and chill in fridge until set, at least a few hours. Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Enjoy!


Wenderly

Married my soulmate. Mama of 2. Love to inspire. Can't help but to relish in all things beautiful inside & out. Join me in Savoring the Art of Living.

18 Comments

  1. That’s the best looking flop I’ve seen, and, believe me, I’ve seen a lot of flops. Yum is what I say. ; )

  2. Oh, Wendy! I have had one or two (or three) days like that in the kitchen. Particularly the part where you forget to press start on the kitchen timer. The pie still looks pretty delicious to me!

  3. Ahh yes, the “flop” recipe! I’ve had quite a few of those… plenty of them! This one at least looks delicious, though… I’ll take tasty over pretty any day. πŸ™‚

  4. Oh girl!! I jsut did this exact same thing… with a French Silk Pie! Only mine did not taste good… so I would much rather have had your flop then mine!! πŸ™‚

    Thanks for sharing your experience… just makes me love ya more!

  5. Been there done that{LOL}. I had a strawberry cheese cake flop that looked horrible but made a delicious parfait once I got over the fail. Yours happens to look delicious love!

  6. Oh my goodness…how frustrating. This what happens to me every time I try to make a cream pie. My mom is the Queen with a capital Q of cream pies, and me not so much…and of course butterscotch pie is my honeys favorite. He has sucked many a butterscotch pie through a straw. Give me any other pie and I can manage, but cream pies give me nightmares!

  7. Well, that looks like one yummy flop! I know how annoying it is when things don’t turn out like we expect them to, but I love it that it tastes good just the same!! I think I may need to make this flop myself. πŸ™‚

  8. Love recipes from mom!!! I have some from my mom in her handwriting and I just love seeing them!

    Well, a chocolate flop that is still edible is a good kind of flop to have! It still looks pretty darn good to me. πŸ™‚

    Happy Thanksgiving, Wendy!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.