Pudding pies are totally retro, but because this is Emily Ellyn's recipe influenced by her Momma, she calls hers "rad."
"It is so Southern, so delicious, and easy," said the "Retro Rad" celebrity chef.
Last week, Ellyn demoed (exclusively for us!) the Candy Can… I Have More Punch and Winter Blizzard martinis at the Rosen Shingle Creek.
Now, to accompany the refreshments, here's another holiday treat in a martini glass. But this time, there's no alcohol — and it's a food — Eggnog Custard Pie.
Instead of building the crust and filling in a pie pan, Ellyn uses martini glasses. The pudding is garnished with whipped cream and a gingerbread man.
"Yes, we're sacrificing gingerbread men!" Ellyn laughed.
Your kids will totally dig the crust-making part, which involves smashing the yummy contents sealed in a plastic bag.
"[The kids] can sit on it, jump on it — oh, you can break it," she demoed. "Bash it around!"
Speaking of interactivity, Ellyn's Popcorn Snowmen prefer to wear scarves and fascinators. Check out our extended web-exclusive clip in the VIDEO section up top.
Let's do this!
Eggnog Custard Pie
Courtesy of Emily Ellyn. See more Retro Rad recipes at EmilyEllyn.com.
Yields 1; deep 9-inch pie or 72 mini-cupcake size portions
Pie Filling Ingredients:
- 1⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup plus 1 T cornstarch
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups milk
- 3½ cups eggnog
- 4 egg yolks (slightly beaten)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Crust Ingredients:
- 10 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups graham crackers, finely crushed (this is about 2 sleeves of crackers)
- ¼ cup ginger snaps, finely crushed
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Directions:
Prepare crust by mixing all crust ingredients together in large bowl with spoon, or in food processor and mix until makes fine crumble. Then, with fingers press crust into a buttered 9-inch pie plate down into the pie plate, and up along the sides.
Set the formed crust into the refrigerator to harden up the butter that was used in it. (about 5 minutes.) This is the perfect time to start on the filling.
Prepare filling by combining sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.
Slowly stir in milk, eggnog, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla cook over medium heat until mixture starts to thickens and comes to a boil.
Temper the eggs by stirring in a spoonful of the hot liquid into egg yolks and blend egg mixture back into remaining hot mixture in pan. Keep mixture at a boil while stirring continuously for 1 min.
Then, remove mixture from heat, pour into crust, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool in refrigerator for one hour before serving.
Notes:
- 1. If you choose not to cover with whipped cream, cover with a plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming on top. Or, sprinkle on some finely crushed graham cracker.
- 2. This filling makes one VERY full pie. (May even have a few spoons left in the bowl...so enjoy!)
Popcorn Balls for Popcorn Snowmen
Courtesy of Emily Ellyn. See more Retro Rad recipes at EmilyEllyn.com.
Yields 5 large and 5 small popcorn balls
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine
- 20 regular sixed marshmallows
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 cups popped popcorn
Directions:
In a large saucepan on low heat. Add marshmallows, vanilla and salt; cook until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly.
Place popcorn in large bowl. Add marshmallow mixture to popcorn while continually mixing; mix lightly to coat.
Shape into 5 (3-inch) and 5 (1½-inch) balls with lightly greased hands. Place on sheets of waxed paper; let stand until firm.
Decorate like Snowman! Be creative with “coal eyes” made with little M&Ms, a licorice scarf, and “corncob nose” made of candy corns, pretzel arms, etc…all added with edible frosting “glue.”