Super Snacks for the Super Bowl: Copycat PCP Pie

I have a very old friend, with whom I lost contact for many years.  We got back in touch a few months ago, only to find that we're both foodies.

:-) I LOVE my foodie friends- people who understand the weird excitement of quality, interesting food.

People who don't waste their tastebuds on bland, generic food.

People who love to cook and EAT.

I love to eat.  

I love to cook.

I love FOOD.

Anyway, my family's recent road trip took me from one side of Arkansas to the other, straight through a town called Benton- this was pretty awesome, since my friend had recently sung the praises of "PCP Pie," a pineapple-coconut-pecan concoction sold by a restaurant named "Ed and Kay's" right off of Interstate 30 in Benton.

I spent two weeks looking forward to my stop.  My pie.  My break from my diet.  My splurge :-)

The original PCP Pie from Ed and Kay's

Originally I had planned on splitting a piece with my husband, but after seeing the "mile-high pies" loaded with meringue that the restaurant is known for, I knew I had to try more than just the PCP pie!

My husband ordered chocolate cream and I think I finished off the majority of BOTH of our pieces!

Anyway, after my first bite I knew I had to recreate this awesome idea at home- trips across two states for pie alone just really aren't practical on a regular basis.    And really...the pie's name alone tells you it's going to be something incredible, doesn't it?

With the Super Bowl coming up, I decided to not only make my own version of this delicious pie for the snack table, but to make it in mini form- I really have an unnatural affinity for all mini foods and a mini pie is much easier to eat in front of the TV without the burden of a fork, you know? :-)  The recipe below is for a standard size pie, but feel free to make mini pies like I did by cutting smaller dough circles and using a muffin tin rather than a pie pan.  I used my favorite pie crust recipe, the one I use for absolutely everything!

Those three flavors- pineapple, coconut, and pecan go together SO well.  They were really meant for each other!  This is one that I'll be repeating time and again- and I'm sure I'll be stopping at Ed and Kay's the next time I pass through Benton.  I hope you'll give this one a try- I've included the recipe below as well as linking to 

Mile High Chocolate Cream Pie

Copycat PCP Pie

3 eggs
1/2 C butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
15.5 oz crushed pineapple in syrup
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp rum extract
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 C flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
9" unbaked pie shell

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter.  Stir in the brown sugar, pineapple, and the flour; mix well.  Next add the half and half, vanilla, rum extract, nutmeg, coconut and pecans.

3. Pour into pie shell.  Bake for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 50 minutes or until middle of pie reaches internal temperature of 200 degrees.

Notes for Mini Pies...

*Recipe makes 24 mini pies

*Use three pie crusts if making mini pies

*Cut round pie crusts with a diameter for 4 1/2" in order to fit muffin tins, I used a margarita glass :-)

*Reduce cook time to approximately 25 minutes