Apricot Pie

I found this recipe in last week's issue of People Magazine.  I only wish I had found it earlier in apricot season because I was hard pressed to find 2lbs of decent apricots at the Poot this morning.  As much as I like the Poot, I can do without the people who shop there and eat apricots or cherries or whatever while they shop.  I don't leave my pits around for other people to find; trust me, I don't want to find yours.


My version isn't as pretty as the photo in People but it was yummy...the photos of mine are included here.

1 9 inch frozen deep dish pie crust
2lbs. fresh apricots
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 C. light brown sugar
3/4 C. flour
ground nutmeg to taste
2 tbsp. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Break apricots apart with your fingers.  Do not peel; remove the pits.

In a bowl, combine butter and brown sugar, then flour.  Add some nutmeg.

Put apricots in unbaked shell.  Cover them with sugar mixture and sprinkle with almonds.

Put pie in bottom rack of oven.  After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes more until top is golden.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Coconut Cream Pie

I am nuts about coconut cream pie; pun intended.  This looks ridiculously easy although I will be honest, it's going to be at least until this current heat wave ends before I try it.  95-100 degrees for a couple of days running is too warm to run the oven.  It's crust-less; does that count for fewer carbs?

1 C. white sugar
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 12oz. can evaporated milk
1 C. shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Generously grease and flour a 9 inch pie pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, flour, and salt.  Stir in melted butter or margarine and vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in evaporated milk, followed by coconut.  Pour mixture into pie plate.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.  Chill before serving.

Raspberry Rhubarb Slab Pie

As near as I can tell, slab pie is fruit pastry baked in a jelly roll pan to make slices like you would get in a bakery (read square or rectangle) as opposed to triangle wedges coming out of a round pie pan.  I chose this recipe because of my aunts who have rhubarb growing at their house.  Also, reading the recipe made my mouth water.  When is rhubarb ready??

3 1/4 C. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 C. butter

3/4 C. plus 1 to 2 tbsp. 2% milk

1 egg yolk

2 C. sugar

1/4 C. cornstarch

5 C. fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and drained

3 C. sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed and drained

Vanilla icing

1 1/4 C. confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 to 6 tbsp. 2% milk

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Whisk 3/4 C. milk and egg yolk; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing  with a fork until dough forms a ball.  Add additional milk, 1 tbsp. at a time, if necessary.

Divide dough in half so that one portion is slightly larger than the other; wrap each in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Roll our larger portion of dough between 2 large sheets of lightly floured waxed paper into a 18inch by 13 inch rectangle.  Transfer to an ungreased 15x10 inch jelly roll pan.  Press onto bottom and up the sides of the pan; trim pastry to 1/2 inch above the edges of the pan.

In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Add raspberries and rhubarb; toss together to coat.  Spoon into pastry.

Roll out remaining dough, place over filling.  Fold bottom pastry over edge of top pastry; seal with a fork.  Prick top with a fork.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

For icing, combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency; drizzle over pie.  Cut into squares.

French Silk Chocolate Pie

Now that I have found this recipe, it's almost too bad I wasn't tasked with dessert for Thanksgiving.  The family may see this in the not so distant future though.  I bet they won't be sad!

Crust:
1 box Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust; softened as directed on box

Filling:
3oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
1 C. butter softened (do not use margarine)
1 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs or 1 C. fat free cholesterol free egg product

Topping:
1/2 C. sweetened whipped cream
Chocolate curls, if desired

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Make pie crust as directed on box for one crust baked shell, using a 9-inch glass pie plate.  bake 9-11 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool completely; about 30 minutes.

In a 1 quart saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat; cool.  In a small bowl with electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until fluffy.  Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in cooled chocolate and vanilla until well blended.  Add eggs one at a time, beating on high speed 2 minutes after each addition; beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy.  Pour into cooled baking shell.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Key Lime Pie According to Chris

When we were tasked to bring a pie to my cousin's Labor Day weekend BBQ, Chris decided he was going to make a key lime pie.  He checked out some recipes and created his own.  I give it 2 thumbs up!

Crust:

1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs
1 C. sugar
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 C. walnuts, measured then ground

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and  ground nuts.  Pour melted butter in and then use your hands to form coarse crumbs.  Press mixture into a 9 inch pie pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown...keep an eye on it for the last 5 minutes or so so it doesn't get too dark.

Filling:

1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 C. plus 1 tbsp. key lime juice
8oz. vanilla ice cream, softened
2 eggs
Grated lime zest

Mix filling ingredients together and pour into cooled pie crust.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

I have a copy of Midwest Living on loan from Mom and with it came a Recipe for all Seasons book.  There is a fresh blueberry pie recipe in it that I am going to post here.  I don't think I have enough blueberries to make this but I will definitely keep this handy for next summer.  I wonder if Chris will like this better than Mom's Husker Du aka Meubre Teig (sp?)

1/2 C. butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 C. half and half
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
4 C. fresh blueberries
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
Powdered sugar (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)

For pastry: In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add the egg.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in half and half.  Stir in flour until well mixed.  Remove dough from the bowl; gently shape into a bowl.  Flatten dough into a 6 inch disk.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 13 inch circle.  To transfer pastry wrap it around the rolling pin; carefully unroll onto a large baking sheet.

For filling: In a large bowl, combine blueberries, granulated sugar and bread crumbs.  Gently toss until coated.  Carefully mound  blueberry mixture in center of crust, leaving a 2 inch border.  Using your fingers, gently fold the pastry border up and over the blueberries, pleating the pastry as necessary to fit.

Bake in a 325 degree oven about 50 minutes or until crust is golden  and filling is bubbly.  Cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheet.  Transfer pie to a serving platter, cool completely before serving.

If you like, dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Key Lime Pie

I remember having my first piece of key lime pie when I was a child on a vacation to Florida. I may have been at Disneyworld or it may have been at a restaurant off of Disney property. I remember the overwhelming tart taste of the lemons and was amazed, as a kid that key lime pie is NOT green. This recipe is from one of my aunts. It has the tartness that gets you right behind your ears, it's not WW friendly but it is out of this world!

Crust:
1/4 C. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 C. graham cracker crumbs
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Filling:
5 large egg yolks
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
Juice from 6 to 8 key limes (about 2/3 C.)
Whipped cream, see note.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. For crust, mix butter and graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Pat onto bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan. Bake 8 minutes. Set aside, let cool completely.

For filling, beat yolks in food processor fitted with metal blade or with a hand mixer, about 2 minutes. Add condensed milk to yolks, beat until incorporated. Add lime juice. Process 2 minutes. Pour into pie shell. Bake until set, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap set directly on top of curd, at least 3 hours or overnight. Top with fresh whipped cream.

Note: Instead of whipped cream, you may top with meringue. Beat 5 egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add 1/4 C. sugar, beating constantly until combined. Spread over baked filling. bake at 350 degrees until meringue starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

Philly No Bake Summer Cheesecake

This cheesecake is so easy to make and it is delicious with fresh fruit sliced on top. I have made it a couple of times for 4th of July gatherings using strawberries and blueberries for a patriotic touch. You can also use canned cherry pie filling as a topping, or peaches, or nectarines. It's your choice.

1 8oz. package Philadelphia cream cheesem softened
1/3 C. sugar
1 8oz. tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 ready to use graham cracker pie crust (9-in.)

Mix cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in Cool Whip. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Top with fruit of your choice.