Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie

This is like pumpkin pie on a thick shortbread cookie crust. So much easier than rolling out pie crust dough! Be sure you use the correct size pan—12x7".

Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie

crust:

1 3/4 c. flour

1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 c. sugar

1 c. cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

filling:

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (2 cups)

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

2 eggs

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. allspice

1/2 t. salt

        

Preheat oven to 350°.

In medium bowl, combine flour and sugars; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Reserving 1 cup crumb mixture, press remainder firmly on bottom and halfway up sides of greased 12x7" baking dish.

In large bowl, combine pumpkin, sw. cond. milk, eggs, cinnamon, allspice and salt; mix well. Pour into prepared dish. Top with reserved crumb mixture. (NOTE: I was in a rush to make this and didn't save crumbs for the topping, but it came out fantastic, anyways!) 

Bake 55 minutes or until golden. Cool. Serve with ice cream if desired. Store leftover covered in refrigerator.

French Silk Chocolate Pie

Sorry, but this is the only photo I have of the completed pie; it was taken with Casey's iPhone, and the quality leaves a bit to be desired. But you can tell it's chocolate, and it's fluffy. :)

French Silk Chocolate Pie

1 prepared pie crust
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 c. butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
4 pasteurized eggs (OR 1 cup fat-free cholesterol-free egg product)

1) Make pie crust as directed on box, using 9-inch glass pie plate. (Or buy a frozen crust already made in a tin, and bake as directed.) Be sure to cool the crust thoroughly, about 30 minutes. (I actually put the finished crust in the freezer, because I was pressed for time. It worked very well!)


2) Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring often; allow to cool to room temperature.


3) In a mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in sugar, a little at a time, until light and fluffy.


4) Mix in chocolate and vanilla; blend well.


5) Add eggs 1 at a time (or egg product, a little at a time), beating on high speed for at least 2 minutes after each addition.
This is important: beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy.



6) Spoon into cooled baked shell. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or longer, before serving.




We served this with Cool Whip on top, but again, I didn't get photos, unfortunately.


NOTES:
I used pasteurized egg product, because salmonella is NO FUN!


Also, I think in the future, I'd substitute powdered sugar in place of the granulated sugar. This basically turned out tasting like a pie made out of chocolate frosting. Not that that's wrong. But, when you put the first forkful into your mouth, you get a little bit of a "grainy" texture from the sugar. Then, it kinda melts on your tongue. Not something to really complain about, but it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. I also think I'd put a heap of whipping cream into it, to thicken up the texture. We shall see what happens the next time I decide to make this.

Limey Cheesecake Pie

I'm sorry that I cannot recall where I found this recipe...I was somewhat skeptical about how well it would work, but it turned out to be pretty tasty.

Limey Cheesecake Pie

1 1/2 c. boiling water*
1 pkg. (3 oz.) LIME Jell-O
4 oz. (1/2 pkg.) cream cheese, room temp
6 oz. (1/2 of 12-oz. can) frozen LIMEADE concentrate, thawed
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
2 prepared graham cracker crusts

1. Stir hot water into Jell-O in heatproof bowl; mix for two minutes until completely dissolved. Set aside.


2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy.


3. Gradually beat lime concentrate into cream cheese.


4. Next, add Jell-O and beat until well blended.


5. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into crusts, dividing it evenly.


This recipe makes 2 pies. After I poured the first one into the crust, I mixed some shredded coconut flakes into the mixture that was still in the bowl, and poured the second pie as Lime-Coconut. :) Seemed like a good idea at the time. Nobody complained...except Karoline. ;)


NOTES:
*I think that I'd reduce the water to only one cup, so that the mixture wasn't so soupy.
Also, to make up for the 1/2 cup of [water] volume, I'd use the whole package (8 oz.) of cream cheese. And, maybe I'd chill it after step 4, before folding in the Cool Whip. It was really soupy and didn't seem to mix well...although it ended up tasting good!

random amusements

As I have previously stated: August is officially "Chocolate Pie Month."

The possibilities are endless, so please look through your cookbooks and magazines now, and prepare yourself for the month of August.

Also remember that the declaration I made last year does include chocolate desserts which may not necessarily fall into the category of "pie". Tarts and other pastry forms are acceptable. "Close enough" is a very broad term when you are dealing with chocolate.

Be sure to come back and visit me in the month of August to see what I'm up to. There are so many recipes in my house that are begging to be brought to life in my kitchen. One in particular is a Truffle Cake which I've only made once before, and I still dream about it...

