Deluxe Pumpkin Pie (4 Star)

It is time to say goodbye to the Thanksgiving pies, until next year. (Sniff.) This is the last pie I that I made. I made it on a whim because I had all my other pies made, but I had one more pie pan and some left-over crust--just enough for one more pie, and I decided I couldn't let it go to waste. I had seen this recipe and I had all the ingredients for it except for the gingersnaps for the gingersnap streusel topping, so I made a different topping. When I make this again, I will be sure to get the gingersnaps, because I think that would be even better than the streusel that I improvised.



This pie turned out really good, though not as popular as the regular pumpkin pies. (Of course not! Nothing can take the place of regular pumpkin pie--unless it's butternut squash pie:) It was much more rich and the pumpkin was less conspicuous with the other flavors, but the flavors were delicious together.



The original recipe was for mini pies, so I altered it to make one big pie. And the name was too long, so I shortened it. When people asked what kind of pie it was, I didn't want to have to say, "Cream Cheese and Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Streusel Topping." So here it is:

Deluxe Pumpkin Pie
(makes one pie)

1 unbaked 9-9.5 inch pie shell

Cream Cheese Layer
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Pumpkin Filling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2+ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2+ teaspoon nutmeg
pinch cloves
pinch ginger
pinch salt
1/2+ teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup half and half or cream
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup chopped pecans
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup softened butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Spread on the bottom of the pie shell. Sprinkle the butterscotch chips in an even layer on top of the cream cheese.

Clean out the mixing bowl and beat the sugars, eggs, spices, salt, and vanilla on high speed until fluffy and stiff. Add the half and half or cream and the pumpkin and mix until well combined. Pour on top of the cream cheese and butterscotch chips.

Put the pie in preheated oven and set timer for 50 minutes. While baking, clean out the mixing bowl and combine all of the streusel ingredients except the butter. Mix until combined. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. After the pie has baked for about 50 minutes or until the filling is beginning to set, remove the pie from the oven and allow the filling to set for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the streusel on top and return to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes, until the pie is completely set and the streusel is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.



Thanks to Picky Palate and Prudence Pennywise for the original recipes. Click here and here to view.

Pecan Pie (0 Star)

This year I tried Pioneer Woman's pecan pie recipe. It was excellent. I love the gooey, caramel-y (I used that made-up word in the last post, too, didn't I?) middle with the crisp, nutty top.







Click here for the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Pie (4 Star)

Have you ever had chocolate chip pie before? If not, I highly recommend it. I tried making it for the first time two years ago and it has since become an important part of my pie repertoire. If you like fresh, homemade chocolate chip cookies, this pie is even better, I dare say. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream melting on top and it's caramel-y, chocolaty, nutty decadence will captivate your taste buds.







Click here for the recipe.

Bananan Cream Pie (0 Star)

Aaaahhh, banana cream pie--what a lovely thing! It is so hard to see these pictures and write about this when it is gone. I have banana cream pie hunger pangs.



This banana cream pie is the real deal. No boxed puddings here. If you had to eat banana cream pie made from boxed pudding with cool whip on top for Thanksgiving, I feel really sorry for you. (Yes, I am a banana cream pie snob.)



This recipe is from my paternal grandmother's file. I'm going to title it after her because that's what it has always been called to me.

Virginia's Banana Cream Pie
(makes one 9-9.5 inch pie)

1 pre-cooked 9-9.5 inch pie shell

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks (well beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 bananas
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, place the first four ingredients and whisk them together with a wire whisk. Add 1 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk and the egg yolks and whisk again. Place the pan on a hot plate and turn the heat up to medium. (Being impatient, I usually start the heat on high until I begin to see a little steam coming from the milk and then I turn down the heat to medium. But you have to be careful not to scorch the milk.) Heat the pudding, whisking constantly, until it is very thick. You can heat it to boiling but it isn't necessary, as long as it has thickened sufficiently. It should be thick enough that it is not so easy to whisk. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla. Stir it in until smooth.

Peel the bananas and slice them into the pie shell. Pour the pudding on top and allow to cool. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator until completely cold.

When the pudding is cold, whip the cream, powdered sugar (to taste), and vanilla until fluffy. I don't like it too stiff, but just barely getting stiff. Then spread it over the top of the pudding and chill until ready to serve.

If you are wondering, none of the boys care much for this except for eating the whipped cream off the top. Where did they come from?

Pie Crust (4 Star)

This is the pie crust recipe that I use for most pies except fruit pies. For fruit pies I love my mother-in-law's crust which I have posted here. But for most other pies that I make that need a normal flour and fat crust, this is what I like best. This recipe is from my mom's recipe file. The original recipe calls for shortening, but I just can't bring myself to use that stuff. It's like eating soft plastic.

