Walnut Pie Crust

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups coarsely ground walnuts
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Press mixture firmly onto bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Bake at 325*F for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.

Coffee Cream Filling

Ingredients:
2/3  cup sugar
5  tablespoons cornstarch
1/2  teaspoon salt
1 cup Evaporated milk
1 cup Strong coffee
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Whipped Cream

Combine dry ingredients- sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Heat milk and coffee together.  Add hot milk and coffee to dry mixture gradually, stirring constantly as you pour.

Cook coffee mixture over boiling water (double boiler if you have one, or just use a mixing bowl that you sit on top of a gently boiling saucepan).  Cook until thick and smooth, stirring frequently (about 15 minutes). Pour a ladle full of the mixture over the egg that you have beaten and set aside- blending thoroughly. 

Poor the coffee egg mixture back into your double boiler set-up and cook 2 minutes longer.  Cool for 20 minutes.  Add vanilla.  Turn mixture into the walnut shell.  Cool at least a couple of hours in the fridge.  Cover with whipped cream (or put your whipped cream on nicely with a pastry bag, like Martha). 

karen.george@azwm.com