Fizzy ROOT BEER FLOAT
Chris’s first version of this pie earned him his first blue ribbon at the National Pie Championships in the Innovation category. The cool, creamy root beer filling topped with smooth layers of root beer whipped cream tastes exactly like a root beer float, while the POP ROCKS (see Sources, this page) provide a surprising fizz that truly completes the experience. Each slice is topped with a rolled edible “straw” and a cherry on top.
MAKES ONE 9½-INCH DEEP-DISH PIE
WHAT YOU NEED
Deep-Dish Single Crust (this page), baked and cooled in a 9½-inch deep-dish pie plate
Piping bag (see this page) fitted with a Wilton #1M or other large star piping tip, or a 2-tablespoon ice cream or cookie scoop
INGREDIENTVOLUMEWEIGHT (STAN
DARD)WEIGHT (METRIC)
ROOT BEER CREAM
Unflavored powdered gelatin1½ teaspoons
Whole milk½ cup4.25 ounces121 grams
Sugar¼ cup1.75 ounces50 grams
Salt¼ teaspoon
White chocolate chips½ cup3 ounces85 grams
Root beer soda syrup, preferably SodaStream brand (see this page)½ cup5.6 ounces160 grams
Root beer concentrate, preferably McCormick brand (see this page)1 teaspoon
Heavy cream1 cup8.2 ounces232 grams
Chocolate POP ROCKS, or Pie-Proof Popping Sugar (this page)5 0.33-ounce packets1.65 ounces47 grams
TOPPING
Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream (this page)1 recipe
Root Beer Whipped Cream (this page)1 recipe
Maraschino cherries, drained and blotted dry12 cherries
Vanilla rolled wafer cookies, such as Pepperidge Farm Pirouette, cut in half cross-wise12 cookies
MAKE THE ROOT BEER CREAM: In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons/1.05 ounces/30 grams of the milk and set aside. Combine the remaining 6 tablespoons/3.2 ounces/91 grams of the milk, the sugar, salt, and white chocolate chips in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the chips are melted, about 5 minutes, pressing on the chocolate chips to encourage them to melt.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture until it is completely melted. Stir in the root beer soda syrup and root beer concentrate. Strain the mixture into a large bowl using a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes to discourage premature gelling.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream on medium-high speed until it holds stiff peaks, 1 to 3 minutes. Beating on low speed, slowly drizzle the root beer mixture into the whipped cream. Continue beating until it is completely incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the cooled pie crust.
After the pie has chilled for 1 hour, sprinkle the POP ROCKS evenly over the top of the pie and gently press them into the cream. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
MAKE THE TOPPING: Smooth the Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream over the POP ROCKS to create an even layer. Use the piping bag or an ice cream scoop to portion 12 mounds of the Root Beer Whipped Cream evenly around the pie (one mound for each slice).
Top each mound of Root Beer Whipped Cream with a cherry. Insert a rolled wafer cookie into each slice just before serving to keep them crisp. (Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.)
MASTERING THE WEDGE:
Cutting the Perfect Pie Slice
The best tool for cutting a slice of pie is a thin, sharp knife. Insert the tip of the knife into the center of the pie and draw the knife slowly back to the crust’s edge, making sure that the tip of the knife is cutting through the bottom of the crust. When you reach the side crust, continue cutting through the crust with the knife. To cut the crimped pie crust edge, lower the blade of the knife and use a gentle back-and-forth sawing motion. Clean off the blade and reinsert it into the center of the pie to make the second cut of the first slice of pie, following the same technique. Before removing that first slice of pie with a pie server, go ahead and make a third cut, creating a second slice of pie. This will allow the first slice to release more easily.
For creamy pies, heating the blade of the knife with hot water and then drying the knife completely will help to make each pass of the knife cut more cleanly. Rinse the knife blade with hot water and dry before each subsequent slice.
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