Birthday Pie

Over the weekend, we hosted Daphne's sixth birthday party.  She decided on a Texas/Cowgirl theme, and I was struggling with what to put on the cupcakes I usually make for birthday parties.  (I always opt for cupcakes instead of one big cake because of the potential germs and/or spit generated from little kids blowing out the candles.  Yuck.  You may feel free to make fun of me now for being germophobic.  It's just how I am.  Don't even get me started on library books...). Anyway, as a little side treat to go along with the theme,  I was planning to make these s'mores pops that I saw on pinterest:

                                                                           Source: prettyfoods.tumblr.com via Tara on Pinterest

And then I got an idea.  Why not just make the s'mores into little pies, and have S'mores Birthday Pie instead of cupcakes!  Clever, huh?  Perhaps I should go on Sweet Genius!  Cupcake problem solved.

So, I searched my cookbooks and the internet for a good chocolate pie filling, and ended up choosing a NY Times recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Panna Cotta.  Because it is mostly Nutella.  I made the filling, put it in mini graham cracker shells, and later topped it with mini marshmallows, which I toasted with my kitchen torch.  The recipe made 15 mini pies and two small ramekins of panna cotta for Kev and I to enjoy later.  Which we did.  This stuff was GOOD.  Not overly sweet, very creamy.  Yum.

I bought Daphne a sparkler candle shaped into a six because I thought it would be fun.  It wouldn't stand up in the pie filling, so I anchored it in a jumbo marshmallow:

Then, I forgot to warn her that it was going to explode into sparkly flames, so when it lit, she ran away in fear and I couldn't get a photo of her with her pie.  (The table did not catch on fire, by the way).  It was a pretty exciting birthday moment.

Anyway, I highly recommend this panna cotta recipe.  It really is good, and it's easy because you don't have to bother with eggs.  It does take a while to set, though.  It never really firmed up...it was the consistency of jell-o pudding.  Only it was better.  Because it was made out of Nutella.  NUTELLA!  Recipe here and  below:

Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Panna Cotta

Adapted from “The Craft of Baking,” by Karen DeMasco (Clarkson Potter, 2009)

Time: 20 minutes, plus at least 6 hours’ chilling

1 1/8 teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup Nutella
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts, for serving (optional).

1. In a medium bowl, whisk gelatin with 3 tablespoons cold water. Place chopped chocolate in another medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine Nutella and salt.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Pour half the cream over gelatin mixture and whisk gently to combine; stir in vanilla. Pour remaining cream over chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth. Combine two mixtures; whisk well.
3. Pour one-third of the gelatin-chocolate mixture over Nutella; beat using an electric mixer on low speed until a smooth paste forms. Pour in remaining mixture and milk; beat until fully combined.
4. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into six ramekins. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until set, about six hours or overnight. Serve sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings.