Caramel Pie

I found this recipe online when we were first married (2002/2003 - somewhere in there) - it was labelled "O'Charley's Caramel Pie" or something like that. I have never had O'Charley's caramel pie - I don't even know if it's on the menu still, but copy cat recipes can be fun and this one is really good.

Really rich

But really good.

and not too hard - it just takes a while.

For each pie - you'll need:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 container cool whip (whipped topping)

1 oreo pie crust (premade, packaged)

Because it requires some time & babysitting, I make several cans at a time and make several pies or store the leftovers in the fridge for a later pie.

Remove the labels from your cans of sweetened condensed milk. Fill a pot with water and put your cans in the pot. (I lay them on their sides because the water level needs to stay above their cans. I have a bigger pot now, so maybe next time I'll make a whole bunch standing up in my really tall pot?) :)

Boil for 3 hours.

No, I'm not kidding - in the can, unopened, for 3 hours.

(This is where the babysitting comes in.)

The water really just needs to simmer-boil, not rolling boil. But you have to keep adding more boiling water as the water evaporates off. 

(I keep a second pot with just water to the side on another eye simmering on medium and add from there - refreshing that water and keeping it simmering too.) I just check about every 30 minutes - it's a good, I'm home cleaning all day kind of recipe you just look at everytime you walk through the kitchen.)

 After 3 hours, remove the cans and let them cool enough so you can touch them without burning yourself. 

This is what it looks like:

Pie crusts ready...

And dump it in. Spread it around.

 (I let mine cool a little longer so it was stiffer trying to spread it around.)

Top with cool whip. Refrigerate to let everything set and serve later.

(Great make ahead dessert)

The original recipe called for putting mini chocolate chips on top, and although I do love chocolate and chocolate chips, I didn't like the little hard chips with the smooth pie -

I have done syrup or other topping drizzled over the top

and I think next time I make this I might get a bar of chocolate and shave little on top.