Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

I love pumpkin pie, but we always have left overs that never get eaten. So this last Thanksgiving I thougth I"d give a pumpkin Chiffon Pie a try. It's just as good as regular pumpkin pie,  but lighter. And you can't go wrong with a graham cracker crust!  Might have to make this every year. 

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

12 graham crackers

2 Tbsp. sugar

¼ tsp. kosher salt

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled

Filling :

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2½ tsp.)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 (scant) cup granulated sugar

¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided

3 large egg yolks

¾ cup whole milk

1¼ cups unsweetened pumpkin purée (from one 15-oz. can)

3 large egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Whipped cream 

RECIPE PREPARATION

Crust

Preheat oven to 325°. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until broken down into fine crumbs (you should have about 2 cups). Set aside 2 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs for serving. Add sugar and salt and pulse just to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is the consistency of wet sand.

Transfer to a 9½"-diameter deep pie dish. Using a measuring cup, press crumbs firmly onto bottom and up sides of dish. Bake crust until fragrant and edges just start to take on color,  about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Filling and Assembly

Stir gelatin, cinnamon, nutmeg, a scant ½ cup sugar, and ½ tsp. salt in a small saucepan. Whisk egg yolks and milk in a small bowl to combine, then whisk into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon (but do not let it boil), about 5 minutes. Stir in pumpkin purée and remove from heat. Transfer to a large bowl and chill until cool, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. With the motor running, gradually add a scant ¼ cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, 5–7 minutes.

Mix one-third of egg white mixture into chilled pumpkin mixture until smooth. Gently fold remaining egg white mixture into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions until incorporated, but don’t overmix.

Pour filling into graham cracker crust; smooth top. Cover and chill overnight.


Top with whipped cream or dollop each piece with whipped cream when serving.

Apple Pandowdy

 Say good bye to pie and howdy to Apple Pandowdy! this is so yummy and just what I was craving since the air started to turn chilly! I love this more than apple crisp too! It's not too sweet and the apples get a buttery taste that is divine. I have made this twice since I saw it on America's test kitchen. The second time I used 1 large apple a 2 large pears... yummy! I had it for breakfast today, it has fruit in it right?

Apple Pandowdy
for the Pie Dough:
3 Tablespoons Ice Water
1 Tablespoon Sour cream
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated Sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, chilled

Filling:
2 to 3 large Golden delicious Apples or Ambrosia Apples (2 1/2 pounds) Peeled, cored halved and cut into 1/2 thick slices
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup apple cider
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Topping:
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Vanilla Ice cream for serving

FOR THE PIE DOUGH: Combine ice water and sour cream in bowl, set aside.  Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add butter and pulse until size of large peas, 6 to 8 pulses. Add sour cream mixture and pulse until dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, 3 to 6 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Form dough into 4-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. 
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Let chilled dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 5 minutes, before rolling. Roll dough into 10-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Using pizza cutter, cut dough into four 2½-inch-wide strips, then make four 2½-inch-wide perpendicular cuts to form squares. (Pieces around edges of dough will be smaller and I wasn't too picky about getting them all even) Transfer dough pieces to parchment paper–lined baking sheet, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
FOR THE FILLING: Toss apples, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in large bowl. Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add apple mixture, cover, and cook until apples become slightly pliable and release their juice, about 10 minutes, (if using pears too I started my apples cooking for about 5 minutes then added my pears and cooked another 5 minutes) stirring occasionally.
Whisk cider, cornstarch, and lemon juice in bowl until no lumps remain; add to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Off heat, press lightly on apples to form even layer.
FOR THE TOPPING: Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Working quickly, shingle dough pieces over filling until mostly covered, overlapping as needed. Brush dough pieces with egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake until crust is slightly puffed and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Using back of large spoon, press down in center of crust until juices come up over top of crust. Repeat four more times around skillet. (this is called dowdying) Make sure all apples are submerged and return skillet to oven. Continue to bake until crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.
Transfer skillet to wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes (or you might burn your mouth). Serve with ice cream, and enjoy

Puff Pastry Tarts

I love baking... I love autumn time and the fruits that are available at the grocery stores and farmers markets. I especially LOVE the smell of fall baking... Yum!! I haven't baked with puff pastry much but Alton Brown had a Good Eats episode on puff pastry and showed this recipe. I tweaked it a little but the original recipe is here. Enjoy!!

