pies Archives - The Midnight Baker

Pecan Pie

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 23:00:01 +0000

Pecan pie is a traditional fall favorite. This one has no corn syrup/

Pecan Pie–No Corn Syrup

In years past, I never gave corn syrup too much thought since it was something I’d use rarely. Mainly I used it in my candy making so it was definitely used sparingly.

Corn syrup, whether light or dark, always figured heavily in most pecan pie recipes. Frankly, I found those amounts offputting to say the least and that was before all the furor about high-fructose corn syrup. Therefore I was glad to find a recipe for pecan pie that didn’t rely on its use at all.

Pie Crust

Basically, I can cook and make most anything but where I will fail the majority of times is with pie crust. I’m not ashamed to say if I want a pie to come out perfectly that I use the pre-made refrigerated or frozen variety. Trust me, it avoids any disasters.

I discovered a great recipe for a pie crust that doesn’t fail from Mary Berry. The recipe and technique is in my caramel crumb peach pie. There’s also a video that shows you “how to.” The other secret is to use a European “pie plate,” which is only a removable-bottom quiche pan. Actually, you might want to take to using the quiche pan since even the first slice of the pie doesn’t get wrecked.

For this pie, I used the refrigerated crust. If you’re like me, play it safe. If you’re an expert at pie crust then make your own; any recipe will do.

Pecans

You’ll have to splurge and buy the whole pecan halves for this–if you want it to look super. I know they’re not cheap but who eats pecan pie on a regular basis. If you have any leftover, they store beautifully in your freezer. In fact, I freeze all nuts I use in baking. If you have a vacuum sealer, this is a good way to preserve them in the freezer even better.

The Recipe

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Pecan Pie

A classic fall pie made without corn syrup

Prep Time45

Cook Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: classic pecan pie, pecan pie no corn syrup, pies for thanksgiving

Servings: 12

Calories: 1098kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 9- inch unbaked crust
1 egg white

Filling:

1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbs full-flavored molasses
4 Tbs unsalted butter cubed
2 Tbs bourbon
1 Tbs vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs beaten
2 cups pecan halves lightly toasted, divided
1 Tbs each pure maple syrup and bourbon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F/200C with rack in lowest position.
Line crust with parchment paper, fill with dried beans or pie weights, and bake until crust is set, about 25 minutes; remove beans and parchment and brush bottom and sides of crust with egg white. Bake crust until golden, 10 minutes; let cool completely.
For the filling, whisk together 1 cup maple syrup, brown sugar, and molasses in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook filling, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes; let cool 5 minutes.
Whisk in 4 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbs bourbon, vanilla, and ¾ tsp salt. Slowly whisk in eggs until incorporated.
Roughly chop 1 cup pecans and add to filling; pour into prepared crust. Toss remaining 1 cup pecans with 1 Tbs maple syrup and 1 Tbs bourbon, then arrange over top of pie. Transfer pie to oven and decrease temperature to 325F/160C
Bake pie until filling is set and center is slightly jiggly, 60–65 minutes. Transfer pie to a rack and let cool completely, 4–5 hours. Serve pie with ice cream.

Nutrition

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Hoosier Tart

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 23:00:15 +0000

Hoosier tart is a simple but rich and elegant dessert.

Hoosier Tart Is Creamy

If you’re looking for a dessert that’s ultra creamy but easy to make, look no further than this Hoosier tart.

I imagine its roots are in Indiana, although I can’t be positive, but if you just look at the name that’s where it hails from.

This pie is extremely rich because it is made with heavy cream. So if you’re counting calories this isn’t for you. If an occasional splurge is OK, then by all means try it. One good thing is it is so rich that a small serving will satisfy.

No Substitutions

Resist the temptation to substitute something with a lower fat content for the heavy cream. It’ll only result in something watery that won’t set up right. There’s really no way to make this a non-dairy treat either.

So rather than waste perfectly good ingredients, it’s wise not to try with this one.

The Crust

The crust can be as easy as frozen or refrigerated ones or your own from-scratch recipe! That’s the beauty of these types of desserts.

