kowtow to the cow tale #SplashofDelight

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I actually used to get upset when I found a Cow Tale in my bag of Halloween candies. Now I love them!

If you're unfamiliar with this particular confection, it's a delicious, chewy caramel filled with a cream center, described by some as dessert jerky. I think the combination of vanilla and caramel is quite delicious, and since I have a great cream pie recipe in my repertoire, I decided to try to recreate the Cow Tale candy in pie form.

Meh.

Much better.

The majority of the vanilla flavor in this pie comes from the use of International Delight® French Vanilla creamer. They have a new half-gallon bottle that's easier to hold and pour than the conventional carton packaging, and it comes in three tasty flavors: French Vanilla, Caramel Macchiato, and Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream.

While I'm not averse to black coffee, some mornings I just need a little sweetness in my coffee cup for it to hit the right spot. I particularly enjoy the International Delight® Caramel Macchiato creamer for this purpose--it tastes just as good, if not better than, what would cost you $5 at the local coffee shop!

This pie is a winner, folks. That layer of caramel is sneaky--it sort of seeps into the crust a bit, so if you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't realize it at all until you tasted it on the back end of your first bite! The filling is super creamy and packs a wallop of vanilla flavor. If you need a new way to use some coffee creamer in addition to making your morning (or afternoon)(or mid-morning)(or mid-afternoon) cuppa joe(s) perfectly pleasing, this pie is it!

Cow Tale Cream Pie
(printable recipe)

Makes 1 9-inch pie
Ingredients:
Crust:

• 1-3/4 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Pie:

• 1/2 cup caramel topping
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup International Delight® French Vanilla creamer
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
First, make the crust by combining the melted butter, cookie crumbs, and sugar and mixing well.
Press into a greased 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly brown on the edges and firm to the touch.
Let the crust cool for about 10 minutes, then pour the caramel topping onto the empty baked pie crust, carefully spread it into an even layer, and refrigerate it while you make the filling.
To make the filling, in a small bowl, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt; set aside.
On low to medium heat in a medium-sized sauce pan, add butter, milk, and creamer.
After the butter has melted, slowly add the cornstarch mixture.
Cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk just until the mixture is thick and creamy and coats the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the filling mixture on top of the chilled caramel layer.
Cover the cream filling with wax paper and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Serve with whipped cream and caramel drizzle (and coffee with International Delight® creamers on the side!)!