Creamy Oreo Pie

First off, this is another ugly photo post. Honestly, I have two windows in my apartment that I've really learned to work with and how to get a great photo during certain times of the day. Any other place or time and I simply can't capture a pretty photo if my life depended on it. I am going to work on this. I just need to find time to really play around with white balance on my camera in different settings to figure out how to get natural and captivating colors outside my ideal shooting situation. I didn't have my trusty tripod with me for these photos and that definitely made my job even more difficult.

Terribly photos aside, this Oreo Pie, though nothing too exciting visually, is simple but delicious. I had about 2 hours this afternoon to make something for dessert for Father's Day/the weekly life group cookout my in-laws have every Sunday evening. I knew I had to make something that was quick and I wanted something that would be cool since it's been so hot out lately. This pie, while definitely rich and decadent, does have a slightly refreshing quality about it. This one is a real breeze to throw together. It's even faster and more fool proof to make if you decide to buy a ready made Oreo pie crust. I decided to make my own to use up the rest of the package of Oreos I needed for the filling and because I wanted to use my pretty, vintage inspired pie plate. I roughly made 1 1/2 the original recipe to fill my large pie plate. The amount was perfect for my 10-inch x 2-inch pie dish. This is a really simple recipe and is perfect for all those cookies & cream fans out there. I definitely suggest making this sometime!

Creamy Oreo Pie
adapted slightly from Nabisco

39 Oreo cookies, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) package Philadephia cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups thawed Cool Whip

Process 26 cookies in a food process until finely ground; mix with melted butter until well blended. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

Chop 9 of the remaining cookies; set aside. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the whipped topping and the chopped Oreo cookies until well blended. Spoon into prepared crust and smooth top.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm. Pipe swirls of whipped topping on top of the pie and garnish with halved Oreo cookies before serving, if desired.