Personally, I opt for the frozen or refrigerated variety because pie crust can be hit or miss with me. I have discovered a great method that I used with my caramel crumb peach pie that I am currently using–thanks to Mary Berry for that one. However standard crusts have always been iffy for me. So if you’re like me, then opt for the kind that will work regardless.

As a note to flavor, this tart is topped with a delicious cinnamon sugar. The cinnamon blends beautifully with the rich vanilla creaminess of the filling. In fact I think it’s the nicest part of this dessert.

The Recipe

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Hoosier Tart

Old-fashioned dessert

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hoosier pie, sweet cream pie

Servings: 12

Calories: 377kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 pie crust at room temperature
4 tbs cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tbs salted butter melted
2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tbs vanilla extract

Topping:

4 Tablespoons salted butter melted
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F and place pie crust onto a baking sheet. Prick bottom of crust with a fork or use pie weights (dried beans are good)
Bake for 10-12 minutes to partially cook and set aside.
Mix cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl until combined.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the cornstarch mixture, melted butter, and heavy whipping cream to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened.
Add vanilla and stir. Pour hot cream into prepared pie crust and smooth the top.
Top with melted butter and evenly sprinkle with desired amount of cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 25 minutes and broil for about 1 minute.
Cool until room temperature and place in the fridge to set for a least 1 hour.
Serve or store covered in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

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“Cheats” Lemon Meringue Pie

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 23:00:57 +0000

Craving lemon meringue pie but not the work? Try this “cheats” lemon meringue pie.

Cheats Lemon Meringue Pie: Easy!

Here’s another one of Mary Berry’s special puddings. In case you don’t know, any dessert is referred to as “pudding” by the British. That’s a weird thing for Americans to hear because pudding to us is that creamy custardy stuff. I guess the British just call dessert that because of that famous Christmas pudding. But enough of that.

Since the filling of a proper lemon meringue pie is tricky and fails for a lot of people, this filling is so easy and only uses three ingredients. Plus, it never fails.

The Filling

The filling consists of condensed milk lemon juice and zest and egg yolks.

Now, since it does contain raw eggs, I strongly suggest you either use organic free-range eggs, cage-free eggs or pasteurized eggs. That way the risk is minimal. If you have friends who keep chickens, get the eggs from them because fresh is best.

The lemon juice is what actually “sets” the filling. When stirred, it’s liquidy but once in the crust, it will set–although it will be soft.

This pie is meant to be served slightly warm so your slices won’t have sharp edges. Chilling does help there but the meringue will suffer from refrigeration.

Speaking Of Meringue…

You may think that there’s way too much sugar called for in the recipe. I know I did and had my doubts about this being overly sweet. I was surprised that it really wasn’t as sweet as I thought it would be. The meringue is actually marshmallowy and it’s lovely.

For the crust, I used digestive biscuits. Digestives are the most popular cookie in the UK. If you haven’t tried them, once you taste them you’ll see why. They are readily available in most grocery stores. If my stores have them, I bet yours does too but if not, digestives are available online. If all else fails, graham crackers are a great substitute. They’re actually a lot like digestives but have a different texture.

The Recipe

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Cheats Lemon Meringue Pie

Quick and never fails

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: British

Keyword: no-fail lemon meringue pie, quick lemon meringue pie

Servings: 8

Calories: 435kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Crust:

5 tbs butter melted
1 tbs demerara or brown sugar
6 oz digestive biscuits crumbs or graham cracker crumbs about 1.5 cups

Filling:

14 oz can condensed milk
3 egg yolks
2 large lemons juice and zest

Meringue:

3 egg whites
6 oz superfine sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all crust ingredients well then press into a 9-inch/23 cm tart dish or quiche pan (I used one with a removable bottom) bringing crumbs up the sides on the pan.
Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
Place condensed milk in a bowl, then whisk in the egg yolks and lemon juice and zest. Pour into the tart pan on top of the crust.
To make the meringue--make sure your bowl is free of any grease--don't use a plastic bowl. Glass or stainless is best. I usually re-wash the bowl and rinse it well then swish some white vinegar around in the bowl then rinse again and dry with a clean paper towel.
If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.
Place the egg whites in the bowl and beat at very high speed until the whites look like clouds, then slowly add the sugar about a tablespoon at a time, until the whites form stiff peaks.
Place the meringue in dollops on top of the filling--this makes it easier to spread (trust me on this). Using the back of a spoon, gently cover the filling and up and over the crust top. Use the spoon to make gentle swirls
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until meringue starts to get golden on the swirls.
Let stand for about 30 minutes, then serve when warm

Video

Nutrition

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Steak And Beer Pie

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 23:00:53 +0000

Steak and beer pie is my take on an old British standby.

