Festive Mincemeat Pie

For some, like my mom and my husband, it is not the holiday season without mincemeat pie. They love this pie! For those who don't know much about mincemeat pie, there no longer is meat in the pie, like there was years ago when my mom was a little girl. So, really, it should be called mince pie to be accurate. A jar of mincemeat is spiced raisins and apples, to which I add brandy, more apple, and dried cranberries. This fragrant and spicy pie is then topped off with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Yummy! Blessings...

Recipe:

Pastry for a double-crust pie
1 (27- to 29-ounce) jar of mincemeat
1 apple, such as Jonathon, Golden Delicious or Jonagold, cored and diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
4 tbsp. brandy
2 tbsp. sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon for topping

1. Combine mincemeat, apples, cranberries and brandy in a large bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, or longer, to develop flavors.
2. Roll out pastry to about 12 inches around. Place in 9-inch pie plate. Pile mincemeat mixture in the crust. Cover with top crust and cut several slits in it for vents, or cut into strips and place across the top in a lattice pattern. Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
3. Place in a 375 degree oven and bake about 30 minutes, or until crust is brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Yield: 6 to 8 pieces

This recipe was adapted from a recipe that I clipped out of my hometown newspaper many years ago.

Peach Praline Pie

Peaches are still in abundance in the market and this wonderful Amish recipe makes excellent use of them. The brown sugar - pecan topping is lightly spiced with nutmeg and is sprinkled on the bottom of the crust, as well as over the pie, for a truly wonderful ending to any meal. The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, "New Recipes from Quilt Country" by Marcia Adams.

Blessings...

Recipe:

Pastry for a 1-crust 9-inch pie

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches, or 5 cups partially thawed and still crisp frozen peaches.

1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Praline Topping

1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed (I really like the dark brown sugar)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (or ground)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cold butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" pie pan with the pastry and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and tapioca. Add the peaches, lemon juice, extract, and lemon zest and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.

3. Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, pecans, nutmeg, and salt.

With a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Sprinkle one-third of the topping into the pastry shell and cover with the peach mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining topping.

4. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the juices in the middle of the pie begin to bubble and the peaches are tender when tested with a fork. Cover the crust after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Cool completely on a rack before cutting.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
536 calories each for 6 servings
3 gms. fiber
402 calories each for 8 servings
2 gms. fiber

Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is often a traditional dessert served for the Thanksgiving meal, but for those of us who love this pie, anytime of the year will do! This recipe calls for dark brown sugar rather than light brown or white sugar, which makes the filling very rich, dark, and delicious. Blessings...

Recipe:

9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecan halves

1. Prepare pie crust.
2. In large bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, salt and vanilla; mix well.
3. Pour filling into prepared pie crust; sprinkle with pecan halves.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set and a table knife comes out clean when inserted into the center of pie. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Tip: Cover pie with aluminum foil after 30 minutes to prevent over- browning. The filling will set-up as the pie cools.

This wonderful recipe was a favorite of "Dear Abby's".

Fluffly Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Cheesecake pies are a simple substitute for the often labor-intensive project of making a traditional cheesecake. This one is simplified even more by using a purchased graham cracker crust. I personally think that the purchased graham cracker crusts are very good and very helpful when time is tight, like during the holiday season. Blessings...

Recipe:

12 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 (6 oz.) Ready Crust graham cracker pie crust
whipped topping or whipped cream for garnish, if desired

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin pie spice on medium speed until smooth.
2. Stir in pumpkin. Add eggs and mix until blended.
3. Place crust on a baking sheet. Pour filling into crust.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with whipped topping or whipped cream if desired.

Yield: 8 servings
8 servings = 289 calories and 2 gms. fiber (without garnish)
6 servings = 385 calories and 2.6 gms. fiber (without garnish)

German's Sweet Chocolate Freezer Pie

Traditionally for Thanksgiving my son wants pumpkin pie and my husband wants a mince pie, I'll eat either, but my daughter-in-law isn't really crazy about either one of the choices. This year I wanted to try a very simple recipe for a freezer pie a few days in advance of their arrival to see if it might be any good. My hubby and I enjoyed it for dessert one evening, so I offered a piece to her for her Thanksgiving dessert and she was very happy with it. Our four year-old granddaughter also enjoyed this pie.