Join me in the celebration of Chocolate Pie Month. Make your lists of recipes and required ingredients NOW!

Butterscotch Pie

I found this recipe in Amy's old green recipe file box.

Butterscotch Pie

1 c. brown sugar
3 T. white sugar
3 level T. flour
3 level T. corn starch
1 t. vanilla
1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. milk or cream
1/4 t. salt
2 egg yolks
1 heaping T. butter

In medium sauce pan, beat eggs and milk...


add flour, salt and corn starch; mix well...

...add butter; mix well.

Pour boiling water over sugars...


...blend to dissolve.

Add to sauce pan; cook over medium-low heat until thickened, stirring constantly.


Here's the pie shell I made:


And pre-baked:


Poured the custard into the pie shell and let it cool before putting it into the fridge to completely set...


Topped with whipped cream:


End result:



Written at the bottom of the page: From Anna Johnson (Alice's mother) sometime in the late 1920's.

(Amy's) NOTES: 2/21/1968 - Use a little less flour & corn starch. Use 3 eggs.



MY NOTES:
I thought this was going to need some tweaking, but I made it pretty much as-written, and it turned out fantastic. It totally tasted like butterscotch.

My initial thoughts were that I'd want to use hot milk rather than water, to make the pie creamy, but I trusted the recipe, and it was really good as-is. My only change was using half & half mixed in with the eggs; and I used 1 whole egg plus 2 yolks.

Everyone *loved* it, and one friend asked if he could have a second piece...

Espresso Brownie Pie

This was beyond "rich" and extremely delicious!

Espresso Brownie Pie

1 prepared graham cracker crust (or you can use a regular prepared pie crust, if you prefer)
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 stick of butter
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. biscuit baking mix (Bisquick)
1 T. espresso powder
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 325°.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat; stir in sweetened condensed milk.
3. Remove from heat and add espresso powder, biscuit mix, eggs and vanilla.
4. Whisk until smooth (it will be thick!); pour into pie crust.
   
5. Bake at 325° for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool at least 1 hour before you try to cut and serve it.
   

Option: top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. (I recommend this!)

Cappuccino Pie

Expecting company for dinner recently, I decided to put a new twist on my Mocha Custard Pie, and leave out the cocoa. This is basically a coffee custard pie. It was FANTASTIC!

Cappuccino Pie

2 pkgs. Jell-O Cook & Serve pudding (I use sugar free)
3 1/2 c. milk
2 t. instant coffee granules (I use Maxwell House)
1 t. vanilla
2 egg yolks, whisked
1 prepared graham cracker crust

1. In medium saucepan, combine milk with pudding mix, milk, coffee, vanilla, and egg yolks.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. As the pudding heats, it will eventually begin to thicken, so keep stirring it or else it'll stick to the pan and clump up or burn on the bottom.
3. Continue to cook until you actually see it boil. Stop stirring for a second or two and watch for bubbles. Once you see a "bloop" bubble up, that's enough. It will get fairly thick before this happens, but hang in there and don't shut the heat off too soon or else your pie will be soupy.
4. Immediately pour into pie crust. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack. Place in fridge to set completely—about 2 hours.
5. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Pear Cherry Pie

This recipe was assembled in pieces from other pie recipes, to suit my purpose. The combination is not a rampantly popular one, but, trust me, it's a doosie. Pulled from a childhood memory, this was inspired by a tv dinner, of all things. I think it might have been a cheap-o turkey & gravy dinner with sides of those dry mashed potatoes and over-cooked corn. But the "dessert" in the middle square was a compote of pear-cherry mixture. I loved it. I wanted the tv dinner just for that reason! LOL! Flash forward to now. Here's my interpretation of that flavor combo, made Saturday night:

Pear-Cherry Pie

1 can (29 oz.) pears, drained*, chopped
2 cans (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1/4 c. corn starch
dash of cardamom
teeny dash of allspice
2 ready-made refrigerated pie crusts (hey, it was after 9pm, I wasn't about to roll out pie crust!)

1. Heat oven to 375°.
2. In large bowl, empty can of cherry pie filling; sift in corn starch and spices. Mix well with a spoon. Add diced pears and stir gently.
3. Flatten out packaged pie crusts—or make your own—and lay bottom crust into pie dish.
4. Spoon filling into crust. Dot with bits of butter.
   