British Staples: Meat Pies

High on the list of favorite British foods are their meat pies. They’ve been around forever and are one of the most popular foods there. In fact, there are shops that sell only meat pies. I remember seeing this on one of Mary Berry’s shows. And as she said, they’re not exactly the most healthy choices for dinner. However as she also said every once in a while it’s a good old-fashioned treat to have one.

There are so many varieties of pies, I won’t go into them here. One of the most favorite ones is steak and ale pie. That’s what this steak and beer pie is based upon. I used beer as it imparts a less bitter undertone than does ale and the result was outstanding.

Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is the one that’s used for all the British “steak” pies–there’s lots of them too!

Fortunately you’re not stuck with making your own puff pastry since it can be bought ready made. Here in the US, it comes frozen, but in the UK there are more choices for this product.

The good part here is that this pie is not heavy on pastry. You only cover the top; there’s no bottom crust although I believe some ready-made British meat pies do have a bottom crust. However, I find that a bit much since puff pastry is a bit on the greasy side.

The Filling

If you don’t want to do the pie, you can stop right after making the filling. It’s wonderful served over rice or mashed potatoes. Add a green veg to it and it’s a perfect meal.

I used pre-cut sirloin tips that I get from my online meat place. That saves a lot of work, but you can always use a sirloin steak cut up into small cubes. Chuck would work well too and is very flavorful so it may be a better choice. I had the cut up tips in my freezer. I’m always banging on about using what you have and I did just that.

The Recipe

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Steak & Beer Pie

Beefy pie that satisfies

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 20

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: british meat pies, steak pie, traditional british steak pie

Servings: 4

Calories: 504kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs beef sirloin tips cut in 1-inch/2.5 cm cubes
1 small onion sliced
8 oz fresh mushrooms sliced
1 cup beer
1 cup beef stock
1 tbs soy sauce
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbs oil
4 tbs flour
1/2 cup water
1 tbs Gravy Master optional

Crust:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
1 beaten egg yolk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs of the oil and the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms, shaking or stirring frequently until they begin to brown. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until they turn translucent. Remove mushrooms and onions to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 tbs of oil and pat the meat dry with paper towels. When the oil is hot, add the meat to the pan to brown. You may have to do this in shifts--don't overcrowd the pan as the meat won't brown if you do. Remove the meat to a plate.
Return the pan to the heat and deglaze with the beer, scraping up all the bits at the bottom of the pan.
Add the stock, soy sauce, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Add the meat, mushrooms and onions back to the pan. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender.
Mix the flour and water so there are no lumps. Stir into the meat mixture continuing to stir until liquid is thickened and it bubbles. If the liquid seems too light, add the Gravy Master.
Preheat the oven to 425F/220C. Place the meat in a 1.5 quart/1.5 liter round baking dish or pie pan.
Cut an 8-inch/20 cm circle of the puff pastry. For a nice effect, score the pastry with diagonal lines, being careful not to cut through the pastry (nice but not necessary).
Place the pastry circle on top of the meat and brush with beaten egg yolk.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is puffed and golden brown.

Nutrition

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Ham and Swiss Quiche

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 23:00:26 +0000

A perfect quiche. A great way to start a weekend morning.

Quiche Is Back

Seems that quiche is back in style again. I wasn’t aware it was ever “out” but it hasn’t been trendy for quite a long time.

However, by what I’m seeing on line and in print, quiche appears to becoming popular again. I like that because quiches are easy, they can use up leftovers and most of all, they are very tasty.

There’s a secret to getting a perfect quiche every time–and it’s so easy that you’ll create some delicious ones once you know how to do it!

It’s In The Custard

A quiche is basically a custard which everyone knows is milk or cream and eggs.

