Ice Cream Night 2015!

 

Well, we try to have one night a year where we have homemade ice cream for dessert. Of course, we always make too much and end up serving it at multiple dinners throughout the summer...so, I guess we have multiple ice cream nights...but only one night where we debut our ice cream...

At any rate, enjoy these ice cream recipes!

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
7 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract, or to taste
3 cups miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Green food coloring, optional

Directions:

In a large bowl or pitcher, mix together the sugar, lemon juice, salt, heavy whipping cream, milk, vanilla extract, mint extract, chocolate chips, and food coloring.

Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker's canister and place the canister into the ice cream machine.

Surround the canister with ice and ice cream rock salt in a layered fashion. A couple inches of ice followed by 1/2 cup of ice cream rock salt, followed by more ice and more salt until the canister is covered.

Churn the ice cream for 40 minutes, or until the ice cream is firm.

Remove the canister and scrape any remaining ice or salt off with a rubber spatula.

Transfer ice cream to a freezer safe container and allow to ripen in the freezer until set.

Source: I got this off of the back of my box of Morton Ice Cream Salt. It doesn't appear to be online anymore though. Or, at least I couldn't find it.

Notes: This was really good, but I changed a few things (and I would change some other things next time I made this). This needs way more than 1 1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract. I would suggest starting with 2 teaspoons and then tasting and adjusting according to your own tastes. I lost track, but I may have used a tablespoon or more (and it was still subtle, not overpowering). Just taste as you go, and stop when it is just right for you. The original recipe suggested using 4 drops of green food coloring. I put in way more than that, and you can barely tell from these pictures. I should have put even more in.

I also thought there were too many chocolate chips for my tastes. I would have started with 1 cup of chocolate chips and perhaps added another 1/2 cup...or perhaps I would have just stopped at 1 cup.

 

Apricot Ice Cream

Ingredients:

One recipe Easy Vanilla Ice Cream (reduce sugar in recipe to 1 cup)
2 cups homemade apricot freezer jam (see notes)

Directions:

Prepare Easy Vanilla Ice Cream, but reduce sugar to only 1 cup. Pour into ice cream canister. Stir in apricot freezer jam.

Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions.

Source: A combination of a recipe from my ice cream manual (recipe below) and the fact that I screwed up on my jam and the sugar didn't dissolve, so my jam was grainy and I didn't want to just throw it out, and then it occurred to me that it would probably work fantastically in ice cream.

Notes: This was really good. It was sweet, creamy, and rich...everything a good homemade ice cream should be.

You could use store bought apricot jam, or you could use 2 cups (or more) of chopped fresh apricots instead of using apricot freezer jam.

Easy Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

6 cups cream
4 1/2 cups half and half
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in ice cream canister. Do not fill the canister more than 2/3 full, as the mixture will expand during freezing.

Stir well until sugar has dissolved.

Freeze 40 minutes or until ice cream is firm.

Pour ice cream into freezer safe container and allow to ripen in freezer until set.

Source: My Nostalgia Electrics 4-quart ice cream maker manual, model number ICMW400. You can download the manual here, but I can't find a link for the recipe online.

Notes: This is such a good and basic ice cream recipe. I use it as the base of many ice cream creations. You can basically mix anything into this and create another recipe. Crushed Oreos? Voila! Cookies and Cream ice cream! Crushed or chopped fruit like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.? Delicious! 

Sure Jell Apricot Freezer Jam

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lbs. apricots (2 1/2 cups, finely chopped)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 box (1.75 oz) Sure Jell pectin
3/4 cup water

Directions:

Wash and rinse plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Use 1 to 2 cup size containers.

Finely chop the apricots. Measure exact amount of apricots and lemon juice and put in a large bowl.

Measure exact amount of sugar in a separate bowl.

Stir sugar into prepared fruit. Mix well, let stand 10 minutes; stir occasionally.

In a small saucepan, stir 1 box pectin and 3/4 cup water until well-mixed (though pectin may start out lumpy). Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir pectin mixture into fruit mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes (a few sugar crystals may remain).

Pour into prepared containers, leaving 1/2-inch space at top for expansion during freezing; cover.

Let stand at room temperature 2 hours until set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Otherwise, store in freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator.

Source: I got this from a box of Sure Jell pectin. I can't seem to find the exact same recipe online, though you can find similar ones here. Sure Jell is a Kraft brand.

Notes: I slightly changed the wording of this recipe to help you avoid the reason that my jam had grainy sugar. In the original recipe, it says, "Stir 1 box pectin and 3/4 cup water...in small saucepan." I was making this while distracted by kids and I saw, "Stir 1 box pectin and 3/4 cup water..." and I automatically poured it into my fruit/sugar mixture...despite the fact that I have made freezer jam a countless number of times, I still seem to screw up on this particular step here and there and end up messing up a batch of jam. So, be sure to dissolve the pectin in the water before adding it to the fruit/sugar mixture! Even so, this really is the best recipe for freezer jam!

 

Berry Sorbet

Ingredients:

2 (12-oz) bags of frozen mixed berries
1 cup apple juice
1 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cups cranberry and raspberry juice mixture

Directions:

Finely puree the berries in a blender with apple juice and water.

Strain mixture into a large saucepan to remove seeds. Discard seeds.

Add sugar to the seedless berry mixture, bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes. Stir in remaining juices.

Pour into a large glass bowl and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Pour mixture into the canister of a 4-quart ice cream maker and freeze according to ice cream maker's instructions.

Do not fill the canister more than 2/3 full, as the mixture will expand during freezing.

Source: My Nostalgia Electrics 4-quart ice cream maker manual, model number ICMW400. You can download the manual here, but I can't find a link for the recipe online.

Notes: This was a fan favorite. Refreshing and so delicious. Oh, and I know it isn't ice cream, it's sorbet. :)

 

 

Marshmallow Kit Kat Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk (1 oz)

2 cups chopped Kit Kat candy bars

1/2 cup marshmallow ice cream topping

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Stir the chopped Kit Kats into the condensed milk and then fold the whipped cream in.

Swirl the marshmallow topping gently into the mixture. Do not stir it all the way in. Spoon into a freezer safe container and freeze until solid, or overnight.

Source: Inside Bru Crew Life. You can find it here. 

Notes: This was sweet and rich, but oh so good. I loved it.

Easy Cookies 'n' Cream Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

20 chocolate sandwich cookies

Directions:

Combine cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. 

Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator or in an ice bath until completely cool.

Place the chocolate sandwich cookies into a gallon size plastic bag. Using a rolling pin or a rubber mallet, break up the cookies, being sure to leave some large pieces. Store the cookies in the freezer.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is nearly finished freezing, pour the frozen cookie pieces into the machine, and allow to mix thoroughly. (You will still have to stir it up a bit after the machine is done.)

Store in an air tight container and freeze for an additional 2 hours.

Source: Real Simple. You can find it here. 

Notes: This was a crowd favorite. The kids especially loved it. I somehow missed getting a picture of this one though!

 

Strawberry-Basil Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (5-oz) can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon table salt

1 (16-oz) container fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Whisk together first 6 ingredients; cover and chill 2 hours.

Meanwhile, pulse strawberries, basil, and lemon juice in a food processor 5 or 6 times, or until finely chopped. Stir strawberry mixture into chilled milk mixture.

Pour mixture into freezer container of a 1-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions (instructions and times will vary).

Remove container with ice cream from ice-cream maker, and freeze 30 minutes.

Transfer mixture to an airtight container or a loaf pan covered tightly with aluminum foil; freeze 3 to 4 hours, or until firm.

Source: Southern Living on MyRecipes.com. You can find it here.

Notes: Some people weren't fans of having basil in their ice cream. I, however, loved it. I thought this was great.

 

Nectarine Rose Gelato

Ingredients:

3 soft-ripe yellow nectarines (1 1/2 lbs. total) pitted and sliced

2/3 cup sugar, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Small pinch kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon rose water

Directions:

Coarsely mash nectarines with 1/3 cup sugar in a medium saucepan using a potato masher. Let stand until very juicy, at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch in another medium saucepan. Add whole milk, buttermilk, cream, salt, and honey; whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes, continuing to stir. Set pan in a bowl of ice water and stir often until cool. Chill until needed.