5. Place top crust on and fold its edges under the edge of the bottom crust; press to flatten. Using a fork, press to seal the edge all the way around the pie. Cut slits in top to vent steam.
6. Bake at 375° about 55 minutes or until bubbly. Watch for crust to brown, but not over-brown. If you need to, cover the edges with foil for last 15-20 minutes of baking, to prevent burnt crust. (some people like that, though)
7. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing, or else you'll have a soupy pie that does not make nice individual pieces.

*NOTE: I saved the liquid from the pears for another use. I think I might make sweet rice with it.

I'll post the photos later today...I don't feel like screwing around with my [stupid, hateful] camera right now.

Cocoa Cappuccino Mousse Pie

This turned out a little flat and messy. I think I needed to cool the cocoa mixture longer before folding in the whipped cream.

Cocoa Cappuccino Mousse Pie

1 prepared graham cracker pie crust
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1/3 c. cocoa
3 T. butter
2 t. instant coffee, dissolved in 2 t. hot water
2 c. (1 pt.) cold whipping cream

1. Combine sweetened condensed milk, butter and coffee in medium saucepan. Sift in cocoa (important to sift it, to avoid lumps).
   
2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth.
3. Remove from heat; cool in fridge for 1 hour.
4. Beat whipping cream in large bowl until stiff.
5. Gradually fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream.
6. Spoon into pie shell.
7. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

I wish I had some leftover whipped cream and chocolate-covered coffee beans to garnish this!

Chocolate Coconut Marshmallow Pie

Yes. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. We had friends over for dinner last night and I was late getting this pie made, but it was WELL worth it in the end!

Chocolate Coconut Marshmallow Pie

crust:
2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 stick butter, melted

filling:
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c. mini marshmallows (I used 14 large ones)
1/2 c. heavy cream
4 oz. (1/2 a package) cream cheese
3 1/2 c. Cool Whip

1. Heat oven to 350˚.
2. Mix coconut, pecans and butter in 9-inch pie plate; press onto bottom and up sides.
3. Bake crust 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool.
   
4. Microwave chocolate, marshmallows and cream in LARGE microwavable bowl on high for 30-second intervals, stirring frequently. Remove from microwave and continue stirring until marshmallows are blended in and chocolate is completely melted.
   
5. In separate bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. (NOTE: this is an important step, otherwise you may have lumps in the filling.)
   
6. Beat cream cheese into chocolate mixture.
   
7. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly thickened and no longer warm.
8. Fold in Cool Whip, gently.
9. Pour into crust, and refrigerate about 3 hours.
   

NOTE: I made this without the pecans in the crust because we have someone in the family who has tree nut allergies, and it still turned out fantastic.


JST devours:


Going, going...


GONE!

Baked Truffle Pie

I topped this with cherry pie filling (Claire's idea) and Cool Whip...it was fantastic!

Baked Truffle Pie

10 squares (10 oz.) Baker's bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c. whipping cream
4 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Microwave chocolate and cream in microwaveable bowl on high 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until completely melted. Cool.
3. Whisk in eggs, sugar and flour.
4. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.
5. Bake 30 minutes or until edge of pie is puffed but center is still slightly soft; cool.
6. Top with fresh berries, your favorite pie filling, and/or Cool Whip.
   

NOTE: This could also be baked in a fluted tart pan for a more formal presentation. It is a very dense and chocolaty pie; very much like a brownie.

Raspberry Ganache Pie

This recipe is, obviously, part of Chocolate Pie Month. It sounded really good, and I've been going nuts sorting through so many chocolate recipes. I officially have "chocolate on the brain!"

Raspberry Ganache Pie

1 pkg. (8 squares = 8 oz.) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 c. whipping cream
6 T. seedless raspberry jam, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
2 c. fresh raspberries
1 T. water
1 t. dark chocolate cocoa for dusting

1. In medium saucepan, heat cream with chocolate until chocolate is almost melted, stirring constantly.
   
2. Remove from heat. Beat with whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Stir in 2 tablespoons of jam.
   
3. Pour into crust. Dust with sifted cocoa.
4. Refrigerate 4 hours.
5. Arrange berries on top of pie.
   
6. Microwave remaining jam and water in glass measuring cup on high for 20 seconds; stir until well blended. Brush/spoon onto berries.
   
7. Keep pie refrigerated!!!
   

Option:
Thaw frozen raspberries to top pie.



...and this is what happens when I play with frozen raspberries that thaw out and get really juicy:

Raspberry Eeeek!!!!!

(a special thanks to Tracee for taking the picture!)