We ended a wonderful Valentine's Day as usual with a big serving of my homemade Red Bottom Pie.
The recipe was handed down to me from my Great Aunt Ena, who was a noted leftist in her day and served the pie every Valentine's Day along with a heartfelt chorus of something she called the "Global Love Song." I can't remember the words, but I recognize the tune when I hear it.
I adapt Aunt Ena's recipe only slightly. Instead of crushed plain chocolate wafers to make the crust, I use Girl Scout Thin Mints. The rest of the pie is similar to a traditional Southern Black Bottom Pie, except the chocolate layer is made from plain gelatin flavored with raspberry jam. The custard layer gets its pink color from two tablespoons of maraschino cherry juice. A proud urban Northeasterner (she used to say she never went south of Red Bank, NJ, or west of Pittsfield, MA), she decorated the whipped cream top with Necco wafers. Since I haven't found a source for Necco candy yet in Alto Cinco, this year Hailey festooned the top with red rose petals--so it actually had a red bottom and a red top, and a much gentler appearance.
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