Pie Crust

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cold butter
1 egg (beaten)
1 Tablespoon vinegar
4 Tablespoons cold water

Sift together the flour and salt. Cut the butter in with a knife or pastry cutter or pulse in a food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl combine the egg, vinegar, and water. Pour the liquids into the flour crumbs and stir and knead with hands until it just barely comes together.

This recipe makes two thick bottom crusts or three thin. I like mine thick, so I use it for two. I pat the dough into a round disk and roll it between two pieces of wax paper. (I used to use my Pampered Chef silicon baking mat and it was awesome until it melted in the dishwasher. I loved that thing.) Once it is rolled I peel off the top wax paper and flip the bottom wax paper with the crust stuck to it and center it on the pie pan. Then I peel off the wax paper and gently settle the crust into the pan, cut off the excess with a knife and flute the edges.

I used this crust for all the pies I made for Thanksgiving this year. For the banana cream I pre-cooked the crust. I first pricked the inside of the crust all over with a fork, especially in the area where the bottom meets the sides. Then I lined the inside of the crust with a double thickness of foil, pressing it down firmly all over. Then I baked it in the oven, preheated to 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Then I removed the foil and baked for an additional 5-6 six minutes until golden.

Pumpkin Pie (3 Star)

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Gathering with family and eating a fantastic meal is enough to make me happy. Thanksgiving food is so comforting and tasty, and I especially look forward to the pie. This year I made several pies and will post all of the recipes I used. The humble pumpkin pie is one of the most popular at our gatherings and is one of my first picks.

I am a big fan of using fresh pumpkin, not canned in my pumpkin pies. I realize that takes a little more effort but to me it is very much worth it. The flavor is so much more fresh. And I have a little secret about my pies this year. I actually used pureed butternut squash. So I guess if you want to get technical, it wasn't really pumpkin pie. But I don't think anyone could tell the difference. At least if they could, nobody said so. I, personally, couldn't tell. If anything, it was better. I've actually been using butternut squash puree in the place of pumpkin in other recipes, too, just because I have a lot of it in my freezer.



This is from my mom's recipe file and I believe hails from her mother. I altered it a little by using half white sugar and half brown.

Grandma's Pumpkin Pie
(makes two pies)

2 unbaked 9-9.5 inch pie crusts

4 eggs
3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large can of pumpkin or 3 cups fresh
1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk (one 12 oz can) You could use half and half or cream in place of the evaporated milk.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first eight ingredients and beat until fluffy and stiff. Add the pumpkin and milk and mix very well. Pour the filling into the two pie crusts, dividing evenly. Bake for fifteen minutes at 425 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for fifteen minutes more, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely before serving (I actually like it better the second day) and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

What's More American Than... (1 Star)

...cherry pie!!



In my opinion, cherry pie (not from a can), ranks pretty high on "The Best Things in the World" list.



This may be the last pie that I ever make from cherries from our (tart) cherry tree. (Sniff.) It is dying and I am amazed that we got any cherries from it at all this year, but we got enough for about a half-pie's worth. So I made a little pie and (some of us) enjoyed it very much.



And I mean VERY much. Wow, just look at these pictures. I can hardly stand it because this pie is now gone and these pictures make me so hungry for it.



Cherry Pie Filling

2 pounds sour cherries, pitted
1 cup white sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cherries, sugar and cornstarch. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the juices thicken and become translucent. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and almond extract. Mix thoroughly and set aside while you make the crust.

For fruit pies, I think my mother-in-law's pie crust recipe is the greatest. It is so flaky and perfectly crispy yet tender. It's pretty easy, too.

Janie's Pie Crust
(Makes enough for the top and bottom crust for a nine inch pie.)

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cold water

Stir to combine the flour and salt. Add the oil and cold water and stir with a fork until just combined. Roll out half the dough between two pieces of wax paper for the bottom crust. When it is about 13-14 inches diameter, peel off the top piece of wax paper and then lift up the piece of paper that still has the crust attached and flip it over onto the pie pan. Center it on the pan and then gently peel off the wax paper. Gently lift the sides of the crust until it lines the bottom of the pie pan snugly. With a small knife, trim the edges of the crust flush with the edge of the pan. Add any extra crust to the other half.

Fill with the cherry pie filling and then roll out the other half of dough between the wax paper and, using the same method described above, place the crust on top of the pie. Fold any excess top crust under the edge of the bottom crust to create a thicker edge crust. If there are any places where there is substantially more crust hanging over than others, trim the excess and add it to the thin spots. When all the crust has been folded over, using one finger from one hand (this finger presses from the top) and the thumb and forefinger from the other hand (these fingers press from the side of the crust with one on either side of the finger pressing from the top), press the crust together into flutes.

Brush the top of the crust with milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar. Cut several slits in the top of the crust for steam to vent.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool for at least an hour before serving so the filling can set.