Bring nectarines to simmering over medium heat, stirring often, and cook until fruit is almost jammy in consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rose water. Set pan in a bowl of ice water and stir often until cold.

Stir cream mixture into fruit mixture. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm enough to scoop, at least 2 1/2 hours.

Recipe notes: You can make the milk base up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled until ready to use.

Source: Sunset recipe found on MyRecipes. You can find it here.

Notes: A little rose water goes a long way, but feel free to use additional rose water, to your taste, if you want a little more rose flavoring. Just be careful to only add a little at a time because rose water is potent stuff.

I really liked this. It is a little more exotic, so it wasn't a crowd pleaser, but for those who enjoyed the flavor combination, it was fantastic.

Appetizers: Dippy

You can't have an appetizer night without some kind of dip! We have many different dips for you to choose from.

Creamy Cobb Salad Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup reduced fat or light sour cream
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 vocado, chopped
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 green onion, sliced
1 tbsp. chopped tomatoes

Directions:

Mix first 3 ingredients in medium bowl until blended.

Stir in all remaining ingredients except tomatoes.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with tomatoes before serving.

Recipe notes: Serve with celery sticks and your favorite crackers.

Source: Kraft recipes. You can find it here.

Notes: Yum...avocados and bacon...

Pineapple Lush Dip

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (3.4 oz) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 can (20 oz) Dole crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

Directions:

Add dry pudding mix to pineapple in medium bowl; whisk 2 minutes.

Stir in Cool Whip.

Recipe Notes: Layer remaining dip with cut-up fresh fruit in a parfait glass. Or serve spooned over slices of pound cake.

Source: Kraft recipes. You can find it here.

Notes: This is a tasty and easy fruit dip.

Philly Shrimp Cocktail Dip

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 lb. cooked cleaned shrimp, chopped (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup cocktail sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 green onions, sliced

Directions:

Spread cream cheese onto bottom of shallow bowl.

Toss shrimp with cocktail sauce; spoon over cream cheese.

Top with remaining ingredients. Serve with crackers.

Recipe Notes: You can substitute 1 pkg. (8 oz.) imitation crabmeat, coarsely chopped, for the shrimp.

Source: Kraft recipes. You can find it here.

Notes: We used mini shrimp rather than larger chopped shrimp. Good stuff!

Raspberry-Mint Marshmallow Creme Dip

Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese (from 8-oz package), softened
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 container (6 oz) Yoplait Original Lemon Burst Yogurt
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves
15 fresh strawberries, stems removed, cut lengthwise in half
3 kiwifruit, each cut into 10 wedges
30 pieces (2-inch) fresh pineapple

Directions:

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, marshmallow creme, yogurt, and raspberries with electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Stir in mint.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but no longer than 12 hours. Serve dip with strawberries, kiwifruit, and pineapple.

Recipe Notes: This dip is also delicious with cut-up cantaloupe or watermelon, sliced peaches or grapes.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

Notes: You can really serve this with any fruit that you would like. We also served this with cinnamon pita chips and it was fantastic. Be sure to soften the cream cheese first and then beat it until smooth before adding the marshmallow creme, yogurt, and raspberries in order to avoid lumps. This was so, so good.

World's Best Bacon Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
2 green onions, finely chopped
4 buttery round crackers, crushed

Directions:

Place bacon in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in Swiss cheese, onions, and bacon. Place bowl in microwave and cook 2 minutes. Remove and stir well. Return to microwave, and cook 2 to 4 minutes more. Sprinkle crushed crackers on top. Serve warm with crackers.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Kamryn. You can find it here.

Notes: Yummy bacon dip...mmmm.

Sun-dried Tomato and Cannellini Bean Dip

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups canned cannellini beans, drained
8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped rosemary leaves
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place beans, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, oil, vinegar, and water in a food processor or blender; pulse to smooth puree.

If necessary, adjust the consistency by gradually adding more water, 1 tbsp. at a time.

Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve chilled.

Recipe Notes: Make dip up to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Cannellini are slender, ivory white Italian beans. Their creamy texture and their ability to absorb strong, aromatic flavors makes them ideal for dips. If you cannot find a source for cannellini beans, any canned white bean will make an excellent substitute.

Source: MSN. You can find it here.

Notes: This makes a lot, but it refrigerates well and leftovers are always great. This is very similar to hummus.

Chili Dip

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15 ounce) can chili without beans
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained

Directions:

In a medium, microwave safe bowl, mix cream cheese, chili without beans, and diced tomatoes with green chili peppers.

Microwave cream cheese mixture on high 1 minute. Remove from microwave, stir, and repeat until the mixture is hot and thoroughly blended.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Judy H. You can find it here.

Notes: Not the prettiest dip in the whole world, but very tasty nonetheless. You could always sprinkle it with some chopped cilantro for a prettier presentation.

Bacon-Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz.) package crumbled blue cheese
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons diced onion
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Garnishes: chopped fresh parlsey, blue cheese crumbles
Assorted crackers

Directions:

Process first 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Stir in half of bacon. Cover and chill 2 hours. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with remaining bacon. Garnish, if desired. Serve with crackers.

Source: Southern Living. You can find it here.

Notes: Yum! Lots of great bacon dips to choose from here!

Fluffy Caramel Apple Dip

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow creme
3 medium tart apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, caramel topping, and vanilla until smooth; fold in marshmallow creme. Cut apples vertically into thin slices.

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and water; toss apples in lemon juice mixture. Drain.

Serve apple slices and cutouts with dip.

Yield: 2 cups.

Recipe Notes: If making for Halloween, use Halloween cookie cutters and cut out the center of each slice.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: This was really good and very easy.

Pumpkin Fluff Dip

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Tiera Lesley. You can find it here.

Notes: Nice fluffy, and light pumpkin dip. Also, sorry, I don't have a picture of this one!

Mini Zucchini and Hummus

Ingredients:

Mini zucchini
Store bought hummus
Cayenne pepper

Directions:

Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Spoon hummus on top. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Source: I think my mom just came up with this on her own...but I could be wrong.

Notes: I took some of the extra ones home with me and had them for lunch the next day. Really good!

Museum Dinners - The Finale

So I serve as a volunteer docent at the Church History Museum on Tuesday nights.  We rotate bringing in dinner and it's been a little bit of a challenge because there are a lot of dietary and tastes to consider.  Some don't like red meat, some don't like mayo based salads, etc.  So Tuesday was my last night to bring in dinner because the museum is closing down for a year and when it opens up again, we won't be rotating dinners anymore.

This was a chicken salad that was a real hit.  It was quite unusual and is billed as being "reminiscent of poppy seed dressing."  In fact, you could add poppy seeds to it to dress it up even more.

Honey-Chicken Salad


Ingredients:

4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 celery ribs, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish:  Chopped pecans

Directions:

Combine first 4 ingredients

Whisk together mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients.  Add to chicken mixture, stirring gently until combined.  Garnish, if desired.

Source: Published by Southern Living June 2006, found on myrecipes.com. You can find it here.

I Love Tomatoes!

 

Tomatoes seriously have to be my favorite vegetable (or one of my favorite fruits if you are going to be technical).

I had some grape tomatoes that I had gotten to pop into salads, but I bought way too many, and some of them were getting past their prime. So I found this lovely recipe to use them up. It was really good...though my son didn't like the smell of the Balsamic vinegar and he kept holding his nose and saying, "Stinky!" Ha ha!

So, if you need to (because you are like my son), hold your nose and eat these anyway! Besides, I thought they smelled good!

Sauteed Grape Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

Saute tomatoes and next 3 ingredients in hot oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in basil.

Source: MyRecipes.com. Southern Living, February 2009. You can find it here. It is currently rated 5 stars, and for good reason!

Notes: I thought this was so good. I did add a touch of salt and pepper on top when I served it as well. This would also be so good tossed with your favorite kind of pasta. It makes a lot of yummy sauce that would be great with pasta.

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.