Puff Pastry Tarts
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
Sugar, for dusting (I used cinnamon sugar)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced into wedges
1 ripe peach, peeled, and thinly sliced into wedges
1 ripe plum, thinly sliced into wedges
Apricot or peach  jam

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. After puff pastry has thawed, place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Unfold, and cut into 3 even strips. Move so they are a couple of inches apart.
I used a mandolin to cut my apple slices, just have them thin as possible. The peaches and plums I had slightly thicker. 
Poke pastry sheets with a fork down the center but leave about a 1/2 inch on the sides un-poked to provide an outlet for steam. Sprinkle pastry with sugar (or cinnamon sugar) and arrange apple slices an plum / peach slices on top.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Poke the crust; if it feels soft it needs more time in the oven.
Microwave some apricot jam for 30 seconds. When the tarts come out of the oven dab (don't brush) the jam on the tarts. Cool tarts at least 4 hours and seal in a resealable plastic bag. Serve at room temperature or heat in the microwave and top with ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Enjoy

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I saw this recipe on the Pioneer Woman one Saturday and had to try for a Valentine's Day Dessert... I adapted to what I had on hand. I had also watched America's Test Kitchen make a Raspberry Charlotte so I did just a bit of what they did to the raspberry filling. This was delicious....Instead of putting mine all in one pie, I divided into 4 ramekins....that way we could romantically share one... or we could each have our own. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
recipe adapted from the Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

One 10-ounce package shortbread cookies, such as Lorna Doone

4 tablespoons butter, softened1 pint raspberries

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup granulated sugar (divided)

1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Approx. 8 oz-White chocolate (like what you would use for dipping candy) coarsely chopped

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Raspberry jam for garnishing if desired.

Directions:

In a food processor, add the cookies, butter, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar and pulse until finely chopped. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or divide into 4 ramekins  Refrigerate while you make the filling.

Set aside 4 raspberries or a few more for garnishing. 

Place the rest of the raspberries in a saucepan with the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 4 minutes. Strain into another bowl... this is to strain out the seeds

While the raspberries are simmering, Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin over 1 tablespoon lemon juice , let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. 

Once the raspberries are strained add your softened gelatin to the raspberry puree and whisk for about a minute to dissolve. Set aside.

In a double boiler or a microwave, melt the white chocolate. Set aside to cool a bit.

Next, in a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and vanilla until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Slowly add the melted chocolate and beat to incorporate. Pour in the raspberry puree and beat to incorporate.

Spread the raspberry mixture into the crust (if using ramekins divide into the 4). If you would like to do what I did,  I put a spoonful of raspberry jam on the top of each ramekin and swirled in with a knife just to make look swirly. Then you can decorate with the reserved raspberries. And if you would like -chop up a bit more white chocolate and sprinkle on top.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

Cranberry Pear Pie

I have a pear tree in my yard and to this day I have never used my pears... I didn't realize pears don't ripen on the tree! I think of the past years I threw my pears away and feel way sad. But this year I figured out how to pick them and let them ripen. So of course when I found this recipe in my Food Network magazine I had to give it a try. It's amazing!! I did tweak it just a bit and I used a prepared refrigerated crust. For some reason I just can't seem to make a very good pie crust and it's quicker to use the prepared ones and they are good if you ask me. I added a few more pears and less cranberries than the original recipe too. It was awesome served warm with vanilla bean ice cream . Enjoy!

Cranberry Pear Pie
recipe adapted from Food Network magazine
Ingredients:

For the filling:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 ripe but firm medium Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled and diced (about 8 cups)
1 (12 -ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
Grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 teaspoons) (I had dried orange peel and used that and it was good)

Prepared pie crust dough (enough for a double crust pie)

1 egg, slightly beaten

Make the filling: 

Heat a medium skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and toss in the pears and cranberries. Return to high heat and cook until the fruit is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup,  ground cloves, lemon juice and orange zest. Mix to blend and cook over high heat until the syrup thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and scoop into a bowl; refrigerate until cool. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Assemble the pie: Place your bottom crust into a deep dish pie plate. Pour the filling into the crust. Brush the edge of the crust with the beaten egg; cover with the top crust. Pinch around the edge to seal the top and bottom crusts together, removing the excess dough with a paring knife. Use a paring knife to cut an X opening, 1 1/2 to 2 inches across, in the center of the crust; fold back the dough. Put the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the top of the pie with more of the beaten egg or a little milk. Sprinkle the top with sugar.

