My Mom's Apple Crumb Pie~ 4.1.11

I am a huge fan of all things pie- pizza pie, quiche, fruit pie, tarts, what else is there? hmmm.... you get my point.
Nothing, in my mind, compares to my mom's apple pie. I love the way the apples are not crunchy but are soft and almost melt in your mouth. I love the crumb topping that reminds me of a crisp, but yet it's not b/c it's a PIE! And the filling is never gooey, just slightly sweet and spicy from the cinnamon. It's perfect and reminds me of home and family and all that I love. I never order apple pie at a restaurant b/c chances are they've used granny smith or a similiar firm apple and that just will not do.

The only other pie that I've made was way back in 2008 (see here.)... and that actually turned out marvelous!

So why has it taken me this long to make it? Maybe it's the thought that no one besides my mom can make this pie? Well, silly me. It's so easy.... after you get all those apples peeled and sliced, that is. An apple peeler/corer is sounding like a good idea to me at this point!

You'll have to bear with me through the recipe. If you've ever asked for a recipe from your mum or grandmother, you'll know how difficult it can be to pin them down on specifics. AND sometimes, tips and secrets and ingredients don't come out in the initial "printing" of the recipe you requested. It was just that way with this... so be ready for lots of parentheses!

Mom's Apple Crumb Pie
adapted from the good 'ol Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients:
3 lbs Macintosh apples (or more depending on size) You want the apples to really MOUND up in your pie shell as they will really cook down during the baking
lemon juice
pie crust- I used this one
cinnamon
sugar

1. Peel, core and slice apples, thinly. As you place them in a large bowl, every few apples you finish- toss them with the lemon juice to keep them from browning.
2. Mix sugar and cinnamon (1/4c sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon) and sprinkle on the apples. Toss. Taste and depending on how many apples you have and how tart they are, add a little more sugar and sprinkle a bit more cinnamon. (see what I mean? a true "mom's recipe" kinda thing)
3. Put apple mixture into an unbaked pie crust (Mom told me you can take some smidges of butter and tuck them in around your apples- not too much, maybe a Tbs or two- her mom used to do that) and pop it in the fridge while you make your crumb topping. I like my pie crust nice and cold before it hits the HOT oven.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Crumb topping:
1/3 c sugar
3/4 c flour
6 Tbs butter
Mix sugar and flour together. Cut in the butter with your fingers- feels so great to work with your hands! Until it's crumbly like this... and sprinkle it on top of the apples. All of it. Don't be shy.

before I bake it.... 400 degrees, about 35-50 minutes. You want it bubbly and browned nicely.

And after it comes out of the oven....

Now, Mom mentioned that sometimes, she puts this under the broiler to brown up just a bit more. I wasn't home when it came out of the oven, so it is the way it is here. I might do that next time. Mom also freezes these before they are baked. Wrapped well in foil and then sealed in a ziplock bag. Just bake extra long from the freezer.

Of course, you should serve it warmed up with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! Perfection!

Pumpkin & Pecan Pie ~ 11. 29.10

(all the pies lined up and waiting for little fingers to poke them)

When my Aunt Lynn passed away a few years ago, I was dubbed the "Pie maker" at our Thanksgiving celebrations. A role I take quite seriously. I only make one version of pumpkin pie- Libby's recipe off the can! Are you surprised? Hope not,it is as easy as, well, pie to make! After the crust, it literally takes just minutes to throw a pumpkin pie together and the aroma that fills your house is well worth that time!

The last time I made pie crust, the recipe made 2 rounds, so I took one and formed it into my pie pan and threw it in a zippy bag and popped it in the freezer. That made my Thanksgiving morning pie prep super easy this year! It was an ALL butter crust! WHOA baby. I needed to try something a little different for my pecan pie.

I had clipped a pie crust recipe from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette a few months back and decided to give it a go. It was an all shortening pie crust and was so supposed to be very easy to make and didn't need to chill before being rolled out into crust. I was game for a simple recipe like that. I used the pie crust recipe for my pecan pie.

Speaking of pecan pie, how about another simple pie to make? I mean these two are really quite easy. Good pecans can be quite expensive but we are talking about the holidays and it's hard to have Thanksgiving or Christmas without pumpkin and pecan pie! Holidays are meant to be special and a bit indulgent anyway.

Enjoy our pie traditions!

(I love how pumpkin pie cracks in the middle after you knife test it- makes it feel all homemade)

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
2 large eggs
15 oz 100% pure pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1 unbaked deep dish pie crust

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
Beat eggs in a large bowl.
Stir pumpkin and sugar and spice mixture.
Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell- always place your pie tin on a baking sheet just in case of overflow!

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce temp to 350 degrees and bake 40-50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Cool 2 hours. serve immediately or refrigerate.

(My aunt advised not to freeze this pie as the crust and filling will separate.)

Miriam Parker's Pie Crust
clipped from the Pgh Post Gazette
makes a double crust pie 9-inch

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
7 Tbs cold water (I add ice)

I combined the first 3 ingredients right in my food processor. Pulsed to combine- until shortening was incorporated into crumbles. Then through the shoot, I added the water, one at a time until the dough came together nicely. Alternately, you can combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl using 2 knives to cut the shortening into the flour. Sprinkle 2 Tbs of water and toss with a fork until you've incorporated all 7 Tbs. Form into a ball.

Divide the dough in half- put some flour on your work surface and rolling pin- and roll out the dough from the center to the edge to create the crust. Repeat for the top crust.

No need to refrigerate this dough as it's so easy to roll out and very flaky once baked!**see note

Now that you have your pie dough all ready to go, make this delicious pecan pie!

