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Sunday, January 5, 2014

Pie Night!










Pie night was awhile ago, but I'm not going to lie to you, just looking at these pictures, I feel like I should loosen my belt just a little. Lots of amazing pies!

Enjoy!


Cake Batter Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 package Golden Oreos or 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 11 graham cracker sheets)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Pudding:

3 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons Funfetti Cake Mix

Whipped Cream:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Rainbow sprinkles

To make the crust:

In a large food processor, grind up the Golden Oreos into fine crumbs. You should have 2 cups of cookie crumbs. Put the crumbs in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Mix the ingredients together. Then add the melted butter and mix to coat all of the crumbs with butter.

Put the crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Press the crumbs into the sides of the pie plate and into the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack before filling with the pudding.

To make the Funfetti Cake Batter pudding:

Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Heat the milk over medium heat until almost simmering. Make sure you watch the milk so it doesn't overflow while you work on the next step.

In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment (a handheld mixer works too), mix together the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and kosher salt for 4 minutes on medium speed. The egg mixture should be thick.

On low speed, carefully pour the milk into the mixing bowl.

Continue to mix until the milk is combined with the other ingredients.

Pour the mixture back into the large saucepan and heat over medium low heat and constantly whisk the mixture. The pudding should take 7-10 minutes to thicken.

Once the pudding has thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add in the unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Whisk.

Put a sieve over a large bowl. Pour the pudding mixture into the sieve and using a spoon or spatula, press the pudding through the sieve. This will help eliminate any lumps in the pudding. Then whisk in the cake batter mix. Make sure you whisk the ingredients thoroughly to avoid lumps of cake batter mix in your pudding.

Pour the pudding into the cooled pie crust. Evenly spread it out with a spatula.

Cover the pie with plastic wrap. Be sure to press the plastic wrap against the pudding in order to avoid a film forming on the pudding.

Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 6 hours.

To make the whipped cream:

Pour the heavy whipping cream in a large mixing bowl with the whisk attachment (a handheld mixer works fine too). Turn the mixer on high speed while it is mixing. Slowly add the sugar. Mix until stiff peaks form.

Once the pie is done chilling, top the pie with the whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles.

Source: This recipe was found on Pizzazzerie. You can find it here.


Notes: This was so good. Definitely the surprise of the night. I think no one expected this to be as good as it really was. Tasty stuff. Oh, and if you want a much easier version of this recipe, you could simply make a package of vanilla pudding and mix some Funfetti Cake mix into it.


Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

One 9-inch pie crust
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 cup apple butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
3/4 cup half and half

Streusel/crumble topping:

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecan pieces, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare or thaw a 9-inch pie crust and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs until yolk and whites are combined and no strings remain. Add pumpkin, apple butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and combine well. Stir in half and half.

Pour into pie shell and place in oven. After 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Bake until center of pie no longer trembles and has set, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature and then transfer to refrigerator.

Prepare streusel/crumble by combining flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the very cold butter into small pieces directly onto flour mixture.

Rub between your hands to turn streusel into small lumps, and consequently into crumbles. Stir in pecans, if using.

Spread evenly onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in a 350 degree F. oven until fragrant and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir mixture halfway during baking for even baking results. When cooled, store in a plastic bag.

To ensure a crisp streusel/crumble, sprinkle this topping generously on the pie right before serving.


Source: Imperial Sugar website. You can find the recipe here.

Notes: We used almonds in place of the pecans because my son is allergic to pecans.


Vinegar Pie

Ingredients:

Flaky pastry dough
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup cold water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Cinnamon, for dusting
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving, optional

Directions:

Make pie shell:

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Fit dough into pie pan or tart pan and trim excess, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to form a rim that extends 1/4-inch above pan. Prick bottom shell all over with a fork and chill for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven until edge is pale golden and sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake shell until bottom is golden, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Make filling while shell bakes:

Whisk together eggs and 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl until blended well. Whisk together flour and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in water and vinegar. Bring to a boil, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Add to egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly.

Pour filling into saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until filling coats back of spoon and registers 175 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, 12 to 15 minutes (do not boil). Immediately pour filling into a 2-cup glass measure. If pie shell is not ready, cover surface of filling with a round of wax paper.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F, then pour hot filling into baked pie shell in middle of oven and cover rim of crust with a pie shiled or foil (to prevent overbrowning). Bake pie until filling is set, 15 to 20 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack. Dust evenly with cinnamon.


Source: We found this on Gourmet.com. You can find it here.

Recipe notes: You can make this in a pie pan or in a fluted tart pan.



Old-Fashioned Fudge Pie

Ingredients:

2 squares (2-ounces) semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, then the eggs; beat well. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until just set. Serve warm or cols, with ice cream or whipped cream.

Source: Food Network. You can find the recipe here.


Notes: We decided to top our pie with both whipped cream and mini chocolate chips. This was good, but beware, this was also sooooo rich!

