basic pie problems

[brokenscale]

In my nutrition business we make healthy pies. They are no bakes with 22g of protien per slice. Basically a protien based meal turned into a pie. The problem I am having with them is they dont set properly. Everyone else says the recipes work great for them. But for me they are always runny and not set. I have tried varying whipping times from 1 to 8 min in one min intervals. I have tried letting it sit longer in the fridge. And yet the pie isnt set. When you cut a slice the pie runs. I thought about adding gelatin to it to get it to firm up but was wondering how much i should use if any. the recipes can be found at www.wlc101.net but here is a recipe i make often.

Snickers Pie

1. Oreo crust

2. 1 cup chocolate Formula 1 shake mix

3. 2 cups milk

4.1 small boxes chocolate sugar-free fat-free pudding

5.1 tsp baking cocoa

6. 1/4 Cup chunky peanut butter

7. Cool whip for topping

8. Finely chopped peanuts for topping

Mix milk, Formula 1, cocoa, peanut butter, and pudding mix well. Pour into crust, refridge until set. Spread cool whip on top of pie. Sprinkle with 1 tsp finely chopped peanuts.

Any ideas on how to fix it?

[Lisa Shock]

Are you using the instant type puddings, or the regular?

[brokenscale]

instant

[scott123]

I see two potential reasons why your results are inconsistent with the other people making this:

Compactible Drink Mix

How are you measuring the cup of dry drink mix? Spooning? Scooping? I wouldn't necessarily press the mix into the measuring cup, but I'd tap the cup so the mix settles a bit, which will allow you to fit more.

Chunky vs. Smooth PB

Peanut butter is a dry solid in oil emulsion. When water is added, if the solids are small (smooth PB), they will absorb water and the mixture will thicken. With larger pieces (chunky), though, less water is absorbed. I'd go with smooth.

Oh, and the recipe states "1 pkg. white chocolate sugar free pudding." Make sure you're using the same package size.

Edited June 1, 2010 by scott123 (log)

[sheetz]

I'll assume you're using ice cold milk and Jello brand pudding.

Also are you using an electric mixer? I wonder if you may be overbeating it. I normally just whisk instant pudding by hand or shake it up in a tupperware container.

Have you tried making the pie with just the pudding and seeing if that sets?

[reenicake]

are you using regular cow's milk or soy/rice/etc? I have made instant pudding mixes with soy milk and they just do not set... same with rice or other grain-based milks. If we want pudding it has to be the cornstarch-thickened type. options:

1. If you still do not have setting with regular or skim cow's mik, you can try adding some whey powder.

2. On the other hand, if you want to see if it sets with just the pudding, make the pudding first, let that set, then add the peanut butter, formula 1 etc. before pouring it into the crust.

3. Gelatin would be 1 tbsp. -- sprinkle it on top of 1/4 cup water and let it bloom, then warm in the microwave until clear (usually only about 30 sec.) then temper in some of the pudding before stirring it into the larger amount of pudding. Actually, it might help to temper it with the peanut butter so that the fats melt a little.

HTH.