Layered and Complex: KidLit Confections 3.1415926 Ultimate Pi(e)

Whoever first coined the phrase "easy as pie?" Pie is delicious, but it's not always easy! But like just about everything worthwhile in life, the time it takes to put together a beautiful pie definitely pays off with delicious rewards in the end! 

This multi-layered pie (lovingly named 3.1415926 by my family, "because it's the Ultimate Pi(e)!") is both easy and complicated at once. Each layer in the recipe, from the crust to the whipped cream topping, is easy by itself. The complexity comes in the time it takes to make each separate layer and put them together to make one fabulous dessert. Each layer is delicious on its own, and taken all together, the result is amazing. 

I feel like this is an apt metaphor for the way a family works. (Is it just a coincidence that there are 6 distinct layers to this recipe I created for my 6-member family? I'll let you decide!) Each of us is amazing and wonderful on our own, but when we come together, we can work magic. Even if it can be a bit messy to bring everyone together in one cohesive "dish!" So when I read MY PERFECT FAMILY by Khadijah VanBrakle, with all of the lovely messiness that bringing a family together can entail, I immediately knew this would be the perfect #KidLitConfections recipe to pair it with! 

The Book:

MY PERFECT FAMILY by Khadijah VanBrakle

Description from the Publisher:

Sixteen-year-old Leena has always wished for a big family… but when she discovers she has a Muslim grandfather and aunt she never knew, she learns that family comes with tangled histories she may not be able to heal.

“Lonely Leena” is close with her young single mother. Still, she’s always secretly dreamed of more (and, when she was a kid, asked Santa for it). A huge family to cheer her on at graduation. A gaggle of smiling faces at the holidays. But one call from the hospital, and her mother’s hidden past comes to light: Her grandfather is in the ER, and her aunt is with him in recovery. Sorry—her WHO? 

But with family comes family secrets—Leena’s mom’s, and as Leena grows close with her new family behind her mother’s back, her own. Leena’s mom warns that Leena’s grandfather Tariq’s financial generosity doesn’t come without strings attached… like Leena converting to Islam, fighting for a spot at a top university, and adhering to the restrictive rules that she ran from all those years ago. Leena isn’t sure who to trust, yet she’s certain that she adores Tariq and her mom—and that she’s the only one who could heal old hurts. After so many years, is it even possible? And if she can’t, will she have to choose between them?

A big family was the dream, but all this drama isn’t.

Warm, witty, and sometimes serious, My Perfect Family is a poignant intergenerational narrative that gives voice to Black Muslim women. A thoughtful examination of the intersection between gender and religion, Khadijah VanBrakle’s sophomore novel is a heartfelt tale of forging one’s own path… while loving those who stay by your side.

My Thoughts:

I’ve seen this book described as “Gilmore Girls, but Black and Muslim” … And that sums it up really well, to be honest. (Except the main character here isn’t as spoiled as Rory Gilmore.)

Leena and her mom, Asiyah, Have always been super close with the same “it’s us against the world” bond as Rory and Lorelei. And although Leena dreams of having a big extended family with lots of aunts and uncles and cousins… She’s mostly just happy with her mom and her best friend and the life they’ve built together. But win a surprise phone call announces that Leena’s grandfather (who she never knew!) is in the hospital, she jumps at the chance to get to know the family she didn’t know existed. 

Leena’s new family comes with all kinds of layers and complications, starting with why her mom left home and never looked back all those years ago. And how her grandfather’s Muslim faith fits into Leena’s new vision of family. The story touches on many of the same family dynamics issues as Gilmore girls, including the question of whether a girl can maintain a strong, healthy relationship with the wealthy grandparent her mom is estranged from. The question of whether the financial generosity of said grandparent can be trusted to come without strings. And whether those rifts can be healed in and through a new generation.

The story is deep and complex and very relevant today. It explores the difficulties of being black and Muslim in our current society, and the difficulties of messy family life… But once again, Khadijah VanBrakle Has written one of my very favorite books of the year. I finished reading it and immediately wanted to start all over again. And I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

The Recipe:

This pie was something I came up with for Pi Day (3/14) many years ago. It’s been a family favorite for a very long time, and we don’t have it often because it’s time-consuming (it takes at least 2 days to make, because the cheesecake base has to chill and set overnight before adding the mousse layers) and it’s very complex… but when I do make it, it’s an act of love for my whole family. 