 


Tangerine Chess Pie

Ingredients:

1 (14.1 ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plain yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons tangerine or orange zest
1/3 cup fresh tangerine or orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Garnishes: sweetned whipped cream, tangerine slices, and/or tangerine zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Unroll piecrusts; stack on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch circle. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork. Bake 8 minutes; cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together sugar and next 8 ingredients until blended. Pour into prepared piecrust.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes, or until center is set, shielding edges with foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool 1 hour.


Source: MyRecipes.com. Southern Living, February 2012. You can find the recipe here.

Notes: If you love citrus, this pie is for you. It is bright tasting and tangy.


Lazy Caramel Pie

Ingredients:

1 prepared graham cracker pie crust
1 can (14 ounces) Dulce de Leche
Sweetened whipped cream, to taste

Directions:

Soften dulce de leche slightly by stirring it or microwaving it in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds (this makes it a lot easier to spread it in the graham cracker crust).

Spoon dulce de leche onto prepared graham cracker pie crust and spread over bottom. Refrigerate to allow dulce de leche to set (this makes cutting/serving easier).

When ready to serve, top with sweetened whipped cream and cut into wedges.

Source: The inspiration for this pie recipe came from a cookbook of mine. I can't seem to find it online, but it is a Cooking Light recipe that came from a cookbook called Cooking Light Cook's Essential Recipe Collections: Slow Cooker. You can find more information on that cookbook here.

Notes. This was so easy. Really tasty stuff too. Everyone who tried it really liked this one. Dulce de leche can be found in the baking aisle next to the sweetened condensed milk. In the cookbook, a can of sweetened condensed milk was cooked in a slow cooker for hours until the can's contents turned into dulce de leche caramel. I just skipped that step and simply bought a can of dulce de leches instead.



Old-Fashion Oatmeal Pie

Ingredients:

1 (9-inch) pie crust
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1/8 to 1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal (uncooked)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat eggs until frothy.

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.

Add eggs; mix well.

Add corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla.

Mix in oatmeal.

Pour into uncooked shell.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Source: Food.com. You can find it here.



Recipe notes: "This great pie recipe goes back over 100 years. The recipe came from my grandmother's grandmother who was living in Charleston, South Carolina during the 1860's. Family history has it, that during the Civil War, since pecans were in short supply in the south, oatmeal was substituted for the traditional pecan pie, and the results were astonishing. Now served at every family gathering since that time."



Source: We found this on Food.com. You can find it here.

Notes: This was like a pecan pie, just with oatmeal in place of the pecans. Count me in for caramel anything!



Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 teaspoon orange peel
1/2 cup lime juice
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 baked pie shell of pastry or graham crackers

Directions:

Blend milk, lime juice, lime peel, and salt. Mix with egg yolks slightly beaten. Beat egg whites with sugar and orange peel until very stiff. Fold into milk mixture. Pour into shell and sprinkle with orange peel. Bake in oven 15 minutes. Chill and serve. Makes one 9-inch pie.

Source: I'm not quite sure where my mom got this recipe from.

Notes: So good. Fresh citrus flavors. A nice and fluffy key lime pie. Very refreshing and delicious!


 

Above: I'll have a piece of that.



 

Above: Maybe just a little bit more.


Kool-Aid Pie

Ingredients:

1 (0.13 ounce) package unsweetened fruit-flavored drink mix (such as Kool-Aid)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

Whisk fruit-flavored drink mix with sweetened condensed milk in a bowl until thoroughly combined and thick. Gently fold whipped topping into mixture until light and fluffy. Spread filling into pie crust and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by blue. You can find the recipe here.


Notes: We made this literally so we would have a kid-friendly pie. The kids naturally just gravitated towards it. They liked the color and the texture and fluffiness was really kid-pleasing.


Faux Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

Filling:

4 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
Deep dish pie shell, unbaked

Topping:

1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For Filling:

Place first five ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix with wire whisk until well combined. Pour into pie shell.

Combine all topping ingredients in medium bowl and stir well with a spoon to coat pretzels.

Sprinkle topping evenly over pie.

Bake in 350 degree F. oven for 1 hour, covering with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over browning.

Allow to cool completely before serving. Can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in refrigerator.

Source: Christy Jordan's Southern Plate. You can find the recipe here.

Notes: Wow, the woman who created this recipe is a genius! The pretzels were such a good stand-in for the pecans. My husband said this is probably his new favorite pie. Fantastic stuff!




Above: Mine didn't look as pretty as the recipe creator's, but who cares? it was super delicious!


Cookie Dough Pie

Ingredients:

1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer the pie crust to a 9-inch pie dish.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Add the vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and salt until well combined; then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using), until combined.

Transfer to the prepared pie shell, and bake for 60 minutes or until set.

Place the heavy cream in a large bowl and use mixer to whip cream until stiff peaks form. Add the mini chips and stir to combine. Serve the pie with the chocolate chip cream spread over the top or on the side.

Source: We found this recipe on this site.

Notes: We divided this up and made it in mini pie pans for the kids. We skipped the walnuts because of my son's allergies.

1 comment:

  1. The tangerine chess pie is my favorite by far, but looking at these makes me hungry for pie all over again. So glad I discovered chess pie. I'm looking to make a chocolate chess next time.

    ReplyDelete