Peppermint Pie - Week 50

Not only are candy canes a tasty treat during the Christmas season, they also serve as a symbol of Christ's love during his birth season.

In Indiana, a candy maker wanted to make a candy 

that could be a reminder of Jesus Christ, 

so he made the Christmas candy cane. 

He started off with a stick of pure white hard candy. 

The white color symbolized the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, 

and the hard candy symbolized the solid rock

 which was the foundation of the church, 

and firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a J, 

which represented the name of Jesus and the staff of the Good Shepherds. 

He then stained it with three stripes which showed the scourging Jesus received, 

and symbolized the blood shed by Christ on the cross. 

When you break the cane, 

it reminds us that Jesus' body was broken for us

Source: spanglercandy.com

What a great reminder of the reason for the season!!

I helped this recipe by using a few lite and sugar-free ingredients. It still may not meet some dietary requirements, but it is some better without sacrificing taste. 

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker crust, prepared

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup milk

1 small (4 serving) sugar free vanilla instant pudding mix.

1 (8 oz) Lite Cool Whip

Peppermint candy canes, lightly crushed, divided

Directions:

Combine condensed milk, milk, and pudding mix in a large bowl. Mix well. Fold in Cool Whip until smooth. Gently stir in ¾ of candy cane pieces.

Pour evenly into crust. Refrigerate until firm and chilled.

Sprinkle pie with remaining candy cane pieces.

Note: Wait until serving to top with candy cane pieces, so they don't melt in the fridge.

What is your favorite symbol of the Christmas season?

Magic Crust Pumpkin Pie - Week 49

Pumpkin is the Second favorite pie in America.

Right behind the apple pie, pumpkin comes in second as America's favorite pie.

Even though the crust is my favorite part of the pie, some people actually don't care for it {gasp!}

So, this pie recipe is just for them to be able to enjoy pumpkin pie during the holidays. It forms its own crust. 

(note: my pie doesn't do this pie justice, it really is an easy & delicious alternative, you should try it.)

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) can pumpkin

¾ cup sugar

2 T. margarine

½ cup baking mix (bisquick)

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

2 ½ t. pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

Directions:

Grease pie plate. Beat all ingredients until well mixed (2 minutes). Pour into pie plate. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees (or until knife comes out clean).

What is your favorite pie to top off your Thanksgiving meal?

Cinnamon Bun Pecan Pie - Week 48

Utilizing canned Cinnamon Rolls makes this an easy holiday favorite.

When I committed to the pie challenge, I wanted to truly make it a challenge; so I didn't use many crust shortcuts. However, I felt this shortcut needed trying out.  

Genius....using canned cinnamon roll dough for the crust. I figured it would make the prettiest crust, and make my husband's almost favorite pie even more delicious.

However, I made some mistakes; so I hope to retry it out next Thanksgiving and give it another try (Note to self: double-check the rolls that they have the rolled dough because the picture on the can is not always what is inside, and don't overbake). I may even update this post!

Ingredients:

2 cups pecan halves

1 (14 oz) can refrigerated cinnamon roll dough w/icing

½ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup molasses

½ cup brown sugar

3 T. butter, melted

3 eggs

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

Directions:

Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast pecans for 5 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Press the cinnamon rolls into the bottom of the pie pan, sealing edges together to create the crust. Retain icing for after baking.

Whisk syrup, molasses, and brown sugar until thick and sticky. Add butter and whisk until mixture is smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in cinnamon, vanilla, and salt into the sugar mixture.

Layer the toasted pecans over the cinnamon roll crust. Pour the sugar mixture over pecans. 

Cover crust to prevent burning. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Continue baking for an additional 20 minutes or until pie is set in the middle. 

Cool pie for 15 minutes.

Drizzle icing over the top of the pie.

Shortcuts are great, what is your favorite shortcut?

Sweet Potato Pie - Week 47

Popular alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie...the sweet potato pie.

I originally chose this recipe because of an article I had read online that featured PURPLE sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, when it came time to make the recipe, I couldn't find the unique purple-colored sweet potatoes. I even sent a plea to the grocery store to stock this colorful beauty knowing it could be a popular item for the die-hard K-State Wildcat fans during football season found in Kansas. 

On top of the unique color of the pie, the purple sweet potato contains anthocyanin, a pigment associated with reduced risk of cancer. You can read more about the Purple Pride Sweet Potato Pie here, and I am hopeful that someday, I can make my own Purple Pride Sweet Potato Pie. 

In the meantime, I'll use the average sweet potato to make a seasonal favorite.

Ingredients:

1 bottom pie pastry

1 pound sweet potato

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

½ cup milk

2 eggs

½ t. nutmeg

½ t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

Directions:

Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 45 minutes, or until done. Remove skin from sweet potato.

Mash sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat well until smooth. 

Pour filling into crust

Bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees or until knife place in center comes out clean. 

Purple sweet potatoes contains cancer-fighting ingredients,

do you change your diet to help your health,

and what are some of your favorite changes?