Bake the pie, 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 375 degrees F and continue baking until the crust is light golden brown, 30 more minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. 

Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Pie

I love Peach Pie--this is the perfect time of year to make one too. Autumn is just around the corner and peaches are in season. I love the smell of Pie baking with the windows open and the crispy fall air coming in the kitchen on a slight breeze... Perfect! This pie was delicious! not too runny and perfect with french vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Pie

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds peaches, peeled, quartered, and pitted, each quarter cut into thirds 

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) plus 3 tablespoons sugar 

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin (you can find this by the canning   supplies)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Pinch ground nutmeg 

1 recipe Pie Dough for Lattice-Top Pie (see recipe below) 

1 tablespoon cornstarch

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Toss peaches, ½ cup sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Combine pectin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl and set aside.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator. Before rolling out dough, let it sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. Roll 1 disk of dough into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Transfer to parchment paper–lined baking sheet. With pizza wheel, fluted pastry wheel, or paring knife, cut round into ten 1¼-inch-wide strips. Freeze strips on sheet until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll other disk of dough into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto 9-inch pie plate, letting excess dough hang over edge. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into plate bottom with your other hand. Leave any dough that overhangs plate in place. Wrap dough-lined pie plate loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, transfer 1 cup peach mixture to small bowl and mash with fork until coarse paste forms. Drain remaining peach mixture through colander set in large bowl. Transfer peach juice to liquid measuring cup (you should have about ½ cup liquid; if liquid measures more than ½ cup, discard remainder). Return peach pieces to bowl and toss with cornstarch. Transfer peach juice to 12-inch skillet, add pectin mixture, and whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and pectin is dissolved (liquid should become less cloudy), 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add peach pieces and peach paste, and toss to combine.
5. Transfer peach mixture to dough-lined pie plate. Remove dough strips from freezer; if too stiff to be workable, let stand at room temperature until malleable and softened slightly but still very cold. Lay 2 longest strips across center of pie perpendicular to each other. Using 4 shortest strips, lay 2 strips across pie parallel to 1 center strip and 2 strips parallel to other center strip, near edges of pie; you should have 6 strips in place. Using remaining 4 strips, lay each one across pie parallel and equidistant from center and edge strips. If dough becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate pie and dough strips until dough firms up.
6. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Press edges of bottom crust and lattice strips together and fold under. Folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of pie using your fingers. Using spray bottle, evenly mist lattice with water and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
7. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is set and begins to brown, about 25 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees; continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbly at center, 30 to 40 minutes longer. Let cool on wire rack for 3 hours before serving.

Pie Dough for Lattice-Top Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour  
•                 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 7 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled 
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and frozen for 30 minutes 
• 10 - 12 tablespoons ice water 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter shortening over top and process until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to bowl.
 2. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons ice water over flour mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to evenly combine water and flour mixture. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons ice water over mixture and continue using folding motion to combine until small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand, adding up to 2 tablespoons remaining ice water if necessary. (Dough should feel quite moist.) Turn out dough onto clean, dry counter and gently press together into cohesive ball. Divide dough into 2 even pieces and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.

my my my, Key Lime Pie

oh my goodness... I LOVE key lime anything, and when I ran across this recipe here I just had to try it. I made it for Thanksgiving and man oh man, was it good. It was light and not too sweet! Perfect for Thanksgiving especially when you have Pecan pie and pumpkin pie as well. I followed the recipe to a 'T' except I couldn't find bottle Key lime juice, so I used regular, but with extra lemon juice in it, (I filled my measuring cup almost to the 1/2 cup mark with lime juice, then topped it off with lemon juice, besides the 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice that the recipe calls for) It was YUMMO!! Top it off with Redi Whip and your set! Enjoy!!

My, My, My, Key Lime Pie
For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs, crushed with a food processor
(about 1 ½ packages)
1/3 cup butter melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix together in a large bowl. Press onto bottom and 1” up the sides a 9” greased spring form pan or a pie plate. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool.

