Today is the 14th day of March, therefore the date is 3.14, therefore it is Pi day, therefore I have an excuse to make pie.
This afternoon I whipped up a Nutella Oreo Pie. Also known as a NOP. You've never head of a NOP? Well to be quite honest, I hadn't either until this afternoon when I looked in my fridge and noticed that I had some cream cheese that needed to be used. And it wasn't any cream cheese, it was Panera Hazelnut Cream Cheese.
And you know what else I had in my pantry that had hazelnut? Nutella. And that is how the NOP was born. I almost named it Orella Pie but I was afraid people would mispronounce it. In order to get the O in NOP, I needed an Oreo pie crust, so I ran walked up to Price Chopper to get one.
I'm going to take a quick minute to tell you about my experience on the way to the grocery store today, so if you are more concerned about the pie, skip the following paragraph. If however, you care about my life and death experiences, please read on.
I live about a mile from the grocery store, and the weather is perfect, and my car is in the shop, so I decided to walk. I would ride my bike, but the back tire is broken, and I don't have anyone around to fix it for me, so I have to depend on my legs. (That is a plea for help should there be a handsome, single man near my age who just so happens to be able to fix tires and wouldn't mind being paid with NOP. It wouldn't hurt if he could also fix cars that make funny grinding noises as they turn.) Anyway, to get to the store, I take a short cut over a ravine (read drainage ditch) on a stone wall. So I'm balancing along this stone wall, and there in front of me is a garden snake. I startle easily, and so I jumped, but thankfully I have the reflexes of a cat and was able to maintain my balance without falling. This in turn scared the snake, so that it slithered away into the wall, and I was able to go forward in peace. I told Momma about the 4 foot snake that tried to attack me, and her reply was that garden snakes are usually only about a foot and a half long. So I can only conclude that this snake was the Shaquille O'Neal of snakes, or that my fright makes me exaggerate.
On to the pie. Here's what you need....
1 Oreo Pie Crust
8 oz of cream cheese
3/4 cup of Nutella
Splash of Vanilla
12 oz whipped topping
Oreos for garnishing (which leaves plenty of Oreos for eating, so be sure to get the Double Stuff)
First, mix the cream cheese & Nutella
Beat it really fast to incorporate as much air as possible.
Add in about 8 oz of whipped cream. (Leave enough to cover the pie at the end.)
And throw in a splash of vanilla because vanilla makes all baked things better.
Pour mixture into pie crust.
Cover with remaining whipped topping, and add an Oreo garnish for good measure.
Refrigerate for a while, and then enjoy!
:j