Mincemeat Pie - Week 45

Mincemeat is the least understood of pie fillings.

Just a generation ago, this pie was a staple at most holiday dinners. Today, most people put up their nose when they hear of it. From my research I discovered there are many interpretations of the preparation of the filling. In fact, I put more thought and planning in this pie than any other pie that I had made so far. 

Just when I thought it was time to give up on this mysterious pie, my friend Wendy insisted she had a great recipe. So I decided I would follow through with it.  Taking her recipe, I found an almost identical recipe in an old "Ball Blue Book".  It included an addition of an orange. And, with the affirmation from my mom that she also had eaten this almost identical mincemeat filling from her friend. I proceeded.

I had retained a few leftover green tomatoes from my garden. I borrowed a grinder to prepare the ingredients. I bought a container of allspice and my fruits, and I bought some suet from the packing plant (suet is commonly mixed with deer meat to make summer sausage). I was ready to go.

I took the ingredients and started to feed them through the hand grinder. A little bit of everything in each feed. I found that it made quite the mess, so if you're using a manual grinder make sure you put a bowl underneath it to catch the juice. 

After it was ground, it was time to cook it. The fragrant smell while it cooked was fantastic. I was anxious to try it, but I needed to store it for later for Thanksgiving when I would make a pie. I have never canned, so I decided to freeze it instead.

Ingredients:
12-20 green tomatoes (depending on size, small is preferred)
9 apples (pared, chopped)
1 orange (seeded, chopped)
1 lb raisins
1 cup suet
3 cups sugar
1 T. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. allspice
1 cup vinegar

Directions:
Using a grinder, grind tomatoes, apples, orange, and suet together. Use a balanced mix of fruit and suet when loading the grinder to keep things moving smoothly through the grinder. 

In large pot, add mix, sugar, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and vinegar. Cook for 1 hour.

Either can in pint jars, or freeze in 2 cup servings.

Use double crust pastry and 2 cups of filling for each pie.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Even though this wasn't everyone's favorite.

I think this was a successful recipe.

Wendy also tells me that it makes fantastic muffins,

I will be trying that soon with some of my leftover mincemeat.

Do you like mincemeat? 

Is it something that you can remember on your holiday table?

All-American Pie - Week 25

Celebrating Freedom!

I cannot adequately express how I feel about the privileges that I have received from being an American. Every summer, our country celebrates our independence by setting aside a day during the summer where we gather with friends and family and have some fun. Picnic favorites are generally the menu of choice where we are spending the day outside with plenty of noise from laughter, and the pops & booms of fireworks. 

I took this picture of these girls releasing their toads for the race. I can only imagine these little guys relief when they were finally released from the clutches of the girls gloved hands. Every morning we wake up in America, we experience the same relief of freedom. Yes, we may bear burdens, but we are blessed to have a great nation.

Pinterest Inspiration...not mine.

This pie first called out to me on Pinterest before I had decided to challenge myself by making pie this year. When the time came to find the recipe, I clicked on the pin, and it took me to an old link with no pie. Thankfully, it appears to be simply cherries and blueberries; so I could improvise. And, like many over the top pins, my attempt fell a little short. It could be the fact that my sweet cherries were not bright red like the ones in the picture...or the fact that I had to transform my stars from the "Star of David" Christmas cookie cutter into the 5 point star. It was fun, and I think your attempt may be more successful. I recommend finding tart cherries to make your fresh pie, and possibly keeping the tin foil divider between the blueberries, and strawberries/cherries. 

Also, plan on a few extra minutes if you need to pit your cherries; it can be a little consuming for your patience and timewise.

Ingredients:

1 Double-Crust Pastry

4 cups fresh, rinsed and pitted cherries

3/4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed

3/4 + 1/2 cups sugar

3 T .+ 2 T. flour

2 T. + 1 T. lemon juice

1/2 t. + 1/2 t. salt

Directions:

In large mixing bowl,mix cherries, strawberries, ¾ cup sugar, 3 T. flour, 2 T. lemon juice, and ½ t. salt.

In medium mixing bowl, mix blueberries, ½ cup sugar, 2 T. flour, 1 T. lemon juice and ½ t. salt.

Spoon cherries in ¾ of the pie leaving one quadrant open, use tin foil barrier as needed. Spoon blueberries in remaining quadrant of the pie.

For top crust, cut small stars and stripes out of crust. Place stars over blueberries and stripes over cherries to resemble the flag of the United States of America.

Place pie shields around crust to prevent burning.

Bake on bottom rack for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Reduce heat and move to middle rack and bake for additional 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I am hoping that next Independence Day,

 I will find that some of my friends try this one out for themselves.

What is your favorite thing to do during Independence festivities? 

Pastiera Easter Grain Pie - Week 15

The fruitcake pie of Easter.

The grain contained in this pie is symbolic of Christ's resurrection. A grain of wheat lies dormant and then comes to life in the spring. I have found some reports that this pie originates from the 8th century when a group of nuns came from Greece to Naples, Italy. They used the whole grain to represent the resurrection of Christ. It has been a tradition in Italian culture since then.