For the filling:
3 large eggs, separated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup key lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
2 tablespoons sugar

Whisk egg yolks; add condensed milk and next three ingredients. Beat egg whites until foamy with mixer. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar beating until soft peaks form. Fold into yolk mixture, spoon into prepared crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until set. Cover and chill for 4- 8 hours. 
When ready to serve, place a piece of pie on a plate and top with whipped cream! Enjoy!

Peach and mixed Berry Galette

I love Autumn! I love peaches and berries and everything that screams autumn. I ran across this recipe here and just had to give it a try! I did tweak the filling just a bit, (I added raspberries too), but followed the recipe pretty closely! You have to try this recipe, it was amazing and easy. I really liked this crust recipe. 

In case you don't know what a Galette is, it's a French term that refers to a variety of flat, round cakes, usually with a flaky pastry dough of some kind. The term is very broad though and includes a wide variety of desserts. But more often than not, it typically means a free form tart that is made with a flaky crust! I liked it because you don't have to try to form the crust into a pie pan, and rather liked the rustic pie look it had. AND best of all it was YUMMO! I suggest topping with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream while still warm. Enjoy! 

Peach and Mixed Berry Galette
Serves 6-8

For the Pastry dough:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
10 Tablespoon cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3-6 Tablespoons cold water

For the Fruit Filling:
2 medium size ripe and juicy peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried (you could also use blackberries if desired)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon Milk
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar for sprinkling

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and sugar until combined. Scatter the butter pieces on top of the flour mixture and pulse until it resembles coarse bread crumbs and the butter is the size of small peas , (ten to twelve 1-second pulses). Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of water over the mixture and pulse for 1 second; repeat with the remaining water until the dough begins to form small curds and holds together when pinched with fingers. (Depending on the humidity in the air, you may not need all 6 Tablespoons of water--I did today however, very dry). Empty the dough onto a work surface. Using a bench scraper, form the dough into a mound about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide perpendicular to the edge of the counter. Starting at the farthest end, use the heel of your hand to smear about one-sixth of the dough against the work surface, pressing away from you. Repeat until all the dough has been worked. ( This technique is called frisage).  Gather the dough into another  mound and repeat frisage technique. Form the dough in to a 4-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and firm but malleable, about 1 hour.
Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (if the dough had been chilling for longer than an hour, let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes to become malleable). Lightly dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour. Roll dough into a 12-inch round circle about 1/4-inch thick, dusting with flour as needed. Transfer parchment and dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until cool and slightly firm.

Meanwhile, gently toss together the peaches, berries, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt over the fruit and gently toss to combine. Remove the dough on the baking sheet from the refrigerator and mound the fruit filling in the center of the dough, leaving a 2 1/2 -inch border around the edge. Cut the last Tablespoon of cold butter into small cubes and place on top of your fruit. 
Carefully fold one edge of dough over 2-inches of fruit, leaving a 1/2 -inch area of dough between fruit edge and inside edge of galette. Repeat folding around the tart, overlapping dough every 2 to 3 inches while gently pinching dough at the pleat, but without pressing dough into the fruit. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the milk and sprinkle with the Tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, the fruit juices should be bubbling and the crust golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream!! Enjoy!!

Lion House Pie Crust

Mmmmmmmm Pies!! Thanksgiving is coming up and I can't decide what kind of pie to make! Well, of course I will make the traditional pumpkin, but I always like to make a couple of other kinds too! Does anyone have a good recipe for German Chocolate Pie? Someone asked me the other day if I had ever tried it and no I haven't but I LOVE German Chocolate cake... might have to experiment with that. But anyway, back to this post, last month while canning my apple pie filling, I had enough pie filling leftover to make some apple pie empanada's, but I've had a struggle with pie crusts, I've had favorite recipes that turned out once or twice and then I go to make them again they don't, I've heard that the water HAS to be cold, to use butter, and another said to use shortening, oh who do you believe and which recipe do you use? THEN... I accidentally ran across this video on You tube, can't even remember how I did, but the lady made pie crust look soooo easy I had to give it a try. It was delicious AND easy... watch how she rolls the dough out! It seriously works just like that!  AND yes, I used the specific flours and all 4 different varieties of fat... after all, to make the recipe like they do, you need to FOLLOW the recipe. This is the recipe I'm going to use for my Thanksgiving pies this year.... I think I'll do Pumpkin, Pecan (or German Chocolate.... maybe add chocolate and coconut to my usual pecan recipe? hmmmm) and maybe a lemon meringue! YUM!