This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare, so it is great for the busy holiday season, and it's rich chocolate flavor and soft texture reminded me of a mousse. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pkg. (4 oz.) German's Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup milk, divided
4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 8-oz. pkg.), softened.  (I used low-fat)
2 tbsps. sugar
1 8-oz. tub whipped topping, thawed
1 6-oz. ready-to-use graham cracker crumb crust

1. Break chocolate into pieces and place in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tbsps. of the milk and microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 30 seconds more and stir until smooth. You may need to microwave a bit more depending on the size of the broken pieces of chocolate.
2. Stir in the cream cheese, sugar and remaining 6 tbsps. milk; whisk until blended. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until slightly cooled.
3. Gently fold in the whipped topping until completely blended. Pour into crust.
4. Freeze pie for 4 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting.
5. Garnish with additional whipped topping or whipped cream, and drizzle with chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce. Yummy!

Yield: 8 servings

This recipe comes from the Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate package.

Blondie-Brownie Pie

This is another one of those recipes that I have had stuck away for a number of years and can not remember where it came from, so I can't give credit to a source, but I can tell you that it is an easy and tasty dessert. I would have called this pie a Candy Bar Pie. A portion of the batter is spread out in the pie plate to make the crust so there is no crust to roll out, which is a great time-saving help. We enjoyed the pie with a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream along side. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, cut up

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp. baking cocoa powder

13 fun-size Snickers or other snack-size candy bars

1. Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate; set aside

2. Melt butter and brown sugar in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.

3. Stir in 1 egg and the vanilla until blended, then stir in flour and baking powder until smooth. Scrape 3/4 cup into prepared pie plate (don't spread); freeze 10 minutes or until firm.

4. Melt 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips as package directs. Stir melted chips, remaining egg and the cocoa powder into remaining batter.

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Press chilled batter evenly over bottom and halfway up sides of pie plate. Top with the Snickers, then chocolate batter. Spread the chocolate batter to cover the candy bars.

6. Bake for 24 to 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the pie, let stand 5 minutes until soft, then spread to blondie crust. Cool pie before cutting in wedges.

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Note: 4 fun-size candy bars is equal to 1 standard-size candy bar. I cut the bars into chunks.

Fresh Raspberry Pie, Yummy!

Fresh raspberries bake up beautifully in this delicious pie. The crust recipe presented here is a good one, but certainly would not have to be used. I found that I had to gently work the crust  ingredients with my fingers to get them to combine completely, but do use a light touch so you don't toughen the crust. When the raspberries are combined they will break up some, but this process doesn't hurt the pie or its appearance at all. This is a very simple recipe using one of summers best fruits in a wonderful way. If your family loves raspberries as much as mine does, they will love this pie. Blessings...

Recipe:

Crust:
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsps. ice water
1 tbsp. white vinegar

Filling:
1-1/3 cups sugar
2 tbsps. quick-cooking tapioca
2 tbsps. cornstarch
5 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed

Glaze:
1/2 - 1 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. sugar (I use sugar decorating crystals because they don't melt into the crust, but leave a beautiful crystal appearance on the crust)

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Combine egg, water and vinegar; stir into flour mixture to combine. You may need to gently work with your fingers until combined.
3. Divide the dough in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or until easy to handle. This may take up to an hour, which is great since the fresh raspberries need to be washed.
4. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, tapioca and cornstarch.
5. Wash fresh raspberries, drain on paper toweling and place them in a large bowl. Stir the sugar mixture into the berries and let them sit for 15 minutes.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger ball of dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer the dough to pie plate; trim the dough to about 1/2-inch over edge of plate. Add the raspberry filling.
7. Roll out the remaining dough to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Brush with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Note: Cool pie completely so the filling will set. If you want to warm the pie for dessert, heat individual pieces for 15-20 seconds in the microwave, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and dig in!

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Cheesecake and cheesecake-type pies  are some of our absolute favorite kinds of desserts. This very easy recipe can be put together in a matter of minutes, especially if you use a packaged cookie crust rather than starting from scratch. The filling is creamy and rich with the combination of whipped cream and cream cheese, and of course, you can use any kind of fruit filling you like to top it off. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 8-ounce pkg. low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 9-inch baked pastry shell, cookie crust or graham cracker crust
1 1-pound 5-ounce can blueberry pie filling or fruit filling of choice

1. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla till smooth.
2. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into pie shell.
3. Spoon pie filling on top and chill until set.

Yield: 6-8 servings

French Vanilla Cream Pie Made Easy

I wanted to make a pie yesterday but, I didn't want to invest a great deal of time to a "project", I just wanted a piece of pie for dessert last evening. This little creation is the end result of using some of the ingredients I found in the pantry, along with some whipped topping from the freezer. It probably took all of 10 minutes to throw together and then sat in the refrigerator to set until dinner time. Rich and creamy pudding in a crust; simple and kid-friendly, to boot! Blessings...

