Today is Teacher Appreciation Day at my children’s elementary school. About 75 volunteers bake pies. The teachers, educational assistants, and other school employees then get to choose one pie to bring home.

The display of pies is always dazzling.

Look how cute this one is.

Teachers are such special people. They deserve pie every week!

I was away this weekend and had signed on for three pies. I needed something that I could pull together quickly when I got home last night. This Rocky Road Pie recipe was just the ticket.

Rocky Road Pie. I love just saying that. A graham crust filled with ganache that is studded with chocolate chunks, almonds and marshmallows. The salty and sweet combination is over the top wonderful.

The Rocky Road Pie recipe I used specifies a 9 inch spring form pan for the pie. I made one of those for my family. (Of course they would have had a fit if there was pie, pie everywhere but not a drop to eat.) The three Teacher pies were baked in 9 inch disposable pie tins. The recipe doubled was enough for all three.

Rocky Road Pie

Crust ingredients:

6 ounces graham cracker crumbs (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling ingredients:

15 ounces semisweet chocolate (not chocolate chips), coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup whole toasted salted almonds (I used Blue Diamond roasted salted almonds)

Topping ingredients:

3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup whole roasted salted almonds, roughly chopped
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add the graham cracker crumbs, salt, sugar and melted butter to a bowl and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

2. To make the filling: Melt 10 ounces of the roughly chopped chocolate (I used the microwave. Took about 2 1/2 minutes). Stir in the room temperature cream, then add the egg yolks and stir until everything is smooth and glossy. Stir in the remaining 5 ounces of semisweet chocolate, marshmallows and the almonds.

3. Pour the ganache into the prepared crust and scatter the remaining marshmallows, almonds, and chopped chocolate on the top. Refrigerate the tart for at least 2 hours, or until it is chilled and set.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart by The Family Kitchen

One of my favorite Teacher songs of all time.
Elton John-Teacher I Need You

Too cool for the school.
Black Box Recorder-The School Song

I got the cute Thank You Teacher printable at Living Locurto.

Cheers to all, but a special shout out to any teacher who stopped by today! Thank you for all you do!