Want Something Sweet? Try Almond Joy Pie

Dear Merri Lou: I’m looking for a recipe for Almond Joy Pie. I have had it at one of our local restaurants and would like to duplicate it at home. Thanks for your help. - Delores, Spokane

Dear Delores: The original chocolate pie recipe comes from the Hershey Kitchens. This dessert, by the way, is so rich that you’ll need only a small piece to feel satisfied.

Almond Joy Chocolate Pie From Hershey Food Corp.

16 Almond Joy Candy Bar Miniatures or 8 Almond Joy Snack Size

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Almond Joy Crust (recipe follows)

Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Remove wrappers and cut candy into 1/2-inch pieces (candy will cut easier if placed in freezer for about 15 minutes).

In medium sauce pan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt; blend in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with whisk, until mixture boils; boil and stir for 1 minute. (Mixture will be very thick.) Remove from heat and blend in vanilla. Add candy pieces and stir until melted.

Pour into prepared Almond Joy Crust; press plastic wrap onto surface. Refrigerate. Top with sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping before serving, if desired. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving, using cup whipped cream: 323 calories, 15 grams fat (42 percent fat calories), 26 milligrams cholesterol, 43 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams protein, 182 milligrams sodium.

Almond Joy Crust

20 Almond Joy Candy Bar Miniatures or 10 Almond Joy Snack Size

3/4 cup graham crackers

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter 9-inch pie plate. Remove wrappers from candy bars. Place candies and graham cracker crumbs in food processor. Process until mixture is thoroughly blended. Press onto bottom and up sides of prepared pie plate. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Dear Merri Lou: Is there a recipe available for Black Bean and Chicken Chili? Will it appear in the paper? Thank you. - Maxine, St. Maries

Dear Maxine: The following recipe uses chunks of boneless chicken breasts for a delicious entree that’s great for entertaining.

Black and White Chili

From cookbook author and cooking school director Betty Rosbottom, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times Service.

2-1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano; check spice jar labels)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup flour

2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons oil, plus more if needed

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped and well drained

5 cups chicken stock

1 (15-1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-1/2-ounce) can white navy or great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup nonfat sour cream

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice

4 teaspoons chopped cilantro

Combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt in bowl and mix well. Measure 2 tablespoons of spice mixture and combine with flour. Place in bowl and toss with chicken cubes.

Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add enough chicken to fit comfortably in single layer. Saute, turning often, until chicken is golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue until all chicken is cooked. If necessary, add more oil.

Add carrots, onion and celery to pan and cook, stirring, until just softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining spice mixture. Return chicken to pan along with tomatoes and chicken stock. Simmer, covered, until chicken is tender and soup has thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Add beans and cook 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, if needed. Remove pan from heat.

Meanwhile, mix together sour cream, orange zest, orange juice and cilantro in small serving bowl.

To serve, ladle chili into 6 bowls. Garnish with dollop of sour cream mixture. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 522 calories, 11.5 grams fat (20 percent fat calories), 94 milligrams cholesterol, 49 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams fiber, 53 grams protein, 2,247 milligrams sodium.

Dear Merri Lou: I recently went to Mazatlan on my honeymoon and the food was fantastic, the service even better, but I had a serious communication deficiency, a language barrier if you will. The cheese was excellent, it was white and creamy, but all they said when I asked what it was and where I could get it was, “Oh, we make it,” and “here.” I also asked about the flour tortillas. Well, you can guess the answer!

Would you by chance know what kind of cheese (goat cheese?) they make, and where I can get it? Also, do you have a recipe for flour tortillas? Thank you. - Alma, Spokane

Dear Alma: Queso fresco, also known as queso ranchero, is a soft, fresh Mexican cheese that’s similar to goat cheese. Huckleberry’s Fresh Markets carry a rather salty, semisoft Mexican-style cheese called Ranchero that’s made in California, as well as Asadero, a smooth, provolonelike cheese that melts very easily (it’s great for nachos, quesadillas or fondue) and a harder Cotija cheese. Queso ranchero also can be made at home (see the recipe below).

With regard to the tortillas, many traditional recipes use lard or shortening. Following is a flour tortilla recipe that uses oil and is easy to make.

Queso Ranchero (Ranch Cheese)

From “La Comida - The Foods, Cooking and Traditions of the Upper Rio Grande,” by Frederick R. Muller (Pruett Publishing Co., 1995).

1 gallon milk

4 rennet tablets (look in the gelatin section of supermarkets)

1 teaspoon salt

Heat milk in a large enameled or stainless-steel pot or saucepan to 90 degrees. Crush rennet tablets and dissolve powder in 4 tablespoons water; stir into warm milk until thoroughly mixed. Put pan in a warm place (around 75 degrees) and let stand until thickened and curdled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Bring mixture to a slow simmer; the cheese curds will separate from the liquid whey in about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and pour off whey. Mix salt into the curds and place in a strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth. Place in refrigerator, over a bowl, and let drain for 8 to 10 hours (or up to 3-5 days for firmer cheese).

Flour Tortillas

From “The Well-Filled Tortilla Cookbook” (Workman Publishing, 1990).

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as corn, safflower or olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm tap water

Place the flour in a mixing bowl and add the oil. Mix together with a fork or your fingers until flour is crumbly in texture.

Mix the salt with the warm water and add to the flour. Mix together with your hands until you can gather the dough into a ball.

Place the dough on an unfloured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover with a towel, place in a warm spot and let rest for up to 2 hours, but no less than 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each between your palms to make a ball. Flatten the balls, then roll each into a very thin 8- to 9-inch round.

To cook, heat a heavy cast-iron frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Place the tortillas in the pan, one at a time, and cook for 30 seconds. Press down when it puffs up. Turn and cook on other side until speckled with brown spots. Use right away.

Yield: 12 tortillas.

Nutrition information per tortilla: 167 calories, 6 grams fat (32 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 24 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 179 milligrams sodium.

Note to readers: The instructions for the Sweet Molasses Rolls in the April 9 column inadvertently referred to sugar. Molasses is the only sweetener in the recipe; disregard the sugar reference. Successful cooking to all!

, DataTimes MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian in Spokane, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The SpokesmanReview, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210, or e-mail to merrid@spokesman.com. As many letters as possible will be answered in this column; sorry, no individual replies.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Marri Lou Dobler The Spokesman-Review