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?

Kansas City Mud Pie - Week 33

Layers of pecans, cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream will make this an unforgettable mud pie!

I remember my childhood days when we would find some bare dirt and add a garden hose to get some nice soupy mud to bake an assortment of mud pies. We would use a variety of treasures (stones, sticks, grass clippings, dandelions, etc) to garnish them so we could could make a collection to serve in our restaurant. Those memories are still fresh even after 30+ years old.

Dirt, marvellous dirt from Roasted Peanuts.

Apparently, Charles Schulz must have thought a lot of the skill of mud-pie bakers because it was the topic of many of his cartoon strip in the 50's. Many of the strips are featured on the http://peanutsroasted.blogspot.com/. What a walk down memory lane! I loved Peanuts as a girl and remember reading through the large comic strip books that the library had...and I'll never forget how much I always looked forward to watching the Peanuts holiday tv specials.

Anyways, this pie can help fulfill your childhood dreams of being able to eat your own mud-pies and having your family love your special mud-pie! 

Ingredients:

1-1/4 c. finely chopped pecans

¾ c. flour

¼ c. butter, melted

½ t. salt

2 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed & divided

2-2/3 c. milk

2 – 3.9 oz pkg chocolate instant pudding

Directions:

Mix nuts, flour and butter. Press into a 9” springform pan. 

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool.

Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended. 

Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups cool whip; spread over crust.

Beat milk and dry pudding mixes with whisk 2 minutes. Spoon over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate several hours or until set. 

Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen desert; remove rim. 

Top pie with remaining cool whip just before serving.

This pie is also known as "Better Than Robert Redford".

What are some of your favorite childhood memories?

Hope you can enjoy your mud pie while reminiscing about your days of youth.

Kentucky Derby Bacon Bourbon Pie - Week 17

Read on to find the six degrees separation between this year's Kentucky Derby winner and Easy as Pie in Kansas!

California Chrome is the race horse that is currently trying for the triple crown.

Kentucky Derby is the race that boosted his popularity across the nation.

The state of Kentucky has hosted the Kentucky Derby since 1875.

Fried Chicken is a well known southern food for the state of Kentucky, in fact Colonel Sanders started a chain of restaurants based on his original recipe.

KFC is the national franchise restaurant of Kentucky Fried Chicken found in nearly every part of the United States. 

Kansas Fried Chicken...surely if the restaurant is located in Kansas that is what the KFC stands for.

Pie is the perfect accompaniment to fried chicken, especially if you're in the state of Kansas.

Easy as Pie in Kansas is proud to present the Kentucky Derby Bacon Bourbon Pie. And we just had to include Bacon in it because of the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.

And bourbon because it is unique to the state of Kentucky because of the iron-free water that is found in area by filtering it through high concentration of limestone found in Kentucky. 95% of all bourbon originates from the state of Kentucky and must be aged in new, charred oak barrels giving it a unique taste that carries through in this pie.

Ingredients (Crust):

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 t. salt

2 t. sugar

3 T. cold bacon grease

5 T. cold butter, cubed

2 T. cold bourbon

2 T. ice water, more as needed

Ingredients (Filling):

1/2 cup maple syrup

4 T. brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 T. butter

3 large eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1/4 t. salt

2 cups pecan halves

1/2 cup bacon, finely chopped

3 T. bourbon

Directions (crust):

Whisk together the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in bacon

grease, and then cut in butter. Sprinkle the bourbon and water over

the mixture and lightly toss together until just mixed. Mold dough into

a disc, and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Roll dough on lightly floured surface and roll out. Place in a pie plate and crimp as desired. Freeze for 30 minutes before baking.

Directions (filling):

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Stir

syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in medium saucepan over

medium heat until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Increase heat and

boil 1 minute. Cool to lukewarm (45 minutes). Whisk eggs, vanilla and

salt in mixing bowl. Gradually whisk maple mixture into egg mixture.

Stir in pecan halves, bacon, and bourbon. Pour filling into crust. Bake

pie until filling slightly puffed around edges and center is set, about 55

minutes. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Nutty Goodness!!

We thought this pie was good. My husband who loves pecan pie and bacon, actually thought the traditional pie is just as good, but it was fun trying it out!

And while we are at it why don't we just rename the racehorse 

Kalifornia Krome in honor of his connection to Easy as Pie in Kansas.