(was trying to get a little artsy with my acorns made out of extra pie dough)

Aunt Lynnie's Pecan Pie

2/3 cup karo syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar (I use light cause that's what I always have on hand)
1/3 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the above ingredients well, then add:

3 whole eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup peans- heaping cup - mix with above and pour into your pie crust

If you think it needs a few more pecans, go ahead and add them- I often do. You can leave them whole or chop them roughly. Your call!

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-55 minutes. It should be 200 degrees in the center of the pie. You'll know when it's done just by looking at it, right? I never take it's temperature, but it was part of the family recipe so I wrote it down!

**While Miriam's dough was tremendously easy, I was not loving how it didn't brown at all. I'm going to have to listen to my mum and just make her pie dough recipe. Why it's taken me sooooo long to listen, I don't know!

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert (with Gingersnap Crust)~ 11.20.10

I have a tendency to buy cookbooks and then only make a few of the recipes contained within them. Anyone else do that? I bought a copy of Don't Panic- Dinner's in the Freezer a few years back and I have about a dozen or so of the pages dog-eared but I think I've only made one or two recipes! But in my defense, they were worth buying the book for because this dessert is a real winner and it makes a LOT! She tells you to make it in a 9x13 pan, but I chose to make mine into pies. She also uses a graham cracker crust in the original recipe, but I had gingersnaps and the swap out was AMAZING that I couldn't go back to graham crackers. ALL that said, I'm writing this as the original recipe states so that you can see that it's okay to use what you've got and to be creative with your ingredients!

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert
Don't Panic: Dinner's in the Freezer
Makes 24 servings

2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 t salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I go easy on the nutmeg)
1 cup chopped pecans (I've skipped in the past)
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

Graham Cracker Crust** (see note at bottom)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used Gingersnap cookies)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Prepare graham cracker crust by mixing crust ingredients and patting into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. (chilling would not be a bad idea)

In large bowl, combine pumpkin, sguar, salt, spices, and nuts. Fold in ice cream. Pour pumpkin mixture into pan. Seal top of pan with plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze until firm.

Gingersnap crust-
I discovered a recipe in my Aunt's filebox for a PUmpkin Ice Cream Pie with Gingersnap Crust. Seems as though great minds think alike! Here is her recipe for making the gingersnap crust, you'll want to adjust the sugar and increase amounts to make it for a 9x13 pan. Her recipe made a crust for a 10 inch pie pan.
1 1/2 cups gingersnaps, crushed
1 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup butter melted

Mix together. Press into pie pan and bake at 300 degreese 12-15 minutes. Cool, then chill.

Peanut Butter Pie, Oh How I've missed you ~ 4.29.10

Thankfully, once upon a time, I gave birth to twins. And something delightful happened to me after that oh so joyous occasion--- I was fed by my newest and lovliest friends at MOPS!

My friend, Michelle, brought this little gem to me and I am forever grateful to her for that meal, her friendship and THIS PIE! It's simple and with friends like Marie Callendar and the folks at Pillsbury, it can be even simpler for all of us! wink, wink

I added a little tweak right before I added the ingredients to the pie crust... you'll probably guess it has something to do with chocolate.

Peanut Butter Pie with a Twist

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup peanut butter
some Nutella, if you dare
1 package vanilla pudding, prepared
whipped topping
pie crust
chocolate bar
1. Bake pie crust according to directions. Cool.

2. Mix peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl. It will resemble bread crumbs!!! Reserve some of this to sprinkle on top (I didn't do that- I use shaved chocolate instead)

3. Spread bottom of cooled pie crust with Nutella-- if you so choose, and you should so choose!

4. Sprinkle the nutella with the peanut butter mixture.
4b. Then add your prepared pudding on top of the PB mixture.

5. Top with whipped topping and either pb mixture or some grated chocolate!

6. Eat and Enjoy!!!


oh one more thing to note. I do believe you should refrigerate this pie overnight b/c something happens to that bread crumby pb layer when it's under the pudding. It needs an overnight to do this.

Oats 'n Honey Granola Pie ~ 6.26.09

Remember I told you I love to collect recipes?

Here's one from the Post-Gazette... in 2004! I believe it won some sort of Pillsbury Pie Crust contest as that is the type of pie crust listed in the ingredients. You could use the refrigerated version or make your own.

I've made this about half a dozen times already and absolutely love it! It's really quick to put together, too. This sweet little pie is similiar to a pecan pie (a lot of the same ingredients). The main difference being that you use crushed up Nature Valley Granola Bars. I know they have a granola cereal out now, so I bet you could use that instead.... I'd rather take out a little aggression and whack at them with a spoon. Feels really good! As I was typing this up, I realized that I've been reading the recipe wrong! I make it with 8 granola bars- 4 pkgs!!!! Ummm, it still works and still tastes really good, so there.

Oats 'n Honey Granola Pie

1 pie crust

Filling:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs, lightly beaten

4 Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey Cruncy Granola Bars (2 pouches from 8.9 oz box), crushed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie crust in 9 inch glass pie pan (I've used a 10 inch and aluminum pan and it's been fine).

In lg microwavable bowl, melt butter on high for 50-60 seconds or until melted. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup until blended. Beat in salt, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in crushed granola bars adn all remaining ingredients into brown sugar mixture, except whipped cream. Pour into pie crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden brown, covering crust edge with foil during last 15-20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm, room temp. or chilled. Serve with whipped cream or ice c ream. Store in refrigerator.

NOTE: to easily crush granola bars, do not unwrap. Used handle of a spoon or rolling pin to whack 'em to smithereens!