Blackberries grow wild along our drive-way, and in many places around here in Oregon. In many other places outside Oregon blackberries are a rare and expensive specialty. For us, they're almost a nuisance because the canes grow quite fast and really spread out. My husband has to constantly trim them back, and their thorns are pretty mean, let me tell you! But it's pretty convenient to go out the door and pick fresh blackberries for the 6 or so weeks they harvest. The pies, cobblers and jam are the best!
4 cups berries, wash and place in a bowl.
2/3 to 1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mix and sprinkle on berries and stir gently. Let stand 15 min.
Turn into pie shell. Dot with butter (1-2 TBS). Cover with crust.
Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake for 35-40 minutes more.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Pumpkin Pie
I've always made the recipe on the back of the pumpkin pie filling can. It works great. But the last 2 years I finally figured out how to get a good pumpkin puree, so here is the recipe I use for fresh pumpkin!
2 cups pumpkin
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
Mix well. Pour into an unbaked pie crust (in pan of course). Bake 400° for 40 min. until knife inserted comes out clean. You can always use foil strips to cover your pie crust for the first half or so of baking if you don't want your crust too brown.
2 cups pumpkin
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
Mix well. Pour into an unbaked pie crust (in pan of course). Bake 400° for 40 min. until knife inserted comes out clean. You can always use foil strips to cover your pie crust for the first half or so of baking if you don't want your crust too brown.
Apple Pie
My parents have a good sized apple orchard so apples are plentiful for us.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBS flour
1 tsp grated lemon peel (I used the kind you buy in the spice section)
1/4 tsp cinnamon or cardamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Combine all this in a large bowl.
Peel and slice about 6 apples. (My mom likes to shred the apples) Toss with the spice mixture. Place in a double crusted pie shell. You can glaze the crust with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 425° for 35-40 minutes.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBS flour
1 tsp grated lemon peel (I used the kind you buy in the spice section)
1/4 tsp cinnamon or cardamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Combine all this in a large bowl.
Peel and slice about 6 apples. (My mom likes to shred the apples) Toss with the spice mixture. Place in a double crusted pie shell. You can glaze the crust with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 425° for 35-40 minutes.
Easy Coconut Cream Pie
I love coconut. But one of my family members doesn't and because they all like the cream cheese pies I get left eating this pie by myself...and that's not good!
1 large package vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 to 1 cup coconut
1 1/2 cup Cool Whip
1 graham cracker pie shell
Mix and put in pie shell and chill 2 hours.
1 large package vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 to 1 cup coconut
1 1/2 cup Cool Whip
1 graham cracker pie shell
Mix and put in pie shell and chill 2 hours.
Easy Chocolate Cheese Pie
Another Thanksgiving and Christmas family favorite.
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix those 3 ingredients and place in pie shell.
1 pkg chocolate pudding prepared for pie. Spoon this on top of the pie. Add more Cool Whip to the top if desired.
Chill before serving.
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix those 3 ingredients and place in pie shell.
1 pkg chocolate pudding prepared for pie. Spoon this on top of the pie. Add more Cool Whip to the top if desired.
Chill before serving.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Cherry Cheese Pie
This pie is a long standing Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition at our house. When you have a lot of baking to do, it's great to have some fast and simple recipes that taste great!
In fact, I submitted this recipe to the "Gooseberry Patch" recipe books. If you're not familiar with these cookbooks, all the recipes are submitted by the public, and then they pick out the ones they like and print it in one of their books. If they choose your recipe to print, you get a free book! This recipe got chosen and was printed in "What's For Dinner" in October 2004 on page 194 along with my name and hometown! They changed the name to Frosty Cheese Pie.
1 graham cracker pie crust (store bought makes it easy)
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipped topping (I use Cool Whip. They used whipped cream in the recipe book)
1 pie shell
16 oz. cherry pie filling
1/2 tsp almond extract
Cream together the cream cheese and powered sugar. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spread into pie shell. Mix the almond extract into the pie filling (I just mix it right in the can). Spread the filling on top of the pie and chill!
Last Thanksgiving Eli requested a strawberry topping. I bought strawberry cake filling at "Cash-N-Carry" and that worked great! I swirled some into the cream cheese mixture and spread some on top and added more Cool Whip on top of that. It was pretty good. You could use a blueberry pie filling or raspberry topping.
In fact, I submitted this recipe to the "Gooseberry Patch" recipe books. If you're not familiar with these cookbooks, all the recipes are submitted by the public, and then they pick out the ones they like and print it in one of their books. If they choose your recipe to print, you get a free book! This recipe got chosen and was printed in "What's For Dinner" in October 2004 on page 194 along with my name and hometown! They changed the name to Frosty Cheese Pie.
1 graham cracker pie crust (store bought makes it easy)
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipped topping (I use Cool Whip. They used whipped cream in the recipe book)
1 pie shell
16 oz. cherry pie filling
1/2 tsp almond extract
Cream together the cream cheese and powered sugar. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spread into pie shell. Mix the almond extract into the pie filling (I just mix it right in the can). Spread the filling on top of the pie and chill!
