Sour Cream Lemon Pie

•  1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup butter 
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

• Directions

  1. Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir on medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat, cook, and stir for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.

  2. Beat yolks slightly. Gradually stir 1 cup of custard mix into yolks. Return yolk mixture to the saucepan with the rest of custard and bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest. Fold in sour cream.

  3. Pour filling into baked pie shell. Chill until set.

Classic Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

• 3 cups sweetened condensed milk

• ¾ cup key lime juice

• ½ cup sour cream

• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest

• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Combine condensed milk, key lime juice, sour cream, and lime zest in a bowl; mix well. Pour into graham cracker crust; place pie on a baking sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of the pie. The filling will be wobbly but not browned.

4. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool, then thoroughly chill pie in the refrigerator before serving, about 1 hour. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream, if desired.

Three Layer Oreo Pie

We made this twice for holiday events last month, and it always received rave reviews! I love when things are easy, quick, AND delicious!

Ingredients

• 32 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided 
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 
• 2 cups cold milk 
• 2 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling 
• 1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided 

Directions

Finely crush 24 of the cookies; mix with butter. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon 1-1/2 cups of the pudding into crust.

Gently stir 1/2 of the whipped topping into remaining pudding; spread over pudding layer in crust. Chop remaining 8 cookies; stir into remaining whipped topping. Spread over pie. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.

Graham Cracker Crust #2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 9 whole graham crackers) 
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional 
• Pinch of salt 
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

DIRECTIONS

If you’re using whole graham crackers, finely crush them in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin.

Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate. Press hard to compact. You can use a glass to press the bottom, but use your fingers to press the sides.

To make a no-bake pie: Chill pie crust for at least one hour before filling. Cover if chilling longer. Make pie as directed.

To make a baked graham crust: Preheat oven to 325°. Bake crust for 10 minutes, until it just starts to brown. Cool completely before filling.

Chocolate Chip Cookie PIE

Because pie is awesome, no matter the time of year...

Because this is one of the BEST pies I've ever tried...

Because Sunday afternoons are a great time to bake a new treat...

Let me share with you this delicious recipe!

 

This is a recipe that I've tasted from my friend Tiffany before and she shared with me.  It is an Our best Bites recipe. :)  The photo is from ourbestbites.com. 

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 C flour
• 1/2 C white granulated sugar
• 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 3/4 C real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 C chocolate chips (semi sweet or dark works best, you might find milk too sweet)
• 1C chopped pecans (optional)
• Vanilla ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream for serving (A must!)
• Optional: chocolate sauce 

Preheat oven to 325 F. Beat eggs in a large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Pear Pie

I had 6 pears left over after canning yesterday, and a dinner invitation today to which we were supposed to bring a dessert. The result? We tried this delicious recipe from allrecipes.com for the first time, and everyone raved about it! Every single piece was gobbled up. I know pear pie sounds strange, but we loved it so much I think we'll be making this for Thanksgiving this year and many other times in the future. It has a similar taste and texture as apple pie, only it's not as tart and the filling was cinnamon-y and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe for a 9-inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 5 cups peeled and sliced pears (about 6 pears)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon rind in mixing bowl. Gently stir in the pear slices until the sugar mixture has evenly coated the pears.

2. Roll out the pie dough, and place in a 9-inch pie dish. (I use this recipe.)

3. Arrange pears and sugar mixture in the the crust. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Roll out remaining dough. Place top crust over filling; cutting slits for venting. Fold edge under bottom crust, pressing to seal. Flute edge.

3. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes.

(picture from allrecipes.com)

Fresh Peach Pie

About a year ago I posted this on my family blog. It's such a great recipe, though, I decided to re-post it here! I'm craving peach pie right now . . . YUM!

Hello, and welcome to the sweetest cooking show of them all:

Cooking With Katelee!

Today, the talented and beautiful Katelee is going to demonstrate how to make a delicious and gorgeous fresh peach pie that will WOW your guests on any occasion!

Start with a simple recipe for a pie crust. Katelee has used her always perfect pie crust recipe, and has just pulled her dough out of the fridge.