Lion House Pie Crust

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon non-fat dry milk

**1-1/2 cups pastry flour --See note at the bottom of the recipe 1-1/2 cup bread flour

1-1/2 cup bread flour

Mix the all the ingredients above together in a large bowl.

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup Lard

Cut in the fat with a pastry blender; or your hands until it's incorporated and looks grainy.

Add  1/2 cup ROOM temperature water and gently mix with hands.

If dough is too wet or soft, chill in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out on counter top that is covered with flour. Form a disc with your dough and flour each side. Roll up once and then back. Make sure the dough is floured again on both sides to prevent sticking; then turn so the length is going in the opposite direction than it was. Then roll again making a criss-cross  with the rolling pin. (Watch the video) Place in pie pan.

Fill with desired fruit and roll out the other piece and place on the top. Crimp the edges however you like.

Bake your pie as directed on the recipe you are using.

**I had a hard time finding pastry flour so I looked up substitutions on the Internet. The different kinds of flour have different amounts of proteins in them. Cake flour has about 5 to 8 %, Pastry flour is a little above that , Bread flour has a lot, like 12%. So they recommended using 1 to 1 ratio of Cake flour and all purpose flour (which has around 9%) , so for the recipe I used 3/4 cup of each.

Coconut Cream Pie

 I made this pie for Thanksgiving... besides Pecan, Coconut Cream Pie is my second favorite. I love the homemade custard filling that this recipe has. I also made homemade whipped cream and garnished with toasted Coconut and white chocolate shavings. YUM!

Coconut Cream Pie
2 cups milk or half and half
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons all -purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1-9 inch pre-baked pie crust
Whipped Cream
Toasted coconut

Combine the milk and coconut in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture almost comes to a boil (it will start to bubble slightly around the edges).
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour until well combined. Temper the eggs (to keep them from scrambling) by slowly pouring about 1/3 cup of the scalded milk into the egg mixture while whisking briskly. Then add the warmed egg mixture to the saucepan of milk and coconut. Add the vanilla and coconut extract and continue to whisk and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Then cook for about another 4 to 5 minutes until the pastry cream is thick.
Remove saucepan from heat, add the butter and whisk until it melts.
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and place it over a bowl of ice water. Stir occasionallly until it's cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a crust from forming and refrigerate until completely cold. The pastry cream will thicken as it cools. When completly cold fill the pre-baked pie shell with it, smoothing the surface. Top with Whipped Cream and garnish with toasted coconut and white chocolate shavings.

Whipped Cream

1-1/2 cups Heavy cream
1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

I chill the bowl to my mixer and the beaters in the freezer for 30 mins. before whipping the cream, this makes it whip faster.
Pour your cream into the chilled mixing bowl, and beat on high for a few minutes or until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted out and they stay there. (watch this close, you don't want to make butter)
Then add the powdered sugar, Vanilla, and coconut extract, whip together just to incorporate the sugar and flavorings.
You can top your pie with whipped cream before serving by putting into a decorator bag and making whatever design you desire on top (like I did) and then garnish with toasted coconut (toast according to directions on the back of the bag) or put a dollop of whipped cream on each piece when serving!
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is on the Libby's Pumpkin cans but I thought I would post this recipe just in case they quit putting it there. It's the recipe I always use for my Holiday Pumpkin pies, I have tried a few others, but I keep coming back to this one! I did make home made whipped cream and added a little cinnamon in it! Yummo-homemade whipped cream is always better than the canned or frozen stuff!!!!

Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.)  Evaporated Milk

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (see recipe below)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
POUR into pie shell. (remember to use a Deep Dish Pie shell, other wise you will have some filling left over.
BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes.  (I cover the edge of my crust with aluminum foil for the first half and hour so it doesn't burn)
Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Whipped Cream
1-1/2 cups Heavy cream
1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

I chill the bowl to my mixer and the beaters in the freezer for 30 mins. before whipping the cream, this makes it whipfaster.
Pour your cream into the chilled mixing bowl, and beat on high for a few minutes or until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted out and they stay there. (watch this close, you don't want to make butter)
Then add the powdered sugar, Vanilla, and cinnamon, whip together just to incorporate the sugar and flavorings.
You can top your pie with whipped cream before serving by putting into a decorator bag and making whatever design you desire on top (like I did) and then garnish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon or put a dollop of whipped cream on each piece when serving!
Enjoy!

