Scrap Happy! How to Make French Silk Coffee Pie
For all you Pacific Northwesters, it is officially fall! For me that means hot soups, cozy sweaters and my favorite seasonal sweet treats. I was so excited when Waste Management, the #1 recycler in North America and a leader in all things sustainability reached out about their Scrap Happy Kitchen events.
I was invited to be a VIP taste tester at the Waste Management Scrap Happy Kitchen at the Snohomish Farmers Market in early October (which by the way, if you haven’t been, you’ve gotta go)!!
I was amazed to see all the delicious recipes that can be created with scraps of food that I’d normally throw in my compost bin. Chef Lesa (seen above!) shared amazing recipes ranging from festive drinks, bruschetta and ratatouille all made with food that would likely go into waste in most homes.
The average U.S. household tosses out 25 percent of the food it buys. That’s like walking out of the store with four bags of groceries, dropping one in the parking lot, and not bothering to pick it up!
WM and Snohomish County have partnered for years to educate and energize schools, businesses and whole communities about recycling and waste reduction. In 2017 alone, WM recycling experts hosted 220 interactive programs at schools across the county. Their award-winning program includes multicultural recycling education and community outreach to reduce food waste. It’s pretty amazing.
One thing I learned from the experts at Waste Management is that there are lots of ways to use garbage to do good things. And more than that, the decisions we make in our homes day in and day out, have different environmental benefits.
After attending this event, I was inspired to make an original recipe using food scraps from my own kitchen. After thinking through what I eat and drink during the day, I realized I basically live off of coffee and sweets. Instead of using old coffee grounds as compost in my garden (though that still is a great idea) I could incorporate them into a dessert! Behold: Coffee Pie.
French Silk Coffee Pie
What you’ll need:
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for the filling:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and instant coffee in container with lid and refrigerate to infuse the flavor.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine crushed cookie crumbs and 1/4 cup spent coffee grounds, then pour the melted butter and stir to combine.
3. Pour pie crust mixture into pie plate and press to form an even crust.
4. Bake crust for 10 minutes.
5. Whip remaining 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream with 3 tbsps powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
6. Whip refrigerated coffee infused whipping cream in mixer with 3 tbsps powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
7. Melt chocolate in microwave at 30% power in 30-second increments, stirring in between until melted.
8. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the melted chocolate and vanilla until combined.
9. Add eggs one at a time, carefully beating for a few minutes after each egg. Then add plain whipped cream from refrigerator.
10. Pour the filling into the crust. Spread out and top with coffee-flavored whipped cream. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. Garnish with cookie crumbs before serving.
I hope after reading this post you’re inspired to reduce food waste and challenge yourself to come up with your own food scrap ideas. I know I’ve definitely been more aware of what I’m buying at the store, making sure my family can actually eat it all before it goes bad, and also being a bit more thoughtful when it comes to tossing food. Beyond the typical banana bread with old bananas, what are some ideas for things you typically throw out?
If you are interested in learning more about Waste Management’s RecycleRight program, I encourage you to visit recycleofternrecycleright.com.
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Photos by Kelly Clare Photography
This pie sounds/looks sooo good! What a delicious way you came up with to use some of your “scraps”!
That pie is amazing!!! So cool we can use those ingredients. Can’t wait to try one. I do really dislike eating so much glad. Now we can see how.