The original recipe (found here) was not gluten free. But since my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease several years ago, I have been working on updates to the recipe so she can eat it too. Gluten-free pie crust can be finicky, so it took a while to figure out the right recipe for this chocolate crust... until I realized I don't always have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, and I could start with another recipe I already use and love to build mine around. It's been a long time coming, but this book about family love and the complexity of the relationships we maintain, and the communities we build, was the perfect excuse to share the updated, gluten-free version of our family favorite recipe with you!

3.1415926 or The Ultimate Pi(e)

GF Chocolate Crust*:

1 c. butter

1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese

¼ c. heavy cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 c. gluten-free, all-purpose flour

2-4 Tbsp. cocoa powder

 

Cheesecake Layer:

2 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese

¼ c. sugar

½ tsp. almond extract

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 eggs

 

(Optional) Salted Caramel Mousse Layer:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 ½ tsp. finely-ground sea salt

¼ c. caramel sauce (recipe here, or store-bought)

 

Caramel Sauce:

1 lb. brown sugar

¾ c. corn syrup

¼ c. honey

1 stick butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

 

Chocolate Mousse Layer:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

2-4 Tbsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

 

Whipped Cream Layer:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

¼ c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

First, make the crust*: In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream on low speed until smooth. Add sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly. Stir in flour and cocoa powder, just until the dough is combined well enough to hold together in a soft ball. Divide the dough into four evenly sized pieces. Shape each piece into a disk that is approximately 1-inch thick, smoothing the edges. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the dough.

Meanwhile, make the cheesecake batter: In a large mixing bowl, whip cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add almond extract and lemon juice, then beat in eggs, one at a time.

Assemble the cheesecake layer: Place 1 disc of crust dough between 2 large sheets of waxed paper. (Save the other crusts for future desserts!) Roll into a thin circle, approximately 1 ¼” larger all around than your pie tin. Transfer dough to your pie tin and crimp the edges all around.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pour cheesecake batter into the chocolate crust and bake in a preheated oven for one hour, until cheesecake is golden-brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chill 6-8 hours in the fridge. (Cheesecake may puff up while baking & look like it's going to spill over the edges of the pie plate. Don’t worry! As it chills, cheesecake will settle and deflate, leaving the perfect indentation for the next layers of filling.)

Make the caramel sauce: In a heavy pot over medium heat, melt together sugar and corn syrup, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter, then milk. Return to medium heat and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat immediately, and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Spread chilled cheesecake with a generous layer of caramel sauce. (You will have quite a bit of the caramel left over. Pour into a glass jar & refrigerate. Makes a great topping for ice cream!)

(Optional) Caramel Mousse Layer: Whip the cream and sea salt together in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Carefully drizzle ¼ c. caramel sauce over the whipped cream. Fold in gently, just to incorporate the caramel. Spread onto pie, on top of caramel layer.

Chocolate Mousse Layer: In large mixing bowl (you can use the same one you used for the salted caramel mousse, if desired), stir together all chocolate mousse ingredients. Whip with wire whisk attachment on your mixer, until stiff peaks form. Gently spoon mousse over salted caramel mousse (or just caramel if you skipped the mousse layer) and spread evenly.

Whipped Cream Topping: In a large, clean mixing bowl, whip together heavy cream, vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form. Gently spread over chocolate mousse layer.

Chill 2-3 hours or overnight, until ready to serve.

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie.

 *This Gluten Free Chocolate Pie Crust recipe (adapted from Chef Alina’s Gluten-Free Foolproof Cream Cheese Pie Crust) makes 4 crusts, but you’ll only use 1 for this pie. The extra crusts can be refrigerated for up to four days. Or wrap well and freeze for up to three months. When ready to use your dough, remove from the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Then, remove from the fridge and let it rest for 15 minutes or so at room temperature before you roll it out, so it’s not too stiff.

 

***Note: Pie can be frozen (whole or by the slice) in an airtight container for future deliciousness. Simply remove from the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

 

This recipe pairs well with MY PERFECT FAMILY by Khadijah VanBrakle.

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