Guinness Pie

Earlier this year, I was really excited about a family gathering and I wanted to bring something new and tasty, so I started looking all over the internet for just the right thing, and I found it. This recipe for Sweet and Salty Guinness Pie with Beer Marshmallow Meringue sounded perfect, even though I am not at all a beer-drinker. It worked out pretty well though, because John's favorite beer is Guinness, and the recipe involved chocolate and pretzels, and I am all about chocolate and pretzels. It was a huge hit, and I still get asked about bringing it to the next function, whatever it may be. It takes me about four hours to make it, but that's including the times that I needed to run to the store because I forgot something (every single time, somehow). I made this over the weekend, to make sure I wasn't getting rusty (I was right to be concerned), and because it just makes a really good "snack" on a hot day when summer is coming to an end. 

The recipe on SprinkleBakes is flawless, right down to the delicious photos of the completed pie, but I thought I'd document my process for reference (mostly for myself, so I remember what things should -or shouldn't- look like). Some parts are a little confusing when there's not a picture to refer to, for me anyway, and if I follow a recipe that doesn't have a picture for every step, I kinda panic and feel like I am definitely messing something up.

Smaller pretzels look nicer, not sure why I bought the big ones.

My marshmallow meringue fell pretty flat (like, depressingly flat) this time, so disregard those pictures, because it should totally be as thick as the pictures on SprinkleBakes, just make sure you follow the recipe down to every last detail!

Crushed graham crackers (top left),
crushed pretzels (top right),
and brown sugar (above).

The recipe calls for a can of Guinness, which is easier than using the bottled beer,
but this was a better deal at the store.

Heavy cream and beer for the filling.

This picture is handy because I'm pretty sure this is what the filling should look like
 before it sets, which is not how pudding typically looks. I was confused/worried about this the first time I made it but it turned out fine.

Again, please excuse and disregard my disappointingly flat meringue. It takes a lot of beating for it to come out how it should, but my arms were too tired to go on.

 And how does it taste? It's incredible, it's the absolute perfect mix of sweet, salty, chocolatey, and beer-y. It's sort of like a rich dark chocolate pudding pie surrounded by a salty pretzel crust, topped with toasted marshmallows and beer (basically, it's hard to describe). It's a weird thing to wrap your mind around (maybe), but it's definitely worth trying, and it's totally worth making from scratch.