Brown Sugar-Pecan Apple Pie Recipe

This recipe was in the November Woman's Day Magazine. This pie looked sooooo delicious I had to give it a try. The only thing I did different was add the spices... Apple pie isn't apple pie to me without cinnamon,  nutmeg, and allspice.... Yum!! I loved that this had apples and pecans... my two favorite pies... well I guess I should say two of my favorite pies, cuz I think I love them all. I had been craving apple pie since the weather turned colder and this pie hit the spot. Remember, if you don't want to take the time to cut out the leaves in the top crust, just skip that part, and just put the whole crust on top, I usually cut out a circle in the center or slits so air can escape. YUM!

Brown Sugar-Pecan Apple Pie Recipe
Active time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Serves 8

Recipe Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 lb Jonagold, Ida Red or Golden Delicious apples (about 4 large), peeled and sliced thin ( 1/4 in. thick)
2 lb Granny Smith apples (about 4 large), peeled and sliced 1/4 in. thick
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 Basic Flaky Pie Crusts (see below)

1 large egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon Sugar

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large, skillet over medium high heat. Add the apples and 3/4 cup brown sugar and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and the remaining Tbsp brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice. Sprinkle over the apples and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the pecans and vanilla and toss to combine. Let cool, tossing occasionally, to room temperature, about 40 minutes.
Heat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough into a 12-in. circle. Fit it into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-in. pie plate. Trim the overhang to 1/2 in. all the way around. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Working on a floured piece of parchment paper, roll the remaining disk of dough into a 12-in. circle. Using a 2-in. leaf cookie cutter  and starting 1 1/2 in. from the edge, cut out 1 row of 4 leaves directly in the center of the crust, spacing them 1/2 in. apart.
Cut out additional leaves around the first row, spacing them 1/2 in. apart and leaving a 1 1/2-in. border along the edge (figure on about 22 leaves total). Refrigerate the cutout dough. Using a wooden pick or knife, score lines into the leaves.
Spoon the cooled filling into the crust in the pie plate ...

and carefully place or slide the chilled cutout crust on top, being careful not to stretch the dough. Trim the top crust to 3/4 in. from the edge of the pie plate. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust to create a thicker crust to seal; crimp as desired.

Brush the entire pie with some of the egg and sprinkle with the Cinnamon Sugar. Brush the undersides of the leaf cutouts with some of the egg and place them around the edge of the pie, gently pressing to help them adhere. Brush the tops of the leaves with the remaining egg and bake until the crust is golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.


Basic Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp white vinegar
 to 2 Tbsp ice-cold water

Directions:
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the vinegar and 1 Tbsp of the cold water, pulsing until the dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add the remaining water, 1 tsp at a time). Do not overmix.
Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a 1-in.-thick disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Roll and fill as directed.
This recipe makes 1 pie crust (double if you are going to make a double crust pie)

Caramel Apple Empanadas (or mini pies)

Apples, apples, apples and more apples....everywhere I look my neighbors have TONS of apples on there trees, I have Tons on mine too, they are just small and sour at the moment. Since my neighbor's tree was overflowing with big nice juicy ones, he was kind enought to let me have a bowl full, or two!! I've made my recipe for Caramel Apple Bars, and I was thinking of all the wonderful appley recipes I could make but I was hungry for the Caramel Apple Empanada's that you can get at Taco Bell. So I looked up recipe after recipe on the internet. There were two variations, one which made a pastry dough using Bisquick or refrigerator bisquick dough, but my favorite was the one using your favorite homemade pie crust, or pie crust dough from the store! I made my own pie crust and a half batch of the recipe using bisquick, both tasted close to the same while still warm, but after cooling I liked the texture of the pie crust better. I cut my dough into squares and folded it over to make a semi-circle shape, but they cracked and weren't too pretty. Next time I make these I'm going to use a large canning lid ring and cut 2 circles of dough for each empanada, placing the filling on one and topping it with the other, then crimping the egdes with a fork. Don't forget to poke a hole or two in the top. I think they will be much prettier that way. But the recipe for the caramel apple filling I came up with (by combining what sounded good from two different recipes) was awesome!! It would even be good by itself  as an Ice cream topping... I might have to give that a try sometime..... YUMMO!

