Today, all over the world, people are making a pie for Jennifer Perillo’s Mikey.
We made one yesterday, so we could freeze it, take it on the airplane for our trip to Utah, and eat some on a family picnic. (The Aherns are gathering. There will be hiking and white water rafting.)
I believe we’ll be raising our forks to Mikey about the same time as his memorial service in New York.
This is a damned fine pie. And I can’t think of a better reason to make it than this.
Of course, our pie was gluten-free. We followed Jennie’s recipe for creamy peanut butter pie, substituting Udi’s chocolate chip cookies for the regular cookies in the recipe. You could use Jean Layton’s recipe for homemade chocolate cookies, if you have the time. For real decadence, use World Peace cookies from Dorie Greenspan.
Instead of whipped cream, we made cashew cream, using this recipe. It was fantastic. The nutty taste of the cashew cream worked so well with the taste of the peanuts that I would make it that way even if Danny and Lucy could tolerate cream.
If you need to make this entirely dairy-free, you could use tofu cream cheese. And try this recipe for dairy-free sweetened condensed milk. I might also try coconut milk cooked down with a little sugar and vanilla.
And if you can’t have peanuts? Use almond butter or sunbutter for the filling, with the nuts or seeds you can eat instead.
Seriously, anyone can make this pie. We hope you make it for someone you love today.
And if you do make a pie, and you’re on Twitter, the hashtag is #apieformikey. If you tag your post with that, Jennie will able to find them all someday.
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{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
Making mine right now with glutino cookies in the crust and almond butter in the filling
I am baking two this afternoon. For someone who may not have time to bake today.
Making mine today after the service, with lots of love and compassion.
This is so wonderful – that so many bloggers are making pie today for her. I’m SO booked up today, but I might possibly be able to fit a pie in while making dinner tonight.
It always amazes me how much the blogging community comes together for sad times like this.
Thanks for the g-f version!
Making this after work with Kinnikinnick KToos (tastes like a whole grain Oreo), and sharing it with my wonderful roommates.
i’m getting the last of my pie fixin’s on my way home from work this afternoon. safe travels to you!
Shauna, Just want you to know that you have friends all over the world, unbeknownst to you. When you hurt, we hurt, and we lift you up in our hearts. Today, we’re sending our best love and prayers for Jennie and the girls, and for the people who knew Mikey. These are people Jennie doesn’t even know, yet we’re with her because YOU have made such an impact on us. Thank you for sharing your life. Please remember the joy and sustenance you and Danny and Lu bring to so many of us who are gluten free…and so many who are not. Blessings!
Shauna, I noticed your mention at the end that Jennie will be able to see the tweets “someday” – but with Twitter’s current functionality, that isn’t the case — they’ll be inaccessible in just a couple of days. However, I created an archive for the tag at Twapperkeeper, here — and that should make it possible for her to look at them later on, in the long term.
I only created it this morning, but I think it’ll pick up the tweets from the last couple of days, too.
Thank you SO much for this. I was wondering about that. I know that she started to read and just couldn’t take it all in. So I’m sending this to her now.
love. simply love.
Thanks for the gluten free and dairy free recipe. I wanted to make one but didn’t know how to do dairy free heavy whipping cream or condensed milk. I am so excited to make this pie this weekend in honor of Mikey!
I hope I get to make this today! Your intuition about cooking down coconut milk is spot-on. I made cajeta (based on a Food52 recipe) and used it instead of sweetened condensed milk in my banana pudding. It worked even better than I imagined.
http://beyondcelery.blogspot.com/2011/03/ginger-caramel-banana-pudding.html
Shauna – You’ll be in Utah? whoohoo! Can I be an Ahern today so I can have a piece of pie? Don’t be alarmed if you see a beautiful woman..one you’ve never met before… stealing a slice of pie and then vanishing. Just carry on.
I’ll be making mine today, too. My heart aches for Jennifer. Praying for peace and comfort for her and her family.
We never did see you there! But the Aherns loved that pie.
I will be stopping at the store on my way to babysit a puppy to get the ingredient. A pie for Mikey a pie for Juan. My best friends’ dad is in his last hours/days, and I am doing my part by staying with the dog so the girls can be with their Daddy. He is more of a dad than mine could have ever been, so in his honor and in Mikey’s I’ll make a GF Peanut Butter pie today and take it to the house for him. Thank you to Jennie for having the courage and so much love in her heart that she could and needed to share. Thank you, Shauna for always renewing my faith in the kindness and goodness of people…you are an inspiration in the way you love people. I am always blessed by people’s capacity for love. Here’s to you Mikey and Juan!
Shauna, I’m raising my fork with you and sending an 8 second hug.
Your care and concern for Jennifer shines through all your posts.
Thanks for introducing us to her and her amazing husband.
Thanks for letting us help console her while she moves through a difficult time.
we made a pie and I tweeted about it and used the hashtag.
