My Chocolate Season: Texas Trash Pie

My annual planning process for which recipes I will share here begins in January of each year - after my final post occurs just before the New Year. That's when I open a new Document file and begin collecting recipe links/and or choosing recipes from my existing files. But I then allow plenty of leeway when it comes to scheduling which recipe I will spotlight each week.

Such was the case with this week's Texas Trash Pie post. A pre-made, rolled pie crust languishing in our refrigerator turned my attention to this recipe. That's when I unrolled the crust into my deep dish pie pan, covered it with foil and placed it in our freezer as I prepared breakfast. By mid-afternoon the crust was ready for filling. 

I had hit the grocery store for several recipe ingredients earlier in the day and purchased the little pretzels, in this photo of my food processor.

VOE - But I had forgotten to purchase more graham crackers, so I improvised. Out came a small package of graham snacks from a recent flight, and the last of a package with bear-shaped graham snacks. And when their combination didn't equal the required cupful, I also retrieved some chocolate-flavored 'Teddy bears' to level things out. Because...who doesn't love more chocolate?

By the way, I am so grateful for my workhorse of a food processor in recipes like these. Although I'm sure the rolling pin and plastic food bag work fine, I love having the ability to simply 'zap' any ingredients that need it!

VOE - Although I diligently searched for caramel 'bits' at our large suburban grocery store, I didn't see a single package on the shelves. So I substituted butterscotch chips - a favorite sweet flavor for my husband, Mark. I also substituted ground walnuts for Chef Jenn's suggested pecan pieces, because I'm never without walnuts.

​I then thoroughly combined all my dry ingredients in a stainless steel bowl, melted some butter, and stirred it in along with the sweetened condensed milk. 

With the protective foil removed, my crust was ready for filling.

This recipe is well worth the effort. Easy prep, quick bake time, and tolerable cooling time before cutting (and indulging!), resulted in a fast, tasty treat with a pleasant combination of textures.