My best friend Leslie and I have talked on several different occasions about the convenience recipes of our mother’s and grandmother’s generations. Ninety-nine percent of me is completely against them. But there are a couple of these recipes that I remember fondly. A fact I used  to hide with considerable guilt, considering the fact that my favorite cake on earth is a doctored box of yellow cake mix. I served it to Leslie when she and her husband were visiting us from England three years ago and she was shocked to find that along with cake mix, it also contained instant vanilla pudding.

The thing about this cake though, is that is moist with a tender crumb. The bottom gets slightly gooey and I find the faint crunch of the cinnamon and sugar at the top irresistible. For a long time I have thought about revamping some of these convenience recipes, for a couple reasons. One being, that I do not find cooking from scratch to be an inconvenience. The second being, that food from scratch always seems deeply satisfying and delicious to me in a way convenience foods do not.

The recipe I am sharing with you today is a re-vamp of my mother’s raspberry almond pie. Not long after my parents were married, my mother came up with this recipe for my dad’s birthday and it is still made every year for my dad on his birthday. The recipe uses a packet of instant vanilla pudding and a store bought graham cracker crust. I simply replaced them with homemade alternatives and came up trumps.

The creamy pudding is fortified with cream cheese and laced with almond extract. Then it is chilled in a thick graham cracker crust and topped with raspberry and almonds. It is a luscious and rich without being overpowering. I is also a complete and total mess to eat and I love it. I will definitely be making this for years to come.

My next convenience to scratch mission is that cake. It may take a bit longer than this one. Wish me luck.

 

Have you ever converted a convince recipe or have one that brings back fond memories?

 

Vanilla Bean Pudding and Almond Pie with Raspberry

1 recipe vanilla bean pudding

8 oz. Cream Cheese, at room temp

1 tsp. almond extract

2 c. raspberries

1/4 c. sugar

pinch sea salt

1 recipe graham cracker crust (see below)

Whip the cream cheese until it is very smooth. Then add in the pudding and almond extract and mix lightly until just incorporated. You do not want to over mix this or it will lose structure. Add to the crust and refrigerate a few hours until set or overnight.

Combine the raspberries, sugar and salt in a small saucepan, simmer and reduce until the juices are thick and berries have fallen apart. Do not reduce it so much that you won’t be able to spread it over the pudding mixture. Chill until you are ready to assemble.

Spoon the cold raspberry mixture around the set pie, attempting to cover as much of the pudding as possible without manipulating the pie itself. Cover any remaining spaces carefully using a table knife and a light touch. Chill until you are ready.

Top with toasted almond slices before serving.

Note: You may like a thicker set pie, if that is the case, add a bit more cornstarch to my vanilla bean pudding recipe.

Graham Cracker Crust

12 graham crackers, broken up

4 TBS butter, at room temp

2 TBS sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In the food processor, combine the ingredients and pulse until the grahams are a relatively fine meal. Press into a pie dish, using a glass to help even the bottom and form the sides. Keep in mind that this is thicker than most graham cracker crusts and I like the sides to reflect that. The mixture is a bit sandy in texture while you are working with it, but won’t cause too many difficulties.

Bake for 8 minutes or so. You’ll notice subtle darkening, which is good, you don’t want too much.