Homemade "Billy Miner" Pie

Billy Miner Pie is my favourite dessert at The Keg restaurant here in Winnipeg.  Despite the name, it's not really a pie at all, but a type of mocha-flavoured ice cream or semi-freddo dessert with an oreo cookie crumb crust.  However you categorize it, it is surely delicious!!

I developed a knock-off recipe that I make at home quite often.  Guess what?  I'm sharing it with all of you!  I think the only difference in mine is that to achieve the mocha flavour, I use a chocolate layer and a coffee layer, instead of just one layer.  It looks prettier that way!

Does anyone else out there have a restaurant favourite they have recreated at home?  Let me know in the comments!!  I am currently working on a rip-off of Starbucks "Cranberry Bliss Bar" - I LOVE those things!


Billy Miner Pie

Crust:
1.5 cups oreo cookie crumbs
1/3 cup butter

Chocolate and Espresso Mousse Layers:
scant 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 TBSP instant espresso powder dissolved in just enough hot water

12 oz cream cheese (about 1.5 packages)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar

1.5 cups whipping cream

To make crust:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine crumbs and butter and press into a 9" springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.

To make mousse:
Melt chocolate chips and set aside to cool.
Beat all 3 egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add 1/2 sugar slowly and beat until stiff.  Set aside.
Whip 1.5 cups whipping cream.  Set aside.
Blend 12 oz cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla.  Add egg yolks and beat until blended.  Take half of this mixture and add to the melted chocolate (this will become your chocolate layer).  Take the other half and add the prepared instant espresso (this will become your espresso layer).  Now divide the beaten egg whites and the whipped cream evenly between the 2 mixtures and mix gently until blended.
Pour and spread the chocolate mixture over the crust, followed by the espresso mixture.  Freeze 8 hours or overnight.  Remove from freezer 30-45 minutes before serving, or refridgerate about 5 hours before serving.

Garnish with toasted almonds and carmel sauce.

Serves 10.

Egg "McFunks"

This homemade version of the popular fast-food breakfast sandwich is a favourite breakfast of my whole family.  Sometimes, I just crave a savory breakfast instead of something sweet or fruity, and this option, which I usually serve with hashbrowns and a fruit smoothie, really hits the spot.  The credit for this idea goes to my mother-in-law, who has been making these for breakfast at the lake as long as I have known her and longer.

I have made these the night before, then heated them up in my panini press or oven in the morning.  I have also heard you can freeze something like this (individually, for convenience), but I have never done it myself.

**In this recipe, I bake my eggs in a giant muffin tin.  If you do not have one, you can fry the eggs in a pan instead and then add them into the sandwich.


Egg McFunks

6 whole wheat english muffins
6 nice thick slices of good cheddar cheese
9 slices of bacon cut in half, or a little bit of shaved ham, or omit meat
6 eggs

Grease one giant muffin tin (one that makes 6 muffins), or 6 - 4" ramekins.  One at a time, crack eggs into a mug or glass measuring cup and beat SLIGHTLY, just until yolk is broken, then pour into muffin tin until each hole is filled with an egg. Add a pinch of salt and a crack of pepper to each egg. Bake about 15 minutes at 350F or until eggs are set.  Let cool slightly.
Cook bacon (I do mine in the oven), or warm ham in a pan on stovetop if using.
Cut open english muffins. 
On one side of the muffins, layer cheese, ham/bacon if using, and top each with a baked egg and the other half of the muffin.  Warm them on a baking sheet in the oven, or in a panini grill until cheese is melted and muffin is toasty. 

Maybe serve with hashbrowns and a smoothy for a good breakfast or in my house, this flies as lunch too!  Yum!
Also, please excuse my photography skills!  I am working on it!