The pic on the left is what I'm going to try to make them look like next time I make them.. the one on the right it how mine looked...not as pretty but good.

Caramel Apple Empanada's

3 to 4 cups diced apples

1 Tablespoon Flour

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon Allspice

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

dash or two of salt

1/2 cup Kraft Caramel Bits

2 Tablespoons butter (if necessary)

Pie Crust

Cinnamon Sugar

In a large skillet melt the 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. While butter is melting add flour and lemon juice to your apples and toss to combine. Once butter has mostly melted, add your apples and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the brown sugar, seasonings and caramel bits. Stir to combine and continue to cook for 3 to5 minutes more or until your apples are mostly tender and caramel bits have melted.  If your mixture looks a little dry add the other 2 Tablespoons butter and stir until melted, it will smooth out the mixture a little and help give it a creamier texture. Remove from heat.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a large cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper (you could spray with non-stick cooking spray, but I have become a fan of parchment paper lately!)

Roll out your pie crust on a lightly floured surface, and cut into squares if you want triangle shaped. Or read my hint in the recipe introduction above, using the 2 circles of pie crust dough. Fill with a Tablespoon or so of filling, then crimp the edges to seal, poke a hole in the top with fork, and brush each empanada with melted butter or an egg wash  and sprinkle with a generous coating of cinnamon sugar. (I place my dough on the baking sheet and filled them on there, that way I didn't have to try to lift it from the counter to the cookie sheet)

Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and the filling is bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream.... mmmmmmmmmm.

Here's a good pastry recipe I got out of a pie cookbook I have. It's a European-style pastry mostly used for tarts, but if you keep it cold it works good for these. I think it would work great for the 2 circles of dough method since you wouldn't have to fill it and fold it.

Sweet Butter Pastry

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, cold

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup milk or half and half

Stir flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Work the butter into the flour mixture by rubbing between your thumb and fingers until butter pieces are the siz of small peas. Combin egg yolk and milk . Add to flour mixture and toss with a fork until mixture start to form a ball. If necessarh, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time  to crumbs in bottom of bowl. Gather dough in your hands and gently shape into a flat ball. Place flatten ball in a piece of saran wrap and let sit in fridge until ready to make your pastries.

You might want to double this recipe so you have enough dough for the caramel apple filling.

Banana Cream Pie with a twist!

If you know me, you know I don't care for banana's much... they have to be a certain color, yellow but still slightly green for me to even eat one, and I don't like banana flavored anything! But this pie recipe looked way too good to not try!! It was awesome!! It's made with Sugar cones for the crust instead of graham crackers and you make the pudding from scratch!! I thought it would be hard and not turn out, but it's way easy!! I found the original recipe in my Food Network Magazine. They topped theirs with Meringue... but to me a pie (especially Banana Cream) isn't a pie unless it's topped with good old fashioned homemade whipped cream, so that's where I tweaked this recipe a bit and I added less salt and a bit more sugar to the crust than the original recipe. Plus, I also put a little shaved chocolate on the top for a garnsih. And this was good!! MMMMM..........
Banana Cream Pie with a twist!
For the Crust:
10 sugar cones
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granualted  sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Filling :
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup granualted sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chocolate chips
2 bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar (more to suit your taste if necessary)
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions:
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Break up the cones a little if they aren't already (good way to use up broken sugar cones) Pulse the cones, salt and sugar in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Press on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes; let cool completely.

Make the filling: Bring 2 cups milk to a bare simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla in a large bowl  of electric mixer until smooth and pale. Whisk in the cornstarch.  Temper the egg mixture first by ladeling a spoonful of the hot milk into the eggs while the mixer is whisking, put a couple of ladles in then slowly whisk the rest of the warm milk into the egg mixture. Next pour this mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens and begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat, then stir in the butter until melted. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl (I didn't find this step necessary but if your custard is lumpy I recommend it); set aside to cool, stirring frequently.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons milk and the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate melts,  (if necessary, microwave another 15 to 30 seconds) then let cool slightly.
Spread the chocolate over the bottom and up the sides of the crust. Press the bananas into the chocolate, then pour the cooled custard over the bananas. Cover and chill until set, at least 1 hour.