Recipe:

1 6-oz. shortbread crust
1 3.4-oz. pkg. French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups 1% milk or milk of choice
2-1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping, plus extra for garnish, if desired

1. Place pudding mix in a large bowl. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
2. Fold in whipped topping until completely combined and no white streaks remain. Pour into crust and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Yield: 6-8 servings
calories per 1/6 pie = 336
calories per 1/8 pie = 252

Thought: Make it a banana cream pie by slicing 1 banana into crust before filling with pudding or a coconut cream pie by adding a handful of shredded coconut to the filling.

Pumpkin Pie - a Great Tradition

Pumpkin pie is a favorite tradition in our family for Thanksgiving dinner. This is so much so, that one year when I didn't make one, my son let me know that it wasn't Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. I made a Chocolate Silk pie that year, which my daughter-in-law was really happy about because she isn't crazy about pumpkin. I learned a bunch that year! My husband's favorite is mince pie, but I'll save that for another time.

This year I decided to try cooking a pie pumpkin to see how it compared to the stuff in the can. My husband and I really liked the flavor. The texture is a tiny bit softer, but still very good. You can see from the picture that it certainly looks good. The big issue is the time involved in prepping a fresh pumpkin versus opening a can. I would do it again, if time allowed. The test is going to be what my son thinks of his pie when dessert is served on Thanksgiving.

This favorite recipe comes from Marlene Sorosky's cookbook entitled, "Season's Greetings". Blessings...

Recipe:

1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust or 10-inch pie crust
3 large eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/4 cups evaporated milk (from a 12-oz. can)
1 cup whipping cream whipped with 2 tbsps. powdered sugar, if desired.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven.
2. In a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs for a minute.
3. Add the pumpkin, sugars and spices and beat until mixed well. Scrape sides of bowl down and mix a bit more. Gently mix in the evaporated milk.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared shell. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a table knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Tip: Check the pie crust after 45 minutes to make sure that it doesn't get too brown. If it is browning too much, cover the crust with foil or a crust protector. The one I have is aluminum and is a life saver.
Tip: If you need a pie crust recipe, check the labels for Marlene Sorosky's recipe. I've been using this recipe for years with very good luck.

Caramel - Pecan Cheesecake Pie

The recipe for this yummy and very easy pie comes from my niece via a recipe group. The pie tastes like a creamy pecan pie, but without all the guess work as to whether or not the filling is set because the pecan mixture is made with caramel ice cream topping. The caramel-pecan mixture is wonderful and so worth the calories. I do hope you will give this recipe a try soon, blessings for a wonderful weekend.

Recipe:

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese (I used low-fat)
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 unbaked 9" deep-dish pie shell
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup caramel ice cream topping (11.75 oz.)

1. Beat together cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar and vanilla in a medium sized bowl.
2. Spread mixture in the pie shell; sprinkle with the pecans.
3. In another bowl, whisk together 3 remaining eggs and caramel topping. Pour over pecans.
4. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35 - 40 minutes. You may need to cover the crust with foil after 20 minutes so the crust doesn't get too dark.
5. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Serves 8

Berry Swirl Cheesecake Pie

Cheesecake is such a wonderful dessert, but it can be a very time consuming and involved project for a busy schedule. This recipe is a great solution for those who want the flavor of the cheesecake without all the work. There are many versions of cheesecake pie to choose from, but the thing that I really like about this one is the added simplicity of using a good quality jam for the burst of flavor rather than higher calorie additions. If you and your family like cheesecake, this one is worth a try. Blessings...

Recipe:

Pastry for a single-crust 9" pie
2 pkgs. (8 ozs. each) low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 tbsps. good quality jam (I use triple berry)
Whipped topping or sweetened whipped cream

1. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes; remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven; reduce heat to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add the eggs, beating on low speed just until combined.
4. Pour into pastry shell. Drizzle the jam over the filling. Cut through the filling with a knife to swirl the jam.
5. Bake the pie for 25 - 30 minutes or until center is almost set.
6. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.
7. Top with whipped topping or whipped cream, if desired.

Serves 6 - 8

Tip: If you want to pipe sweetened whipped cream on your pie, here is an easy way to do it. Snip a bottom corner off a sandwich bag. A cut of about 1/2" should give you a good sized piping edge. Fill the bag with the whipped cream and gently squeeze the whipped cream around the outer edge of the pie. Also, if you add a teaspoon of white corn syrup to the heavy cream along with the confectioners sugar and vanilla, the whipped cream will be more stable and hold its shape on the pie. I use 1 cup of heavy cream, whipped stiff, for the piping.

