#MEwx Warm, muggy, rainy, foggy a chocolate expresso slab pie and Happy 4th of July!

Good morning Augusta

This morning we have partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 70s. Winds are light and variable, becoming south around 10 mph this afternoon.

Tonight we'll have partly cloudy conditions during evening hours, becoming mostly cloudy. Areas of fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds around 10 mph during evening hours, becoming light and variable.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Our outdoor temperature is 61.9°F, the humidity is 98% and the dew point is 61.3°F.

The wind direction is Northwest between 0.0 MPH and 0.2 MPH.

The Relative pressure is 29.87, the Absolute pressure is 29.67 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun/clouds.

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 Kilometers with and that's above the thick fog outside right now.

The UV rating is  0 out of 16, The moon is 99.3% illuminated, we have a full moon, Sunrise is 5:01 am↑ 56° Northeast, Sunset is 8:25 pm↑ 304° Northwest,

Moonrise is 8:18 pm↑ 125° Southeast, Moonset is 4:14 am↑ 236° Southwest and we'll have 15 hours 25 minutes of daylight today.  

We didn't receive any rain here over the past 24 hours.

How about one of these for tonight's feast?

Chocolate-Espresso Slab Pie

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 boxes (9 oz each) Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

·         1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

·         2/3 cup sugar

·         1/2 cup cornstarch

·         1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·         2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         6 cups 2% or whole milk

·         1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         Whipped cream and chocolate-covered espresso beans (optional)

Directions

1.    Heat oven to 350 degrees . In a food processor, pulse cookies until fine crumbs form. Pour in melted butter and combine until well blended. Transfer to a rimmed 15 x 10-inch sheet pan. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press firmly into bottom and up sides of pan. Bake 15 minutes. Cool while preparing filling.

2.    In a medium pot, whisk sugar and next 4 ingredients until combined. Whisk in milk, then bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and vanilla extract until smooth.

3.    Pour filling into crust. Gently cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream and chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans, if desired.

Note

• Whip it. Whip it good. For the easiest pie topping, beat 1 cup cold heavy cream with 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until it reaches stiff peaks.

Nutrition Information for Chocolate-Espresso Slab Pie

Servings Per Recipe: 16 PER SERVING: 320 cal., 16 g total fat 250 mg sodium, 40 g carb. (2 g fiber, 25 g sugars), 6 g pro.