Exploremores™ Rocky Road Pie

Exploremores™ Rocky Road Pie Recipe

Recipe By Brittany Bardeleben, Head Pastry Chef at Hot Cakes

If you love the sweet, salty, chocolatey magic of Girl Scout cookies, this Exploremores™ Rocky Road Pie is about to become your new favorite way to savor every crumb. With a buttery Exploremores™ cookie crust, rich chocolate cream filling, gooey caramel-marshmallow rocky road layer, and fluffy salted caramel whipped cream on top, this dessert is equal parts adventure and pure joy—just like Girl Scouts themselves.

Makes one 9” deep dish pie, serves 8-10

Exploremores™ cookie crust

12oz Exploremores™ cookies

2.75oz melted butter

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Using a food processor, pulse the Exploremores™ cookies until they are broken down to crumbs. Meanwhile, melt the butter. Dump the ground cookies into a bowl, and sprinkle in the salt. Next, pour in the melted butter and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture is completely combined and will clump together in your fist. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Press the cookie crust into the bottom and sides of the pie plate until evenly distributed

Bake at 350 degrees until firm to the touch, about 20 minutes (bake times may vary depending on your oven).

Cool to room temperature, then place in the freezer while you prepare the fillings.

Chocolate cream filling

9 ounces sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

1 ½ ounces cocoa powder

1 ¼ ounces cornstarch

8 egg yolks

3 cups whole milk

4 ounces chocolate chips

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk the sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and cornstarch together in a pot. Add the egg yolks and 1oz of the milk. Whisk until lump-free, then slowly add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Once it boils, set a timer for 90 seconds, and cook, whisking constantly. Stand back, as the mixture will bubble up. Remove the pudding from the heat and add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Whisk until the chocolate chips are melted. Scrape the mixture into a clean bowl and cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside while you prepare the rocky road layer.

Smoked almond rocky road layer

2 ½ ounces smoked almonds, toasted and chopped (you can use un-smoked almonds if you prefer)

2 ½ ounces Hot Cakes dry burned caramel sauce, or your favorite jarred caramel sauce

1 ½ ounces mini marshmallows

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients until well combined. If your caramel sauce has been refrigerated, microwave it in 20-second bursts until it is flowing and liquid. If you are opening a new jar at room temperature, the texture will be just right and there will be no need to heat it. Pour the caramel coated marshmallows and almonds into the bottom of the chilled pie crust. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

Scrape the chocolate pudding into the pie crust. You may have some extra pudding, depending on the depth of your pie plate. If so, reserve it for another treat at a later time. It freezes well.

Set the pudding pie aside to chill until cold while you prepare the whipped topping.

Salted caramel whipped cream

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, chilled

½ cup Hot Cakes dry burned caramel sauce

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Apply the whipped cream to the top of your pie. You can fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe decorative rosettes on top of your pie, or you can scrape the mixture on top of your pie and make swirls using the back of a spoon. Top with shaved dark chocolate if desired.

Thank you, Brittany, for submitting this recipe! You can see more of Brittany's creations at https://getyourhotcakes.com/