Last Thanksgiving Eli requested a strawberry topping. I bought strawberry cake filling at "Cash-N-Carry" and that worked great! I swirled some into the cream cheese mixture and spread some on top and added more Cool Whip on top of that. It was pretty good. You could use a blueberry pie filling or raspberry topping.
Traci's Favorite Decadent Peanut Butter Pie
This pie is really rich! I made it for Thanksgiving one year and Traci has loved it ever since!
1 prepared chocolate cookie pie crust
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
12 oz container of non-dairy whipped topping, divided
1 11.75 oz jar Hot Fudge Ice Cream topping, divided
Drizzle:
2 TBS Hot Fudge
and 2 TBS peanut butter
In a medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar. Gently fold in 3 cups whipped topping. Spoon mixture into the pie shell. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to edges of pie.
Reserving 2 TBS Hot Fudge, place remaining fudge into microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Spread over pie to cover the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until serving time.
Just before serving, spread the remaining whipped topping over hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the 2 layers. Place the 2 TBS hot fudge in a small baggie and knead for a few seconds. Cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle over pie. Do the same with 2 TBS peanut butter going in the opposite direction of the fudge, so it looks like lattice work.
1 prepared chocolate cookie pie crust
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
12 oz container of non-dairy whipped topping, divided
1 11.75 oz jar Hot Fudge Ice Cream topping, divided
Drizzle:
2 TBS Hot Fudge
and 2 TBS peanut butter
In a medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar. Gently fold in 3 cups whipped topping. Spoon mixture into the pie shell. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to edges of pie.
Reserving 2 TBS Hot Fudge, place remaining fudge into microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Spread over pie to cover the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until serving time.
Just before serving, spread the remaining whipped topping over hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the 2 layers. Place the 2 TBS hot fudge in a small baggie and knead for a few seconds. Cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle over pie. Do the same with 2 TBS peanut butter going in the opposite direction of the fudge, so it looks like lattice work.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
My Favorite Pie Crust
There are a lot of pie crust recipes, and they are probably all good, but this one is a winner for me. It's super easy, especially if you use your food processor! I got this recipe from Jim Weese from church, who makes a lot of pies. It makes a really flaky and good tasting crust!
For 1 pie crust shell:
1 cup flour
2-3 TBS water
a dash of salt
1/3 cup Crisco butter-flavored shortening
To make in the food processor, put the flour & salt in first, then the Crisco and pulse a few times til you get the grainy cornmeal look. Then, with some ice cold water use a tablespoon and add one at a time while pulsing til your dough turns into a ball, which will happen quickly, and whala! Easy pie crust! I like to roll mine out between 2 sheets of waxed paper. I get the first sheet to stick to the counter by wetting it with a damp dishcloth. I usually have to hold one corner of the 2 sheets down as I roll by pulling the corner off the counter and holding my body against it to keep the waxed papers where I want them. After it's rolled I pull off the top layer, invert the pie pan onto it and turn it upside down in the pan, and pull off the other wax paper. Now this is "easy as pie!"
About once a year, usually in the fall, I make about a dozen of these balls of dough. I plop the ball out on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten them slightly--you want to handle the dough as little as possible. Then I wrap it and put it in a Ziploc gallon size freezer bag and stick them in the freezer for future use. When I want to make a pie I set 2 out to thaw about 2 hours or so (or in the fridge overnight) and then it's ready to roll!
PS To make without a food processor cut Crisco into flour with salt til grainy. Then add cold water to form into a ball. Remember, stir and handle as little as possible.
For 1 pie crust shell:
1 cup flour
2-3 TBS water
a dash of salt
1/3 cup Crisco butter-flavored shortening
To make in the food processor, put the flour & salt in first, then the Crisco and pulse a few times til you get the grainy cornmeal look. Then, with some ice cold water use a tablespoon and add one at a time while pulsing til your dough turns into a ball, which will happen quickly, and whala! Easy pie crust! I like to roll mine out between 2 sheets of waxed paper. I get the first sheet to stick to the counter by wetting it with a damp dishcloth. I usually have to hold one corner of the 2 sheets down as I roll by pulling the corner off the counter and holding my body against it to keep the waxed papers where I want them. After it's rolled I pull off the top layer, invert the pie pan onto it and turn it upside down in the pan, and pull off the other wax paper. Now this is "easy as pie!"
About once a year, usually in the fall, I make about a dozen of these balls of dough. I plop the ball out on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten them slightly--you want to handle the dough as little as possible. Then I wrap it and put it in a Ziploc gallon size freezer bag and stick them in the freezer for future use. When I want to make a pie I set 2 out to thaw about 2 hours or so (or in the fridge overnight) and then it's ready to roll!
PS To make without a food processor cut Crisco into flour with salt til grainy. Then add cold water to form into a ball. Remember, stir and handle as little as possible.
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