I am curious that you couldn’t use cream but use cream cheese and condensed milk? What dairy products can you husband and dd tolerate?
They both don’t do well with straight milk and cream. The condensed milk was tough on Danny (he took a Lactaid!) and Lucy seemed to do okay with it. Maybe she’s outgrowing her lactose intolerance…
Shauna, Thank you for offering dairy-free options. I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy your time here in Utah. I live in Layton and love it here.
Cristina
Shauna – How gorgeous! When I was at the store yesterday looking for the chocolate cookies for the base, I saw some gluten-free ones and was curious to see how yours would turn out. Thanks for the dairy-free information as well. I was wondering about that, too.
Kathy
Sounds delish and god bless all of you.
I’m really curious about how you’re transporting this on a plane!! It seems like you’d have to take it as a carry on, but with it being sort of liquid/gel like are they okay with it at security? I need to take more food than I’m used to on a trip next week but with going carry on only, I’m afraid my toiletries & medications will use up the alloted amount of liquid I get. I didn’t figure they’d let my individual peanut butters through unless they could go in my quart baggie. I’m curious to hear of your experiences.
They let me take it on as a carry-on, no problem. Especially when I explained this to the TSA guy. He just waved it through and smiled.
I made a pie today too. I had too. I am so sorry for your friends. We are thinking of you too! (((((hugs!!))))))) Thank you for sharing ways we could all help a few days ago. It feels good to know that even though a “virtual” community we could DO something.
A lovely tribute to Mikey Shauna. Thanks for also giving us so many adaptations for such a beautiful pie. I am enjoying a virtual bite right now
What a lovely tribute. Made mine and am sharing it with those I love.
I hope to make one when I get home and share it with my sweet Allykins. I’ve been so busy lately that I almost missed the post about your friend. I am so so so very sorry to hear that. At times like these, words are never enough. Grief and loss are so hard. Please know that I am thinking about you, your family, Jennie, Mikey, all of you. There is a story about the Buddha, who when a mother lost her child, went and sat with her for hours and hours saying nothing until she was able to stand again. I am sitting with you all in my heart.
What a lovely tribute around the world. The pie looks so delicious too, and the cashew cream is fantastic!
I am not baking, but I am devouring post after post. Savoring the love in this community and the legacy of love.
Love it. Will be making for gluten-free Mom on our visit in a few days. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts and communication about Jennie and her family. It sure has been a heart-wrenching week, and I’m proud to see the food community coming forward with support.
I made the pie tonight and shared it with family thinking of a family I do not know and sending good thoughts their way. I agree with Nans post 100%!
Thank you so much for sharing all this. I obviously never met Jennie or Mikey but I feel close to them tonight, and to all the caring people out there that did something for Jennie. I’m on my everything from scratch challenge (but I cheated with the ice cream), so I made cookies and used them in a five layer peanut butter and honey sundae and shared it with my honey. http://ingredientswechoose.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/pie-for-mikey/
Where is the recipe?
This is really beautiful, Shawna and I’ve been reading your other beautiful writing. Actually I’ve spent most of the day reading posts by people making this pie for Mikey and Jennifer. The outpouring of support and kindness from this community is staggering. I’m very proud to be a small part of it.
Here’s my pie for Mikey:
http://effiesfoodblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/peanut-butter-pie-for-mikey.html
Beautiful tribute for a tasteful and gluten-free (!) peanut butter pie. Thanks for this thoughtful post.
Thank you so so much for posting this awesome alternative!!
Would love to make this pie; where might I find the recipe? Thanks
i see all of the recipes for the alternative ingredients… is there a recipe for the pie, itself? have been following the story on twitter and would love to make this & share in the experience. and it looks beyond delish.
Go to Jennie’s post. The recipe is there.
I attended your session at BlogHer and the words about not knowing where your blog post was going to go resounded in my ears. When I saw your post shortly after the conference and saw that line about not knowing where the post would take you and then the news about Mikey, I had to stop with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart. I haven’t written my post-conference blog post because I’m afraid where that post may take me.
I wanted to say thanks. Thanks for being such a compassionate person. Thanks for being there throughout my gluten-free journey. I’ve been a follower for over four years and have felt your ups and downs. This one has really touched my heart.
I didn’t have time to bake a pie for Mikey on Friday, but that doesn’t mean I can’t bake one for him sometime soon. Thanks for providing an alternate recipe.
… makes me feel so incredibly thankful.
This is so wonderful and delicious recipes .I love peanut butter pie thanks for sharing…..
Where can I find the recipe for that peanut butter pie?
Thanks,
Lori
Hello! This peanut butter sou ds awesome, but Im not seeing the recipe. I only see the pic! Am I doing something wrong?
There is a link for the recipe within the post.
bummer, i just can’t find it on her website
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