Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie

I love to cook. I love to bake. I love to entertain.

I have said many times over the years, that I would love nothing more than to be a wealthy, socialite housewife so that I can entertain and throw fabulous cocktail parties and swanky soirees all the time, whenever the shindig spirit moves me! Right now I am a middle-class housewife that entertains when I can afford it. Boo.

I really do love to entertain and host. I think hospitality is one of my God-given gifts. And a fun one it is!

Any reason to host, throw, or plan a party, get-together, or whatever, I’m in. I’m on it like white on rice. And then I like to add rainbow sprinkles to the whole shebang. That’s just a metaphor of sprinkling in snazz, jazz, pizazz and flair; my own personal, creative touches to every little detail possible. (Plain white rice is boring, afterall.) I’m all about the deets; fun, fabulous and festive ones at that.

I’m telling ya, just give me a few great recipes, a couple of colorful Chinese paper lanterns and a package of chic little cocktail napkins, and you have one happy girl (and hostess!)

You know, even if I had deep pockets or an expendable cash flow to afford a plethora of caterers and bartenders, chefs and bakers, I still wouldn’t hire it all out. Nope, I wouldn't. I would still plan the menu myself and make the delectable nibbles myself, and bake the sweet schnibbles myself. Yep, I would. Not to mention still having a heavy hand in party décor and delight. Who needs professional party planners when party planning is your own, personal passion?! I would still do it all, because I love it. The big 3… cooking, baking and entertaining. I love it all.

Even my little girl has been bitten by the fabulous and exciting party bug. She has always loved pretend play and often throws and plans parties of her own. As we speak, she's in her playroom, planning a surprise, hedgehog themed birthday party for one of her stuffed animals or “guys” as she calls them. She just came down a few minutes ago and handed me a book, Hodge the Hedgehog, it’s my “invitation” to Peeper’s birthday party. Peepers is one of her “guys” who also happens to be a hedgehog himself, so naturally he’s being fêted a grandioso and appropriately themed hedgehog birthday bash. She’s upstairs talking a mile a minute about invitations and decorations, cake and presents. Peepers’ favorite color is green. I would bet my life’s savings that green details will be everywhere when I arrive at the birthday party that my creative child is so fervently planning for her beloved guy. Lucky Peepers. Gosh, I love my kid.

So this weekend my dear friend and former across-the-street neighbor, A, was visiting from out of town. What a primo-perfect occasion to host a small girls’ get-together. We had dinner at one of our favorite, local Japanese joints and then a few of us girls came back to my place for dessert and after-dinner drinks. I baked up a couple of sweet treats, my hubbs mixed up a couple of cocktails, and in typical girly-girl fashion, fun was had by all. (Shout out to Fly Tape Evans!)

Even mini mingles like Saturday night feed the joy of an entertaining soul. Especially this wallet-watching, housewife hostess!

One of my go-to, no-secret, super-simple and crowd-pleasing desserts when hosting and entertaining is Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie. It’s quick and easy, and everyone loves it. I dare you to even TRY and eat only a schnibble. Can’t do it.

I wish I had taken a photo of the pie slice while it was still all hot and right out of the oven, so you could see they yummy, ooey-gooey, melty, chocolatey goodness of the pie innards, but alas, I did not. It’s still pretty scrumptious looking though, isn’t it? Add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top of your warm pie slice and you’ve got yourself a pie party in your mouth, people. Seriously!

INGREDIENTS
Recipe from Nestlé

1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell*
2 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened
1 cup (6 ounces) Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (chocolate chips)
1 cup chopped nuts *I like pecans or peecans (depending on where you live!)

*If using a frozen pie shell, use deep-dish style, thawed completely. Bake on baking sheet; increase baking time slightly.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Beat eggs in large bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55-60 minutes or until knife comes out of pie center clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Serves 8.