See how she rolls the dough out so nicely, using lots of flour?

Then transfer the roll dough into a pie dish. Spread it out evenly and cut off the excess. Katelee has even made a beautiful design on the edges.

Now, take 8-10 ripe peaches, cut into nice slices. (Katelee had her crew peel her peaches, too, by submersing the peaches in boiling water for 1 minute and then immediately transferring them to a bowl of ice water. The skins peel right off!) Lie the peaches neatly forming the bottom layer of the pie.

Mix the pie filling: 1/3 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1/4 c. butter (softened), and Katelee always recommends a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Mix until it resembles the consistency of crumbs.

Sprinkle half the butter mixture on top of the peaches. Add more peaches until the pie is heaping full. Sprinkle the remaining butter mixture on the very top.

Now, roll out the remaining pie crust dough to form the lattice top of the pie. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips, as evenly and straightly as possible. :)

Using the strips, lay them in a nice criss-cross pattern on top of the pie. Oh, isn't this looking beautiful?

If you have any extra pie crust dough, don't let it go to waste! Find your favorite cookie cutter, and cut out as many shapes as you can. Katelee particularly loves hearts.

Carefully place the extra decorations in the perfect spots on your pie.

Show off to your family how absolutely gorgeous your pie is looking at this point!

Cover the edges of your pie with tin foil so they won't burn and set your pie on a baking sheet in case it spills over a bit. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, turn the oven off but allow the pie to cool and set up in the warm oven for an hour or two or until ready to serve.

GORGEOUS!

And gooey, sweet, warm, and sooooo delicious.

Thank you, Katelee for showing us how to make such a lovely peach pie!

Until next time . . . happy baking!

Never-Fail Pie Crust

• 2 c. flour
• 1 c. shortening
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. milk

Sift and stir the flour and salt together. Blend in the shortening with a pastry cutter. You can use two knives if you don't have a pastry cutter. Add the milk and mix it all together with a fork. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

This makes one double-crust.

Pie Crust Paint

1 egg white
food coloring

Mix food coloring into one egg white. Use a toothpick or paintbrush to brush the color onto the top crust of an uncooked pie to make pictures such as holly leaves, pumpkins, Christmas trees, etc. When the pie bakes, the color will turn deep and vibrant and create a beautiful pie!

Best EVER Apple Pie

1 recipe for a 9 inch double pie crust
1/2 c. unsalted butter
3 T. flour
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
5 - 8 Johnny Gold apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
ginger or other spices as desired

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, sugars, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pie pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a latticework of crust. Gently and slowly, pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. If desired, sprinkle some spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg over the pie. Bake 15 minutes in preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, or until apples are soft.

Mom’s Pie Crust Saver

1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. flour

Mix these together and put in the pie plate before putting the uncooked crust into the plate. This prevents the bottom of the piecrust from getting soggy.

Key Lime Tarts

As promised, here is the recipe we made tonight for our BBQ's dessert. I planned to make a strawberry dessert, but realized too late that it needed to refrigerate for 8 hours . . . so hopefully I'll try that another time soon! Meanwhile, we made these cute little Key Lime Tarts, and they were a huge hit!

Taken from Our Best Bites cookbook

5 egg yolks
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
about 1/2 c. fresh lime juice (I used key limes, but you can use regular limes, too.)
10 mini graham cracker crusts (available near the regular graham cracker crusts in the baking aisle)
2 drops of green food coloring, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice. Distribute evenly among the pie crusts. Place the tart pans on a large baking sheet and bake for 10 - 11 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool; chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve each tart with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

These are SO CUTE - the kids just went nuts over having their own little mini pies - and really yummy!

Banana Cream Pie

1/2 c. milk
1 (3 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix (don’t make the mix – just use the powder)
1 c. vanilla ice cream
Bananas
1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Mix the milk, pudding mix, and ice cream together and blend until smooth. Meanwhile, slice a layer of bananas into a graham cracker crust. Pour the blended ice cream mixture over the layer of bananas. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Top with cool whip and serve.