The key is getting the right proportions of each of those ingredients so that it’s successful each and every time you make one.

The very first thing is use the dairy product with the highest amount of fat. For me that’s heavy cream. You can’t beat it for flavor or quality of the custard. If you use heavy cream, your custard will be velvety all the time. The next choice is light cream or half and half (for those outside the USA, half and half is 50 percent whole or full-fat milk and 50 percent light or single cream). Those two choices will give very good results too. The last is full-fat or whole milk.

Stay away from low or non-fat milks and half and half. It simply won’t taste good.

Now comes the eggs. For each 1/2 cup/120 ml of cream or milk, use 1 whole large egg. Yes, it’s that simple!

One Last Thing

Ever wonder why some quiches you’ve eaten taste better than ones you’ve made? I wondered that too and when I was watching an old Julia Child show from the early 1960s, I got my answer, or rather answers.

First, pre-bake your crust. This will prevent, as Julia Child says, the proverbial “soggy bottom,” which makes the whole experience unpleasant.

Second thing is you add a teeny pinch of nutmeg to the custard. You don’t taste the nutmeg at all but it enhances all the other great flavors. If you have whole nutmeg, it’s one or two scrapes on the grater. That’s all there is to it!

The Recipe

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Ham and Swiss Quiche

Serve it hot or cold—delicious either way

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Crust Pre-Baking20

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: egg based brunch recipes, making the perfect quiche, quiche secrets, savory pies with egg

Servings: 6

Calories: 266kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 pie crust 9-inch deep dish

Filling:

4 eggs
2 cups milk half-and-half or cream
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of nutmeg

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Place crust in a 9-inch/23-cm quiche pan or standard US pie plate. Line the base of the crust with parchment or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights, dry beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and let the crust cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C
Whisk the eggs and cream together. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour in prepared crust.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

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Copycat Marie Callender’s Pumpkin Pie

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 19 May 2020 23:00:27 +0000

Think pumpkin pie is only for Thanksgiving? Try this copycat Marie Callender’s pumpkin pie recipe and you’ll serve it year round.

Not Just For Fall

There’s no reason to wait until autumn to enjoy pumpkin–especially pumpkin pie!

This recipe is so easy to make and it uses many pantry staples. Most folks have these on hand so there’s nothing special to purchase. I always have a can or two of pumpkin puree on the shelf and I bet you do too.

Pumpkin pie is one of those comfort food and don’t we all need a bit of comfort now? That’s a big ‘YES.”

Marie Callender’s restaurant was known for it’s comfort food and you can find many old-time favorites right in your store’s freezer now. This pie is one of them, but why buy it if you can duplicate this copycat Marie Callender’s pumpkin pie in your own kitchen.

Now About Pie Crust

That statement is easy to answer: use your favorite recipe for pie crust or even the refrigerated store-bought kind. Frozen ready-made crusts work well too. The store-bought variety was the one I always chose before I learned how to make great crust. The method works because trust me, I stunk at homemade pie crust before I discovered this trick. You’ll find this method in my peach pie recipe.

If you use the tart pan instead of the traditional American pie dish, you not only get a great presentation, but you won’t louse up the first piece you cut. That’s a win-win for me.

Yes, Regular Milk

Most recipes I’ve seen for traditional pumpkin custard pies calls for evaporated milk. Some call for cream.

While it’s true that those ingredients will make the custard more silky, this recipe uses good old plain milk that you have in the fridge already.

I actually prefer the taste of the custard made with milk instead of the cream/evaporated milk way. The taste–to me at least–is a lot fresher and cleaner. It’s not as dense and tacky. It’s lighter and I like that. I think the reason I never cared too much for the traditional pie was that the filling was dense and gloppy. This one isn’t.

Try it; I think you’ll like it as much as I do.

The Recipe

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Copycat Marie Callender’s Pumpkin Pie

Who says pumpkin pie is only for Thanksgiving?

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: copycat marie callender's recipes, easy pumpkin pie, pumpkin tart

Servings: 8

Calories: 254kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 eggs
15 oz can pureed pumpkin not pumpkin pie mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup milk full-fat milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pie crust deep dish style.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F/200C
Whisk all ingredients, except pie crust, together in a large bowl. Pour into crust
Bake at 400F/200C for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F/180C qnd bake for an additional 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

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Caramel Crumb Peach Pie

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 23:00:49 +0000

A great pie to make when peaches are in season! Topped with yummy caramel flavored crumbs and a fool-proof pie crust!

Peach Pie–A Summer Treat

To me, peach pie is a little taste of summer. Peaches are abundant during the summer months and often are on sale.

This was one of my mom’s go-to pies whenever she got a good deal on fresh peaches. Her pie was always topped with crumbs; she never made this pie with a top crust.

I’ve improved a bit on my mother’s crumbs, which were delicious, by replacing the regular sugar with dark brown. That substitution gives the crumbs their wonderful caramel flavor, and of course you can always use some caramel sauce when you serve it to get more intense flavor.

Mom never peeled the peaches either. The filling always included the skins. It will give a slight bitter undertone, but it works. However, if you prefer to peel the peaches, go right ahead. Either way, it’s delicious.

And….I also have a fool-proof pie crust recipe!

Perfect Crumbs

For years I was a total klutz when it came to crumb toppings. Mine always came out looking like it was a broiled topping instead of nice little pebbly crumbs. Despite the fact that they looked ok before baking, they always seemed to melt into a solid mass.

Years ago I picked up a tip in a magazine. There was a recipe for a rhubarb coffee cake that gave a different method for making crumb toppings. The recipe for the cake was quite forgettable, but the crumb recipe was a real winner. The secret? You start with melted butter!

The melted butter makes them work every time. I’ve never made crumbs any other way since.

Fool-Proof Pie Crust

Not only was I a crumb klutz, I was even worse at doing pie crusts. So much so that I totally avoided making pies unless I used a frozen prepared crust or those refrigerated ones. I even tried those “pat-in-the-pan” recipes and you guessed it, that didn’t work. A neighbor gave me a recipe for that “no-fail” pie crust. Guess what–that failed too. It was depressing.

Well, I’m delighted to say that I’ve conquered that because I found a fool-proof pie crust recipe that works every time and the real secret is using a deep removable-bottom quiche/tart pan. I picked up this tip from the British goddess of baking–Mary Berry. The pie crust recipe is hers too and it doesn’t use shortening. It uses butter and that is the secret to a crust that not only tastes great, but doesn’t get sticky or floppy.

First you roll out the dough. Then you slip the removable bottom underneath the dough so it’s centered. Now you fold up the overhanging dough–like you would for a galette–and pop the bottom back in the pan. Now it’s just a simple affair to unfold the overhang and press it into the flutes. Voila–no excess handling so the crust won’t shrink and you’ve got the most perfect looking pie ever. This is awesome!!!

The Recipe

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Caramel Crumb Peach Pie

A delectable crumb topped fresh peach pie

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fool proof pie crust recipe, no fail pie crust, peach pie recipe, pie crust how to

Servings: 12

Calories: 345kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Filling:

5 cups about 8 medium peaches
1 cup sugar
3 tbs cornstarch
1 cup water
pinch of salt

Crust:

8 oz flour
4 1/2 oz butter
1 large egg
1-2 tbs water

Crumbs:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cups flour

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the filling: Peel peaches if desired. Remove stone and slice to desired thickness (I do about 1/2-inch); set aside.
Mix sugar, salt and cornstarch together in a large saucepan. Gradually add the water, whisking so there's no lumps. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. While still stirring, reduce heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the peaches and mix well. Let this cool to room temperature
For the crust: Measure the flour and butter into a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and water and blend again until it forms a smooth dough ball. Roll on a lightly floured work surface/ Slip the removable bottom of a deep 8-10-inch tart/quiche pan (available in my Amazon store) in the center of the rolled dough. Fold overhanging dough towards the center of circle (like a galette). Place the pan bottom with the dough into the ring of the tart pan; unfold the overhang and press into the fluted sides. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
For the crumbs: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the flour gradually, mixing in until you get a mixture that holds together when pressed. You may need more flour. If you do, add it a tablespoon at a time until you get a mixture where the crumb will hold it's shape.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fill pastry shell with the peach filling. Top with the crumbs. Place the tart pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes or until crumbs are browned and filling bubbles up around the edges.

Notes

I use Clear Gel (cook type) in place of the cornstarch. It is available through my Amazon store.

When I bake, I weigh ingredients and don't use cup measures as weighing is more accurate. I also use metric measurements, but converted them here to US standard weights. Weigh--it produces superior results.

*Post contains affiliate links

Video

Nutrition

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Pistachio Cream Pie

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 23:00:00 +0000

You’ll be amazed at how easy this pistachio cream pie is. It won’t heat your kitchen because there’s no baking required!

Great For Summer

Actually, this pistachio cream pie is so good it’s a year-round treat but it’s perfect for summer because it’s a no-bake dessert..

It’s very easy to make too. Just a few convenience ingredients and you’re on your way to this creamy pie!

I’m all about convenience these days because my days of fussing are essentially over which is why I love recipes such as these.

But if you have the time and inclination, you can make your own from scratch for many of the ingredients.

Try It Frozen Too

This pistachio cream pie is great just chilled, but if you want a different experience then try it frozen.

When you freeze the pie, it is very much like ice cream. It’s very nice and cooling, especially on a super-hot day.

It’s best to freeze this overnight if you plan on serving the pie this way. Just remember to use a hot wet knife to cut it for neat slices. You can also let it stand out on the counter for 5-10 minutes before cutting to make the task a bit easier.

Any Flavor Is Good

This is just one of those recipes that can be changed into something entirely different just by changing the flavor.

That’s pretty easy because the main flavor is the pudding mix. Get creative! Fruit flavors will work well–and even better if you fold in some diced fruit pieces of the same flavor.

Chocolate would work too–with a topping of shaved chocolate. And how about raspberry and chocolate? There you’d just use a chocolate crust and have the filling raspberry. The possibilities are endless and each time results in a totally different dessert! That’s a real winning combo.

The Recipe

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Pistachio Cream Pie

Delicious no-bake dessert

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Chilling4

Total Time4 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: no-bake desserts, no-bake pies, pies, pistachio

Servings: 8

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
2 boxes instant pistachio pudding mix 3.4 oz each
12 oz evaporated milk, chilled do not reconstitute
1 1/4 cup cold milk
8 oz whipped topping or 2 cups whipped heavy cream
1/2 cup pistachios coarsely chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Beat pudding mixes and milks at low speed for 2 minutes.
Fold in topping and turn into prepared pie crust.
Chill for at least 4 hours. Pie may also be served frozen

Notes

Nutritional values calculated using commercial whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip) and full-fat evaporated milk.

Nutrition

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Cherry Berry Pandowdy

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 23:00:55 +0000

If pies aren’t your forte, this cherry berry pandowdy might be the perfect “pie” for you.

Pie Is My Downfall

If anything isn’t going to come out right for me, it’s going to be pie. More specifically, the crust.

OK, I’ve used the frozen and refrigerated varieties of crusts and that always works. However, it makes me feel really lame and it just doesn’t taste as good as I remember my mother’s crust being.

For that reason, I rarely am adventurous to make a pie from scratch. But one thing I know I can do is roll out a crust and throw pieces on top of a filling. That’s why I fell in love with this recipe.

Use Cherries Alone Or Mix

You can use cherries alone in this pan dowdy. That’s what the original recipe used–a mix of tart and sweet. And since the called-for ingredient is the frozen variety, you don’t have to make this only when fresh is on sale or in season. Just an aside but I found a major brand in my supermarket’s freezer case that was a mix of 50 percent sweet and 50 percent sour cherries. In addition, it was the exact amount I needed so no waste.

Since blackberries were on sale at buy one get two free, I had a leftover carton of them so I tossed those in. It made for a very interesting flavor, however as I mentioned before, the additional berries are not necessary.

Crust Like A Cookie

This crust tastes just like a shortbread cookie because it’s made with 100 percent butter.

It’s pretty easy to roll. My pie crust failings don’t come from rolling, but keeping it together getting it in the pan. However that doesn’t happen here.

The crust is rolled pretty thick–maybe just under 1/4-inch–so no danger of cracks or holes. Then all you do is cut squares or rectangles and place them on top of the berries.

Regular sugar may be used in place of sanding (coarse) sugar, but I encourage you to pick up some. I found a small bottle in Walmart in the baking supply aisle. It was will the decors, sprinkles and Cake Mate.

The Recipe

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Cherry Berry Pandowdy

If pies aren’t your forte, this cherry berry pandowdy might be the perfect “pie” for you.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cherry dessert, pandowdy

Servings: 8

Calories: 377kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Crust:

1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbs cold unsalted butter cubed
3-5 tbs ice water

Filling:

1 lb frozen sweet cherries thawed with juice
1 lb frozen tart cherries thawed with juice
2 tbs cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 lemon zested
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbs unsalted butter

Crust Decoration:

1 egg beaten
sanding sugar

Instructions

Crust: pulse the almonds and 1/4 cups sugar in a food processor until fine. Add the flour and 1/4 tsp salt and pulse to combine. Scatter the cubed butter over the flour mixture and pulse until pea sized. Add the water, 1 tbs at a time pulsing after each addition, until dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times, then shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
Filling: mix the cornstarch with the 1/2 cup sugar to combine. In a large bowl, combine the cherries and their juice, the cornstarch mixture, zest, lemon juice, almond extract and the 1/4 tsp salt. Stir well and place in a 9-inch deep dish pie pan set on a baking sheet. Dot the filling with the 2 tbs butter.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch or less. Cut into 2-3-inch squares. Arrange on the top of the filling in a patchwork pattern pressing pieces around the edge into the pie pan. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top just begins to brown. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees F for about 35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and the top is golden brown. If it looks like it’s browning too much, lay a piece of foil on top of the pie plate.

Nutrition

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No-Bake Strawberry Mousse Pie

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 23:00:14 +0000

Strawberry mousse pie is a perfect summertime dessert because it’s no bake!

Easiest Dessert Ever

This is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. It’s also perfect for the hot summer months because there’s absolutely no baking involved!

There’s a minimum of prep too. While I chose to make my own graham cracker crust because I had a lot of graham crackers on hand, it’s not required. You can buy a store-bought one and that will save you time.

You can use any cookie crust you prefer. It’s not necessary to use the one stated in the recipe. Whatever suits your taste is just fine.

Watching Your Calories?

This strawberry pie is pretty low in calories made the original way.

However, you can lower those calories even more by using sugar-free, low-fat and fat-free products in place of the regular ones called for in the recipe.

Even in the original version, there is no added sugar except for the gelatin. If you make your own crust, you can eliminate the sugar there too. I often do as I find graham crackers sweet enough in themselves. If you choose to make this with other cookies, there should be enough sweetness from the cookies alone.

Endless Flavors

The original recipe called for lemon gelatin. While I love lemon anything, I found that flavor hard to find in any store I shop in. Besides, I figured I had enough lemon-flavored desserts on the site already, so I chose another flavor.

I happened to have some strawberry gelatin on hand so I used that in place of the lemon. The pie had a bolder flavor because of that and one I found quite pleasing.

In fact, you can substitute almost any flavor gelatin in this. I think raspberry with a chocolate cookie crust would be fantastic and that’s the way I am making this next. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

The Recipe

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No-Bake Strawberry Mousse Pie

Strawberry mousse pie is a perfect summertime dessert because it’s no bake!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: strawberries, strawberry mousse pie, summer desserts

Servings: 8

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 oz strawberry gelatin small box (see NOTES)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup cottage cheese see NOTES
1/4 cup sour cream see NOTES
1 cup whipped topping

For Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp melted unsalted butter
2 tbsp granulated sugar optional

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until crumbs are all coated with butter.
Press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.

Strawberry Mousse

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water in a large bowl; cool to room temperature.
Puree cottage cheese and sour cream in a food processor or Ninja; stir into cooled gelatin.
Fold in the whipped topping then pour the mixture into the prepared crust.
Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS

You may use sugar-free gelatin, low- or no-fat cottage cheese, and lite sour cream.

You may also use a store-bought 9-inch graham cracker crust.

Nutrition

*Adapted from Daisy

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