Who wouldn't love a pie made with buttery Ritz crackers?  Depending on where you live, these small round crackers are made by two different brands, either Hi-Ho or Ritz.  They are lightly brown, round, and flaky crisp buttery goodness.  I've had both and think Ritz are far superior to Hi-Ho but I'm sure there are others you feel differently.

Growing up, Ritz were my favorite cracker.  You could serve them with peanut butter, jam or cheese.  They could easily be used with dips or spreads of any variety.  I liked them best when paired with something sweet.  There's nothing better than a salty-sweet combo to make my eyes roll back in my head.

I've heard of a Ritz cracker pie before but always assumed the crackers were used as the crust of the pie, like a graham cracker crust.  Apparently, that's not the case at all!

Hi-Ho or Ritz Cracker Pie

3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts
20 crackers, broken in pieces

Begin by buttering and flouring a 9" round pie plate.  I generally speed things along by grabbing a small chunk of butter and rubbing it generously around the plate.  Sprinkle with a couple teaspoons of flour, then turn the plate in a circular motion until the flour has covered the entire inside of the pan.  Dump out any excess flour.

Beat the egg whites until they become stiff.  Fold in sugar, baking powder and vanilla.  Next, fold in the crackers and nuts. 

Place the mix into the pie plate and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and cool, then top with whipped cream.  Place into refrigerator to chill before serving.

I've never tried this recipe before but it sounds simple enough to make.  I imagine it has a slight saltiness from the crackers.  The consistency though must be similar to meringue since it's pretty much egg whites and sugar.  Would love to hear from anyone who has made a similar recipe or has a variation on this recipe that they like.