Caramel Nut Pie

This has become a favorite birthday pie in our family.  One of the boys usually requests this pie for their birthday instead of a birthday cake.  I’ve made these pies for the school’s fall festival for the last several years and no matter where I take these, I always get asked to share the recipe.  A very good cook shared it with me (Mrs. Dorothy) and I gladly share it here.  It is embarrasingly simple but absolutely delicious.  Any time you combine 3 of my favorite ingredients (cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and Cool Whip) you know it’s gonna be good!  I’ve also come up with a variation of this pie, and will share it in a future post.

Ingredients:

(Makes 2 pies)

2 baked pie shells (see pie pastry in another post)

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

16 oz.  container Cool Whip, thawed

1/2 cup slivered almonds

7 oz. flaked coconut

2 Tbls. butter or margarine

Caramel syrup (ice cream topping)

Melt butter or margarine in a non-stick skillet and add coconut and almonds.

Saute coconut and almonds in butter or margarine over medium heat until coconut is lightly browned.  Stir often and watch carefully, it can burn quickly.

Pour onto a piece of wax paper, foil, or parchment paper to cool.

While the coconut mixture cools, mix the filling ingredients.  In a large mixer bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth, then fold in thawed Cool Whip.

To assemble the pies, place 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of each pie shell then top each of these layers with 1/4 of the almond/nut mixture.  Drizzle with caramel syrup. 

Repeat layers with remaining coconut/nut mixture and drizzle with caramel syrup. 

 Place pies in freezer and freeze until firm.  They can be sliced and served right out of the freezer.