Troy's Birthday Pie

My son has not wanted a birthday cake since he was introduced to "Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie", better known in our family as "Troy's birthday pie". He loves it, and so does anyone else I have ever served it to. This pie recipe is simple because it does not have a lot of steps and is mixed up in one bowl. Perfect for Easter or anytime, just ask my family! Blessings...

Recipe:

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
6 tbsps. butter, melted and cooled for a few minutes
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans (I break them into pieces)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell with very high fluted edge or use a 9-1/2 inch pie pan. The pie shell will be very full in a regular 9 inch pie pan and will boil over, so place foil on the rack below the pie to catch drips. I use the 9-1/2 inch size and it has never boiled over. Anchor Hocking produces a 9-1/2 inch pie pan, if you would like to purchase one.
1. In large mixer bowl beat eggs; add sugar, flour, butter, salt, lemon juice and corn syrup. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute or until well combined.
2. Stir chocolate chips and pecan pieces in with a spoon. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 - 55 minutes or until golden and set.
4. Cool on a wire rack until  room temperature. If the pie is too warm it won't cut nicely and will be a mess to serve.

Tip: Do check the pie after it has been baking for 30 minutes to make sure it isn't browning too much, if it is, cover with foil.

An Easy Recipe for Mud Pie

My husband and I recently had to make a week-long emergency trip to Modesto, Ca. because my father is in critical health. During this week there was a great deal of family time, hospitals, meetings with doctors, and all of the emotions that go along with this kind of family crisis. But, in the midst of all of this, I had some very special time with a niece that means a great deal to me because she is the only daughter of my now dead sister. Our niece spent a great deal of time with our family when she was growing up, and as a result, she and I spent a great deal of time together in the kitchen making memories together. One of her special memories was Mud Pie, so when she and I needed to plan and make an evening meal together because my mom was at work, we decided on Orange Chicken (see labels), mashed potatoes, salad and her old favorite, Mud Pie.

I did not make the long version that I use to make because of the constraints of time and energy. But, the quick version that I was able to throw together in a few minutes was very good, and she, and the rest of our family, loved it. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 chocolate cookie crust
1 half gallon coffee ice cream
1 large jar hot fudge topping
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. powdered sugar, or to taste
chopped nuts of choice

1. Fill cookie crust with all of the ice cream, smoothing surface. Cover with plastic wrap and return to freezer until ready to serve.
2. Whip cream with vanilla extract and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
3. Cut pie into 6 - 8 pieces
4. Top each serving with hot fudge sauce, chopped nuts and whipping cream.

Berry Pie

The dessert I served for our dinner Saturday evening is a variation on a pie recipe I got out of my 2000 "Taste of Home Annual Recipes" cookbook. The original recipe comes from The Elsah Landing Restaurant in Illinois and is called "Ozark Mountain Berry Pie". It is wonderful! My variation is simply to cut down some on the lemon juice and use thawed, frozen berries, rather than fresh. I also had some leftover pie crust in the freezer, but didn't have enough for a two-crust pie, so I made it a deep-dish pie this time. It worked out just fine and saved me precious time.

Some of the thawed, frozen berries cook down and get soupy, but the flavor is wonderful and in these leaner times a bit more practical. We ate the pie warmed up a bit in the microwave with French vanilla ice cream on the side. This is comfort food at it's best. Blessings...

Ozark Mountain Berry Pie:

1-1/2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 cup cold water (include juice from the drained thawed berries)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1- 16 oz. pkg. frozen mixed berries, thawed
2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed
pastry for double-crust 9" pie

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.
2. Drain juice from berries and combine with water to make 3/4 cup. Stir liquid and lemon juice into sugar until smooth.
3. Add berries; stir gently. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat; cool.
4. For deep-dish pie, I used an 8" x 8" Pyrex baking dish. Pour the berry filling into the pan and cover with crust. I brush my crusts with milk and sprinkle with sugar crystals. It looks pretty when done. Be sure to cut through the crust with a knife to make slits for venting the hot steam. If you are making a double-crust pie, line the pie pan with the bottom pastry. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Seal and flute edges.
5. Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Remove foil; bake 40 - 50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool completely. You may need to re-cover the pie with foil if it starts to brown too much.

Serves: 6 - 8

Cocoa Mousse Pie

This recipe is a simple and delicious way to get a pie on the table for dessert. It is rich, but with the low-fat version, it is not guilt ridden. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker or chocolate cookie crust (9 inch size)

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and cocoa until well combined.
2. Add milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Using spatula or wooden spoon, fold in whipped topping; pour into crust.
3. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Yield: 6-8 servings

Low-fat version: Use low-fat cream cheese and milk, and fat-free whipped topping.