I was actually excited to make a wheat pie because of my Kansas connection. However, I am sad that I was unable to find the wheat berries that I needed in town. Even the local health food stores and the co-op couldn't help me out. I may have been able to find them elsewhere, but when I found out that barley would taste basically the same, I caved and used them instead.  

The result was interesting, however my family wasn't fond of this pie. Maybe, we aren't Italian enough? 

I had given a second Easter grain pie to another family for pie-it-forward. They were polite and told me it was good. When I cornered their 11 yr old daughter to ask her honest opinion, she was so sweet and didn't want to reveal her actual opinion. 

I had to make my own candied fruit, but I am sure the packaged candied fruit would taste the same. I found these directions to make candied fruit. I used pineapple, lemon rind, orange rind, and apple. The candied fruit itself was good, but the finished pie did remind me of fruitcake.

Here is the recipe:


Ingredients:

Unbaked Pie crust (bottom and lattice top)
3 cups water
1/4 whole wheat berries (or 1/2 cup pearl barley)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4 0z. mixed candied fruit
12 oz. Ricotta cheese
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. grated lemon zest
1 t. grated orange zest
1/2 T. shortening
1/2 t. salt
1 T. powdered sugar, for dusting



Directions:
Good Friday: Soak wheat berries in water. (Barley does not need to be soaked.)

Saturday: Bring 3 cups water to boil in large saucepan. 
Drain wheat berries and add them to boiling water and boil for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs. Gradually add sugar to eggs. Mix in fruit, ricotta, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon rind, and orange rind. 
When wheat is ready, drain in a colander and rinse with warm water. 
Place 1/2 cup cooked wheat in a small bowl, and mix in shortening and salt, until shortening is melted. 
Add to ricotta mixture. Spoon filling into bottom crust. 
Cover with lattice strips, and crimp edges. 
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. 
Sprinkle pie with powdered sugar. 
Cool to room temperature and refrigerate.

Easter Sunday: Ready to serve. 

He is risen Indeed, Alleluia!

Next Easter, I plan on making pie again. 

However, it will be one of our tried and true favorites. 

What favorite dessert do you enjoy at your Easter dinner?

Colcannon Pie - Week 11 Bonus Pie

Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me. 

St. Patrick

March 17th is the day that is celebrated around the world as St. Patrick's Day. The day where many insist they have Irish in their blood, and wear green, drink green beer, and participate in parades. My husband claims that our lineage is "English, Irish and Arithmetic"; so I usually fix an Irish meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage. This year, I decided to find an Irish pie. I found the Colcannon Pie, which consists of the Irish traditional dish of mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale served as a pie. The dish must be so popular that Mary Black, an Irish folk singer, even recorded the traditional Irish tune of the same name. 

I do want to share the reason that St. Patrick's day has international significance. The day honors a saint that lived during the 5th century that was a Christian missionary to Ireland. It is believed that he used the shamrock to illustrate the teaching of three persons in one God. So next time, you see the colorful green clover you can imagine how St. Patrick would travel across Ireland and pick a shamrock and tell the people about the Holy Trinity.  How awesome is that?

Back to the Colcannon Pie. The recipe has a little bit of everything in it making it an interesting combination of flavors. However, it still tastes like potatoes and cabbage, so if you're not a fan of those, you probably won't like this dish.  It turned out pretty decent, but calling it a pie is a stretch because it is better served with a spoon because it doesn't hold together well to serve as slices.  I chose a 10" skillet dish to bake it in because I don't think it would have squeezed in the 9" pie plate like the original recipe listed.  I suppose you could use an actual crust to help hold it together, but I just didn't see a need for a crust for such a starchy dish.  I was surprised at the yellow color, but after I remembered that I bought the tasty Yukon Golds, I understood why it turned out so golden.

Ingredients:

1/2 head small green cabbage (from a 1-1/2 to 2 lb whole cabbage)

2 pounds potatoes

5 T. butter, divided

1/2 cup, chopped green onions

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 dill pickles, diced

1 large, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 cup cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop cabbage in 1/2" pieces. Steam cabbage over boiling water, just until tender; 15 minutes.

Peel and quarter potatoes. Boil potatoes and cook until tender, 25-30 minutes.

Drain potatoes and mash with 3 T. of butter. 

Stir in cabbage, green onions, garlic, salt  and pepper. 

Cool to warm and stir in egg, sour cream, and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Melt remaining 2 T. of butter. Brush pie plate with some of the butter and spread potato mixture evenly in plate and brush with remaining butter. 

Bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Let stand before serving.

Note: Pie may be assembled 1 day ahead. Cool completely, then cover and chill. Bake pie for 45 minutes. You may substitute kale for the cabbage.

Whether you ate corned beef or planted your potatoes, I hope you had a great St. Patrick's Day. Next year, when you see this holiday approaching on the calendar, you can remember the blessing that God gave us when St. Patrick shared with the people of Ireland the colorful shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity.