STACKED PIE RECIPES

Steps:

• Trim the piecrusts so that the rims of your pie plates are exposed. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, melt 1 1/2 cups of the butter. Whisk the eggs until they are light. Add the granulated sugar, the melted butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla, and whisk until well combined. Fold in 1 cup of the cream. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the filling into each piecrust. Place the pies in the oven, two or four, as room allows, and bake them until the filling is set in the middle, about 35 minutes. Allow the pies to cool in the pie plates. While the pies are cooling, make the icing. In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cream, the brown sugar, and the salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a soft boil. Cook it for 5 minutes, without stirring, until the mixture thickens a bit, or reaches 238 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and let the mixture cool for 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining teaspoon of vanilla. Beat the icing until it is thick and creamy. If the icing seems too firm to spread, beat in additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Run a long, thin spatula around and under one of the pies to slip it out of its pan. Place it on a cake dish or large plate, and spread the top lightly with about 1/2 cup of the icing. Stack the second pie on top of the first, and spread the top with about 1/2 cup of the icing. Repeat with the third pie. Stack the fourth pie on top. Frost it with the remaining icing.

Steps:

• In a 5- to 6-quart nonstick pan over high heat, frequently stir onion, bell peppers, garlic, and cumin seeds in 1 teaspoon oil until the onion is limp, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in corn, beans, and chopped cilantro; remove pan from heat.
• Pour the chili sauce into a 12-inch rimmed pizza pan or 10-inch pie pan. Dip a tortilla in sauce to coat both sides lightly; lift tortilla out, letting excess sauce drip back into pan. Set tortilla in an oiled 10-inch cheesecake pan with removable rim at least 3 inches tall (see notes). Spread 1/7 (about 1 cup) of the vegetable filling level over tortilla. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 cup jack cheese and 3 tablespoons cotija cheese. Repeat layers, making a total of seven; top with last tortilla. Reserve any leftover chili sauce and remaining jack and cotija cheeses. Cover pan with an oiled piece of foil, oiled side down. Set pan in a rimmed 10- by 15-inch baking pan.
• Bake enchilada pie in a 350° regular or 325° convection oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until hot (160°) in the center, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
• Before serving, in a microwave-safe bowl, in a microwave oven on full power (100%), heat remaining chili sauce until hot, 20 to 30 seconds. Pit, peel, and slice avocado.
• Run a knife between pie and pan rim to loosen. Remove rim, set pie on a platter, and drizzle with chili sauce. Arrange avocado slices in a ring on pie, sprinkle with remaining jack and cotija cheeses, and garnish with cilantro sprigs. Cut into wedges to serve.