Mildred's Peanut Butter Pie

 Mildred's Peanut Butter Pie

Mix until no lumps:

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

3 oz cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla

Add:

1 carton cool whip

Pour into graham cracker crust and refrigerate.

Apple Pie - best ever

Earlier this year I watched the movie, Labor Day and loved it so much that I read the book over our North Carolina vacation. If you've seen the movie then you remember the romantic pie making scene.  It inspired me to make pie...I checked out the author's webpage to find her recipe for the famous peach pie made in the movie.  I found it and it's already been posted to my blog and I made it many times this summer.  You can go to her website if you would like, she has a link to watch her make an applie pie.   http://www.joycemaynard.com/Joyce_Maynard/ABOUT.html

Apple Pie
Source: Joyce Maynard

• 3 pounds (7-8 large) apples (I like braeburn apples)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 sticks chilled butter -- cut into pieces
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water
• 2 tablespoons Minute tapioca
• 1 tablespoon milk or cream
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar

Directions

 In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Let stand, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, work in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the ice water over the flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork. Continue adding the water just until the dough holds together. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it into two discs, one slightly larger than the other.

Place the smaller disc on a sheet of waxed paper, and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dust it lightly with more flour. Lay a 9- to 10-inch pie pan facedown on top of the circle; flip the pan over and remove the paper. For the crust, on a sheet of waxed paper, roll out the other disc to form a 14-inch circle. (An alternative method is to roll out each disc between two sheets of waxed paper.) Do not roll the dough more than necessary.

Sprinkle the tapioca on the bottom crust. Add the filling, mounding it in the center, and dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Lift the waxed paper with the remaining crust and flip it over the filling. Peel back waxed paper. Trim the edges of the crusts and pinch together the top and bottom crusts. Optional: Roll out the trimmings and cut into decorative shapes. Brush the pie with the milk, and arrange the shapes on the crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Poke fork holes or cut vents in the top crust. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Peach Blueberry Pie

I recently watched the movie, Labor Day, which I loved.  I then read the book over vacation and then stalked the author's webpage to find out her recipe for the famous peach pie made in the movie.  You can go to her website if you would like, she has a link to watch her make a pie.   http://www.joycemaynard.com/Joyce_Maynard/ABOUT.html

Her recipe is for an apple pie, peach pie, berry pie or combination. (you will need about 7-8 cups of fresh fruit) Today I tried out her recipe and made a Peach Blueberry Pie - which was very good!  And the crust was the best I've ever made.

Peach Blueberry Pie
Source: Joyce Maynard

6 cups peaches (peeled and sliced)
2 cups blueberries
Sprinkle fruit with a little cinnamon and 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar. 
(if using berries, add 1 tbsp. Minute Tapioca)

Crust - Mix in large bowl
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup Crisco
1 1/2 sticks butter (cold) cut into pieces

Mix dry ingredients.  Cut butter & Crisco into flour using pastry blender.  When combined, make a well in center of the bowl and splash in 7-8 tbsp. of ice water.  Mix with hands.  Take about half and make a ball. Put on wax paper and roll out.  Put this in your pie pan.  You will need to add some Minute Tapioca in the bottom, she says to put enough that it looks like salt on an icy road.  If you don't put enough your pie will be runny which can make the bottom crust too soggy.  Add the fruit.  Put 3-4 tbsp. of butter, cut  into chunks on top of the fruit.  Roll out the top crust (you may need to sprinkle a little more water into the flour) and put on top of the pie.  Crimp the edges of the crust.  Give the crust a bath with egg and milk. Sprinkle with sugar.  Pierce the top crust in  5-6 places with a fork to allow t he steam to escape.

Cook in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes and it must be served with ice cream!


**Don't handle the dough too much or you will end up with tough crust.
**Where the dough doesn't hold together, use the heel of your hand to gently press it together. 
**You can also freeze the pie - then take out of the oven and cook, but add an additional 10 minutes to the baking time.

Mom's Dream Pie

Mom's dream pie....awww...what's not to love!  The greatness about this recipe is that you can make it any flavor....so pick your favorite instant pudding mix!  Our family usually makes chocolate or butterscotch...or Both!!

