Guinness Oatmeal Stout Pie

Poor Elaine Skrzypchak has been waiting months for this recipe.  She was my first official recipe request after I started using my blog as an excuse to procrastinate and I thank her publicly for her patience.

My Guinness Oatmeal Stout Pie recipe goes back to a cooking with beer column printed by the Milwaukee Journal in 2000.  My friend Mike Starling told me he’d include me in his column if I put out a decent pie.  Which I did and the rest is history.  Though not the over all favorite at The Square Pie, this bad boy has a hard core cult following that rivals the Barbara Eden Fan Club but falls short of Kiss Army.  It’s key flavors are chocolate and molasses.  Now, to me molasses is a grown up sweetener from way before the ultra sweeteners like Splenda, the blue stuff and the pink stuff.  It’s rich and almost masculine in a way.  Best enjoyed warm with a big blob of whipped cream and a super strong cuppa joe.

Guinness Oatmeal Stout Pie

Fills one Square Pie Crust

3 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Flour

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2/3 Cup Molasses

3/4 Cup Rolled Oats

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Melted Butter

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Guinness Beer

1. Whisk eggs, flour, vanilla, molasses, oatmeal, butter and sugar together until smooth.
2.  Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Add beer.  Mixture will foam up nicely.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Filling should jiggle only slightly, no sloshing! Remove from oven and let set until firm.

The CRUST of the matter

As I begin the enormous task of recipe recording, I believe it is best to start at the beginning.  The basic foundation of my existence, my pie crust.  I will not go on record as saying that this is THE only pie crust recipe in the world to use because it is not.  There are gazillions.  Lard, ice water, butter, organic flours.  You choose your poison and I’ll choose mine. 

My pie crust works for me because: 

 

• The speed with which you work does not matter.  I make this in large quantities.  The first crust rolled out is unidentifiable from the last.
• I get a crisp, brown edge from the use of real butter.
• The margarine prevents over browning with a nice, yellow hue.
• I use Gold Medal’s High Gluten, Unbleached Flour in deference to the support they gave me in preserving the building’s mural.
• It cannot be over worked.
• The method can be successfully performed by a 14-year old dishwasher!

I stopped counting how many pies I have made in 2005 as I topped 18000.  I just didn’t find satisfaction in the count anymore.  It seemed as if I was counting off days until a death sentence instead of marking accomplishment.  Needless to say this is the recipe that has paid my mortgage. I really cannot ask for more.

The Square Pie Crust

Recipe makes three (3) crusts to fill three (3) 9"x9" Square Pie pans. 

Blend the following in a large drinking glass with a fork:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup water

In a large mixing bowl, blend the following ingredients until mixture resembles a coarse meal:

• 3 cups high gluten, unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salted butter
• 1/2 cup margarine

Add egg & vinegar mixture to the large mixing bowl and work with your hands until dough forms a solid ball.  Add more flour if mix is too sticky, a bit of water if mixture will not combine.  At this stage your dough may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to six months. To roll out crusts, bring dough to room temperature and divide into three portions.  When rolling out the crust use only north/south and east/west motions to form your square for laying into your square pan.  Much easier than rolling round!