CREAMY SUGAR-FREE PIE

 Good morning. We are in the heat of summer in Kansas City, MO, but it isn't as bad so far as forecasted. Seems the people south of I-70 are getting the hotter temperatures than we are but we are forecasted for 100 degrees for today and tomorrow. 

This kind of weather calls for cool, light desserts and that just what I made to share with the canasta group on Tuesday. There were only four of us to play at Friend Fran's house which meant the game didn't move as quickly as it does/can with six playing. I had posted a meme on Facebook early that morning that said - "Life is boring if you don't laugh, joke around and be a little crazy every now and then. At the end of the day it's about being happy." and said that was my plans for today. I knew that would happen later that afternoon at canasta and it did. 

Friend Fran had gone out to check her mail and then failed to raise her right leg high enough to step up to her front "porch" and had fallen skinning her upper foot and ankle area of her foot and skinned and bruised her knee. When Friend Janice and I showed up minutes later, she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to host. We of course took over and helped her put some ice on it and secure the towel with ice on her knee with a plastic bag. I kept having her bend her knee so that it wouldn't get stiff. With her knee "wrapped" and foot propted up on a chair, we started our game. Every time we play, craziness happens so my plans worked for all four of us. Janice and I stayed behind until the last two hands and ended up winning. 

At about half way in, I suggested we have dessert and everyone agreed. I had made the pie earlier in the morning. The recipe said to refrigerate for one hour. I wasn't sure that was long enough and actually my pie was refrigerated for probably five hours from the time I made it until the time I cut it for us to eat. Well, it came out easily so that was good. 

The recipe was one I had written down back in the 70s and was in my first "recipe box" that wasn't a box at all but a small binder meant for recipes with dividers for different food catagories. It was called Creamy Chocolate Pie and I intended making a chocolate pie until I actually started making it that morning. I was baking the crust as I started gathering the ingredients for the pie. In my stack of puddings in my pantry, I had two boxes of butterscotch pudding and grabbed one of them and put the chocolate one back. 

I love butterscotch. When I was younger I always had a butterscotch sundae instead of hot fudge like I do now. I loved butterscotch hard candy to suck one. On it really wasn't a hard decision to make. I even had some butterscotch chips that I sprinkled on top at the end to garnish it. That's why I named the post a generic Creamy Sugar-Free Pie because you can use any flavor of pudding for it. What I made was a Sugar-Free pie since I used a Sugar-Free Instant Pudding Mix. The recipe also called for nuts, but I didn't think nuts went with creamy so I left them out. I still think it was a good idea and I love nuts also. 

If you don't have a sugar-free instant pudding mix, of course. use a regular mix. 

CREAMY SUGAR-FREE PIE

1     (4-serving) sugar-free instant pudding mix (I used butterscotch but any pudding mix would work.)

1            cup milk (skim milk will work)

1      (8-ounce) container of sugar-free whipped topping, divided (Lite whipped topping only has 1 gram of sugar in the entire container.)

1             baked 8 - inch pie crust. cooled

Empty pudding mix in mixing bowl along with 1 cup of milk. Beat until dry mix has thoroughly dissolved and mixture is thick. This doesn't take long at all since you are using half of the milk that the box directions calls for.

Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the thawed whipped topping and blend into mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spoon into pie crust and

then top with the rest of the whipped topping.

May garnish top as you like.

I hope you will give this pie a try. Friend Vicky remarked it was so cool and light and we all agreed with her. Oh! Fran is doing well. A little sore but getting around. She was glad we were there and helped her out.