The Best Ever Graham Cracker Crust

Once you try this, you will never want to buy the store-bought kind again. Delicious and a little chewy!

1 1/2 c. cinnamon flavored graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. butter, melted
3 T. white sugar
1-2 egg yolks, beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. If desired, set aside 3 T. of this mixture for topping the pie. Press the remaining mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface with the beaten egg yolk. (If you don’t have a pastry brush, you can use your fingers covered in plastic wrap or in a sandwich baggie to brush on the egg yoke. Just be very gentle!) Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Melissa’s Yummy, Easy Cheesecake

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 c. sour cream
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Blend all ingredients well together and put in a graham cracker crust. Top with your favorite toppings, such as fruit pie filling or chocolate syrup.

Shepherd's Pie

I think Tara created this exact version of shepherd's pie, and it has become our family's favorite!

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 soup can of milk
2 cans green beans, heated and drained
1 c. frozen carrots and corn (optional)
6-8 cups mashed potatoes
1 c. cheese, grated

If you haven't done so yet: wash, peel and chop potatoes and place into large pot of boiling water so you can make mashed potatoes.

Brown the meat and onion together. Drain, if needed. Add the soup and milk to consistency of gravy. Place in a 9x13 pan. Drain the hot beans and spread on top of the meat mixture. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top and top with grated cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Jaime's Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recipe from Tara, who got it from Jaime. We love this, and make it often in the wintertime. Another great meal idea when taking dinner to someone else.

Pie Crust

1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. Crisco shortening (use Crisco brand it makes a difference)
1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. ice water

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry cutter until mixture resembles the texture of tiny split peas. Do not use hands. Once mixture is the right texture add ice water and combine with fork. It may appear as if it needs more water, but it does not. Quickly gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 min. (Double the recipe for a two-crusted pie – this makes 1 9-inch pie crust.) Remove dough from refrigerator. If dough is too stiff and cold let stand until dough is cool. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out dough.

Filling

1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 or 2 cans chicken broth
2/3 c. milk
2 tsp. chicken bullion
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 - 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (or what ever you like, such as potatoes, onions, etc.)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth, milk and bullion. Bring to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir in chicken and veggies. Set aside. Prepare the crust and add the filling to the pie. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until crust is brown and filling bubbly. Serve warm.

Zucchini Pie

This tastes just like apple pie – trust us! It’s a great way to use zucchini! SOOOOOO yummy!

4 c. zucchini, peeled and chunked
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 T. minute tapioca
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 recipe for a pie crust
2 tsp. butter, melted

In a bowl stir all ingredients together except melted butter and piecrust; set aside. Roll out half the piecrust dough and place in a greased 9 – inch pie plate. Place filling over crust. Roll out remaining dough and place atop filling. Pinch piecrust edges together; vent top crust to allow steam and juices to escape. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until browned. (I place foil loosely around the edges of the crust to prevent over-browning.)

J.D.’s Favorite Lemon Meringue Pie

ß 1 prepared pie crust
ß 1 c. sugar
ß 1/4 c. corn starch
ß 1 1/2 c. cold water
ß 3 egg yolks slightly beaten
ß 1/4 c. lemon juice (use real lemons)
ß 1 T. butter or margarine
ß 3 egg whites
ß 1/3 c. sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan combine cup of sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Stir in egg yolks. While continuing to stir constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 1 min. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and butter. Spoon hot filling into piecrust. In mixing bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup of sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue evenly over hot filling, sealing to crust. I like to make peaks on my pie. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Bottled Apple Pie Filling

4 1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
9 c. water
1 c. cornstarch
1 c. water
3 T. lemon juice
30 apples, sliced and peeled

Bring the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and 9 c. of water to a boil. In a separate bowl, mix 1 c. cornstarch and 1 c. wter until smooth. Add to the first mixture after it is boiling to thicken. Stir until thick. Add in the lemon juice. Mix in the apples. Pack into quart jars leaving a 1/2-inch of headspace. Process for 20 minutes.