 

Make your whipped cream topping, but pouring the heavy whipping cream into a chilled mixing bowl (I place my mixer bowl and beaters in the freezer about 1/2 hour before I make my whipped cream so it's good and cold, this helps the whipping cream to whip up faster!)

Whip on high for about 2 -3 minutes, keep an eye on this, you don't want to turn your whipping cream into butter. When it forms stiff peaks, add the powdered sugar and vanilla (and the drop of coconut extract if desired) and stir just to combine.

You can spread the whipped cream on your pie, but I like to put mine in a decorator bag with a large tip and swirl on the top of my pie, then I garnished with a few shavings of semi-sweet chocolate (I had a piece of Hershey's Bliss dark chocolate and shaved pieces with my vegetable peeler, that way you get curls rather than just chips if you do it with a cheese grater)

Serve and enjoy!!!

Di's Key Lime Pie

I LOVE key lime flavored anything... I've been trying to figure out a good keylime pie recipe that I could use Yoplait's Key Lime Pie Yogurt in for a looooong time.... Love that flavor of yogurt. I have looked and looked for one, and I found quite a few different ones, but nothing like what I was imagining in my head I guess. There were pies that were made with lime juice, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk, and then they were baked in the oven. Those looked kind of flat, and not what I wanted. Then there were some that were mixed with cream cheese and baked like a cheese cake... still didn't look like what I was thinking of. Then I thought, why not make the sweetened condensed milk w/ lime juice and eggs, but cook like a pudding, then add it to some cream cheese mixed with my yogurt! That would make it creamier, right? So here is what I came up with..... YUMMO!!!

Di's Key Lime Pie

For the crust:
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons melted butter

For the filling:
4 egg yolks
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice (I used about 3 Tablespoons lemon juice and then added the rest regular lime juice to make 1/2 cup, it gives it a little tangier flavor more like key limes)
1 (8-ounce)  package cream cheese, room temperature
2  (6-ounce) containers Yoplait's Thick n'Creamy Key Lime Pie Yogurt
1 or 2 drops of green food coloring (if desired)

Topping:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 or 2 drops coconut extract (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crust combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together in a medium bowl until well combined. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate, then using the side of a measuring cup press mixture firmly up the sides of the pie plate, then use the bottom of the cup to press the rest of the crumbs firmly on the bottom of the pie plate.

Next, bake the pie crust at 350 degrees for aboaut 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool on wire rack while you make the filling.

For the filling: Beat the egg yolks on high speed with an eletric mixer for about 2 minutes until light yellow. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat again for 30 more seconds. Transfer this mixture into a medium size saucepan. Place on stove at medium/low heat and stir in the 1/2 cup of lime juice. Continue to cook over medium/low heat, stirring frequently until mixture starts to bubble and thicken. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat,  and stir in the food coloring if you are going to use it. Then let the mixture cool. (I placed mine in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.)

While filling is cooling, place cream cheese and yogurt in a medium size bowl, and cream together with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth.

Fold in the sweetened condensed milk and egg mixture into the cream cheese and yogurt mixture after it's cooled. Then pour into your graham cracker crust and chill for 3 to 4 hours or until set.

Make your whipped cream topping, but pouring the heavy whipping cream into a chilled mixing bowl (I place my mixer bowl and beaters in the freezer about 1/2 hour before I make my whipped cream so it's good and cold, this helps the whipping cream to whip up faster!)

Whip on high for about 2 -3minutes, keep an eye on this, you don't want to turn your whipping cream into butter. When it forms stiff peaks, add the powdered sugar and vanilla (and the drop of coconut extract if desired) and stir just to combine.

You can spread the whipped cream on your pie, but I like to put mine in a decorator bag with a large tip and swirl on the top of my pie, then I sprinkle just a few more graham cracker crumbs on top for a garnish. Slice into desired size piece and enjoy!  YUMMO!!!

Just what I had been craving!!!