Eggnog Cream Pie - Week 52

Whipped Cream with the rich taste of Egg Nog makes this a delicious dessert.

I wanted to finish the year off big with a grand gesture of decorative crusts, maybe even a painted design on the crust. But instead, I finished it up with a simple creamy treat.

Ingredients:

1 bottom pie crust, prebaked

1 (4.6 oz) pkg non-instant vanilla pudding

¼ t. nutmeg

1-1/2 cups eggnog

2 cups heavy cream

1 pinch nutmeg

Directions:

In medium saucepan, combine pudding mix, ¼ t. nutmeg, and eggnog. Mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat.  

Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. 

In a medium bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Remove the cold pudding from the refrigerator, and beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into baked pie shell. Sprinkle additional nutmeg over the top. Refrigerate overnight.

During the holidays, I typically have a strong desire to

do some grand project when simple is just perfectly fine. 

What simple projects do you enjoy during the holidays?

Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie - Week 40

Hearty oatmeal pie that will remind you of a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie.

The chocolate layer in the bottom of this pie is a nice treat. Even though this may have not been a favorite for our house, I think it could be a favorite for the right home.  I would love to hear from you and hear about your results with this pie!

Ingredients:

1 bottom pie crust, prebaked

1-1/2 cups oats

¼ cup heavy cream

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

¾ cup brown sugar

5 T. butter, melted

½ t. salt

¼ t. ginger

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup corn syrup

2 t. cider vinegar

1 t. vanilla

4 large eggs


Directions:

1. Toast oats on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Bring to a boil heavy cream in small saucepan. Remove and add chocolate chips. Let sit for 5 minutes

3. Whisk until smooth and spread evenly in bottom of pie shell.

4. Place pie in freezer while you make rest of the filling.

5. Mix brown sugar, butter, salt, and ginger. Add syrups, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in oats.

6. Remove pie crust from freezer and pour filling into crust.

7. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 or until edges are set and puffed slightly.

8. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Variation from birdsblack.com

This pie could easily be eaten for breakfast,

 what do you think?

Salted Honey Pie - Week 39

Thin slice of honey sweetness topped with salt.

The process that honeybees go through to make this sweetened sticky treat is fascinating. 

About 5 years ago, we got an up close experience with the magic of bees. Apparently we had a group of bees that decided to reside in our pine tree. Within a few hours their residence turned into a large party.

Thankfully, our neighbors had connections with someone that could take care of the problem. He sat a box underneath the branch. He gave the branch a quick shake, and the bees fell into his box. He let the bees get comfortable in their new home for another hour and then took them away with him.  Since then, we've had a couple more bee incidents in the neighborhood especially in early summer.

But as long they can get relocated, it is all good in the neighborhood.

If you like the taste of honey, you'll surely love this sweet pie that is topped with some sea salt for balance.

Ingredients:
1 bottom pie crust – baked
½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup sugar
2 T. cornmeal
¼ t. salt
¾ cup honey
3 eggs
½ cup cream
2 t. white vinegar
1 t. vanilla
Sea salt



Directions:

Combine melted butter with sugar, ¼ t. salt, and cornmeal to make a thick paste. Add the honey, vanilla and vinegar and mix together. Fold in the eggs, add the cream and blend. Pour

the filling into a pre-baked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. The filling will puff up like a marshmallow and the center will be just slightly wobbly. Once cooled (at least one hour), finish with a sprinkling of sea salt.

Do you have a favorite way to eat honey?

Peach Pie - Week 38

My personal favorite is the Peach Pie.

I had to wait until the year was underway to make my favorite pie to take advantage of the fresh peaches that abound in the stores in early fall.  Its simple sweet taste with cinnamon and nutmeg in a flaky crust makes it irresistible.  I enjoy this pie warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Ingredients:

1 Pie pastry – double crust
5 cups peaches, peeled, sliced
2 T. lemon juice
½ c. flour
1 c. sugar
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. nutmeg
½ t. salt



Directions:
Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour mixture gently over peaches and mix gently.

Pour into crust.

Cover with top crust, and cut several slits in the top crust to vent stem.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 additional minutes or until juices begin to bubble through vents.

Now that I shared my favorite, what is your favorite pie?

S'more Chocolate Pie - Week 30

 There is s'more for everyone in this pie.

With 3 layers of chocolate and a marshmallow top over the graham cracker crust, it is everything that you love in your campfire favorite. You'll want to resist the temptation of having a generous slice because a tiny thin slice will be about just right as it is so sugary sweet.