Mom's Dream Pie

2 envelopes Dream Whip
2 3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 pkg of  instant pudding  (chocolate, butterscotch, etc)

Whip the Dream Whip with 1 cup of milk and vanilla.  Beat 6 minutes or until peaks form.  Add 1 3/4 cup milk and the 2 boxes of pudding.  Blend well, then whip at high speed for 2 minutes.  Spoon into cooked/cooled pie shell.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is one of my favorites and I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman website.  I don't recall my Mom or Grandma ever making a pecan pie so I don't have a family recipe....but I've adopted this recipe and since I now make the Thanksgiving meal it's becoming one of my traditions.

Pecan Pie
Source: Pioneer Woman

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup corn syrup
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 cups chopped pecans

Pour pecans in bottom of unbaked pie shell.  Mix all other ingredients and pour onto the pecans.  Bake 350 for 50 minutes.  Allow to cool overnight before serving.

Mom's Pumpkin Pie

This recipe comes from my Mom and it makes two pies.  My Mom doesn't like a "spicy" pumpkin pie so if you do, you may want to increase the amount of pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin Pie
Source: Judy Short

2 cups brown sugar
4 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 cups Milnot
4 eggs
1 large can pumpkin

450* oven for 15 minutes then 350 for 50-60 minutes or until pie is done, starts to crack on the edges and knife in middle comes out clean.  Serve with fresh whipped cream or cool whip.

Apple Pie

A week ago we went to the apple orchard and I bought a peck of Cameo Apples.  This is the first time that I've gotten this type of apple. 

These apples have a creamy yellow skin with red stripes, the apples were crisp and juicy and the flavor is the perfect balance between sweet and tart, with a hint of citrus and honey.

I made some apple pies using these apples and they were very good.  I'll share my super easy yet super delicious pie recipe with you. 

I use Penzey's spices...click here for their online catalog: http://www.penzeys.com

Apple Pie
Source: Me

1 package of Pillsbury pre-made pie crusts
4-5 large cameo apples (it will take more if you have smaller apples)
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
milk
Penzey's Cinnamon Sugar
Penzey's Vanilla Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Peel and cut apples into small bite sized pieces.  Put one of the pie crusts in your deep dish pie pan.  In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Then add the apples and stir well to coat the apples.  Put the apples in the pie dish. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over the apples.  Cut the butter into pats and put over the top of your apples.  Then add the top crust and seal the edges.  Take a pastry brush and lightly brush the top of your crust with milk.  Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar and vanilla sugar.  Then use a fork to make several slits in the top of the crust.  Bake 45-55 minutes.

Raspberry Cream Pie

We had a BBQ with friends today and I made a new recipe from the Pioneer Woman website.  I made Ree's Raspberry Cream Pie. 

If you know me very well, then you know that I'm not known for following a recipe.  I take them as a suggestion then do my own thing.    So if you want to make the pie by the recipe, click on the link above.  

This is such a a great dessert for a summer BBQ.  Next time I want to try it with strawberries.

Here is my version:

Raspberry Cream Pie
Source: Adapted from a recipe from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
1 pre-made Oreo cookie pie shell
5 Oreo cookies (crushed)
1 cup  Raspberries (plus extra for garnish)
3 Tbsp Sugar
3 Containers of Oikos Traditional Greek Yogurt - Raspberry
1 package (3.4 oz) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
3-4 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

Place 1 cup raspberries in a plate, smash with a fork, sprinkle with 3 tbsp sugar. Set aside and let sit for 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt and instant vanilla pudding mix (just the powder), beat on low  until combined - about 1 minute.  Then pour in one cup of the heavy cream and whip on low for 30 seconds.  Stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl.  Turn on med-hi and beat for 2 minutes and the mixture is thick.

Fold in raspberries until just combined.  Pour into the pie pan and spread.  Freeze for 2 hours or until very firm.  Cut into slices and top each slice with cookie crumbs, dollops of whipped cream, and extra raspberries.  Keep in freezer, allowing time to thaw before serving.

To make the whipped cream, I used 1 cup of the heavy whipped cream and about 3-4 tbsp of powdered sugar.  Whip until it forms stiff peaks.