My son and his friend stopped in their tracks when they saw this pie cooling on the kitchen table. Their eyes glazed over, and you could see their mouths watering at the sight. It was difficult to wait until it cooled down and was served after the main courses.  Strange vegetables were even consumed to get the chance to eat a slice of this pie.  After a few bites and the declaration of "this is the best pie ever",  even the preteen boys had to take a step back and let it settle before they could finish their slice.  So, you'll want to slice this to save s'more for later. It kept well in the fridge and was a treat when you just wanted s'more.

I plan on this pie making another appearance in our home during the holidays. I may put it in a square pan and cut it in small squares to serve along with holiday candies and fudges.

Ingredients:
1 prepared graham cracker crust
1 c. milk chocolate chips
1 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk, divided
1-1/2 t. vanilla, divided
1-1/2 c miniature marshmallows





Directions:
In microwave-safe bowl, combine milk chocolate chips, 1/3 can sweetened condensed milk, and ½ t. vanilla.
Microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir until chips are melted, and pour into bottom of prepared crust.

Refrigerate while preparing next layer. Melt white chocolate chips, 1/3 can sweetened condensed milk, and ½ t. vanilla at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir until chips are melted, and pour over milk chocolate layer. 





Refrigerate while preparing 3rd layer. Melt semi-sweet chips, 1/3 can sweetened condensed milk, and ½ t. vanilla at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir until chips are melted, and pour over white chocolate layer. 










Preheat the broiler. Cover top of pie with marshmallows, and place under broiler for a few minutes just until marshmallows are lightly browned.


Refrigerate.

This pie will remind you of sitting around the campfire and

spending time with friends and family.

Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pie - Week 23

Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie is a tasty treat for the whole family.

Over the last 6 months, I've learned that there are wide range of "favorite pies" among family and friends. This pie is a common favorite.  My family was hesitant on declaring this on their favorite list too, until they tried it. I suspect that my husband was afraid that it would have fake-banana flavoring taste like banana laffy taffy (which I love, and he despises). However, there is nothing fake about this pie at all. The simple creamy flavors mix well with the fresh banana slices along with the crispy crust, which make it a tasty slice.

Meringue tops this pie, and I have found that it is really easy to make. The key is a chilled bowl and cooled egg whites.  However, it would also be delicious topped with whipped cream.

Ingredients (Pie):

1 pie pastry, baked

3 cups, milk, scalded

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 t. salt

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 T. butter

1 t. vanilla

3 bananas

Ingredients (Meringue):

3 egg whites

3 T. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

Directions (Pie):

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk. Over medium heat; stir constantly, cook until thickened. Cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, beat 3 egg yolks. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks. When thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture. Cook for 2 additional minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla. Let sit until lukewarm. Slice bananas and scatter in baked pie shell. Pour warm mixture over bananas. Topped with whipped cream or Meringue.

Directions (Meringue):

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff. Add flavoring. Pile on pie and bake at 350 degrees 10 to 15 minutes.

What is your all-time favorite pie? Do you think you could be convinced otherwise?

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Pie - Week 22

This pie is like an enormous chilled Peanut Butter Cup.

It has a rich dark chocolate crust that balances well with creamy sweet filling. Each slice is a real treat.

Ingredients:

1 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided

1 t. vanilla

15 whole chocolate sandwich cookies

20 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (wrappers removed, divided)

3 T. butter, melted

4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 of 8 oz. pkg.), softened

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/8 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

1 oz. milk chocolate, broken into pieces

Directions:

1. In a tall bowl, whip heavy cream until foamy. Add vanilla and slowly add 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Whip until soft peaks form. Place in refrigerator.

2. In a food processor combine cookies and 10 peanut butter cups. Pulse until your mixture is crumbs. Slowly pour melted butter in the mix, and pulse until combined and crumbs are moistened. Pour crumbs into pie plate and press mixture on bottom and sides. Place in freezer.

3. Combine cream cheese and ½ cup powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add peanut butter. Beat until well combined. Fold in ½ of whipped cream. Pour into chilled crust. Smooth with a spatula. Pour remaining whipped cream over top. Place in refrigerator.

4. Quarter remaining peanut butter cups. Melt chocolate.

5. Sprinkle peanut butter cups, and peanuts over pie. Drizzle chocolate over pie.

6. Freeze pie until ready to eat.

Recipe Notes:
I had some issues with this recipe as it was originally wrote. The original recipe easily made 2 pies, and chilling it in the refrigerator just wouldn't have been sufficient. Halfway through the making of this recipe, I modified it to make it work. 
Also, I'm providing a link for whipping cream from bakingvintage.com. I think it does a good job going through the different steps of whipping cream that most people my generation haven't had the chance to learn. 
I also believe you could make it with creamy peanut butter; and leave the peanuts off for those non-nutty people. I think my boys would have enjoyed it much more that way.

What do you think, creamy or crunchy peanut butter?

Summer Strawberry Sour Cream Pie - Week 21

Fresh strawberries are the first glimpse of summer. We can be assured that late sunsets, fireflies and water sprinklers will be just a few things we can celebrate.  

Who doesn't like to remember their lazy summers of youth when you could sleep in and feel the cool breeze of the fan in the mornings before you would crawl out of bed to take part in household activities like putting laundry on the clothesline or helping in the garden by pulling weeds out of the cool morning soil. On your way inside for lunch from the garden, you would need to wash off your legs and feet, also taking a long cool drink straight from the garden hose. After lunch, when the sun was overhead and it was about too hot to do anything else, you would either head off to the swimming pool or run through the lawn sprinkler.  At the end of the afternoon, we knew it was time to head home when we could see people coming home from work because supper would be served soon. Sometimes if you were lucky, the smell of a grilled hamburger was finding us in our secret shaded tree forts signaling that someone's name would soon be called out  for mealtime. Fresh garden cucumbers & onions, large thick slices of tomatoes, fresh cooked green beans, and buttery ears of corn are just a few of the dishes that you could expect multiple times each week once the garden started producing through the summer. 

However, the strawberries were one of the first treats of summer. Maybe, you were even fortunate enough to have your own prized patch. The first strawberries that turned red were usually ate before they even left the patch by anxious gardeners. Soon there would be enough to pick a whole pail of ruby red strawberries to make a dessert for everyone. They would be all different shapes and sizes. Some would have a few spots that would have to be cut off, but it would not take long to get so many that your pail was overflowing and you had hopes that you were finished with your task. There was always a chance, you could be sent back out with an empty pail.

Enjoy your summer with the tastes of Summer Strawberry Sour Cream Pie.

Ingredients:

Single Crust Pastry

1 quart fresh strawberries

1 cup flour

1-1/4 sugar

Dash salt

1 cup sour cream (not fat free)

Directions:

Hull and wash strawberries. Slice them in half. Set aside.Sift flour, sugar and salt. In a large mixing bowl. Add sour cream, blending until creamy. Gently fold in berries. Pour into shell and spread without packing. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 4-5 hours. Serve with whip cream or ice cream.

Summers are especially fun for us because we have birthdays in June, July and August with an anniversary too. This time it was Daniel's birthday so I stuck 12 candles on his birthday pie and sang happy birthday to him before his friends and the family enjoyed a slice of pie with some birthday ice cream.

What is your favorite sign of summer?

Custard Pie - Week 11

Custard Pie  - uncooked egg mixture added to a crust and baked together.

This is another basic pie. I've struggled with determining the characteristics of each pie to ensure that I have a diverse pie selection. The custard pie differs from a cream pie because the mixture is baked in the crust where the cream filling is cooked before it is placed in the crust.

This week, I was fortunate to have a guest cook in the house. My son, Luke was home for a few days of his spring break from college and agreed to try out baking a pie. He made the crust from scratch, and then mixed up the filling. He did a fine job, and it was fun being able to watch him make his first pie.

This is my Grandma's original recipe. She gave it to me 20 years ago when I was a new homemaker, and needed to expand my cooking skills. I appreciate the time that I got to spend with her in the kitchen over the years. Unfortunately she is unable to cook in the kitchen anymore because of her eyesight, but she still would be cooking and baking us great meals and desserts if she could because she always enjoyed cooking for the family. My personal favorite dish of my Grandma's is her Rice Pudding. I have had other rice puddings, but none compare to my Grandma's. When I was a child, I remember always looking forward to my Grandma serving it at least once during my visit where I would take seconds and thirds.

Ingredients:

4 slightly beaten eggs

3/4 cup sugar (scant)

1/4 t. salt

1 t.vanilla

2 -1/2 c. scalded milk (See scalded milk note in this post)

Cinnamon or Nutmeg

Directions:

Mix eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Slowly stir into hot milk. Pour into 9 inch pie shell unbaked. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon. Bake on lower shelf in 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 425 degrees and bake 10 minutes longer or until set. Generally use a toothpick or go by looks.

I enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with my son sharing one of my Grandma's recipes. This is a classic recipe that is perfect for cool treat at the end of a meal. Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite recipe or kitchen memory from your Grandma?