By now you know that I know how to make a graham cracker crust. My feelings on making these too, are that I will buy one for 99 cents at the Dollar Tree. They're just as good as mine and cost less to produce.
With that said, today I made the "Hello Dolly Pie". I have decided to double my efforts with my blog and increasing sales on my Amazon account. So I will be baking pies, with mentions of the book (s) that I have for sale on Amazon. Almost every one is one of a kind-or at least I only have one to sell. I have approximately 725 cookbooks on my "One of a Kind Cookbook" website on Amazon.
The recipe for this pie recipe was from the cookbook "Chuckwagon Recipes and Others" by Sue Cunningham & Jean Cate. In addition, it is also autographed by the authors. What a wonderful, sweet, tasting pie-so much flavor in one bite!
Hello Dolly Pie
1 cup coconut 1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup pecans 1 graham cracker crust
1 cup chocolate chips
Combine all ingredients (except pie crust) and pour into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Let cool well.
Does it get any easier than this!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
47 Pies to Go
I did it-I made a pastry flaky crust! Now, I'm still not sure how it tastes, the pie is for Tuesday for my guests coming over to play cribbage, but I did it! It took a lot of preparation too and weeks of thinking about it. First, I decided I needed a bigger working area, my cutting boards were too small. So I hunted around thrift stores, until I found this huge wooden cutting board, that was used for massive hams or holiday turkeys in the past. It's about 24 x 36. Still not big enough for me to work on-I need a lot of space, when I am deliberating about the pie. Now some people would say, just use the counter, but I have a tile counter and that would just not work. So the cutting board will have to work for now. A pie maker friend told me to only use this cutting board for pies-and to only wash it with water, never any type of soap. She said this will help build up the oils in the board for even better future flakier pie crusts. Also, I purchased a marble rolling pin that weighs about 5 pounds-pretty rolling pin. And the rule above, applies to the rolling pin too, only wash with water, to build up the oils. I bought more flour and sugar last week-I was out and I looked at them on the counter for about a week. Then finally, I decided to make banana bread, because I had over-ripe bananas and after that I said I will make this crust. I did and it was a double crust (another story), with lattice strips. And I made this crust with an electric mixer! So easy! Recipe to follow. The filling of this crust is not important, the feature today is the actual crust making. Though I did use canned apple pie filling for a deep-dish pie. I didn't want the filling to overwhelm me and then I wouldn't make the crust. Little steps. So after making the pie dough with the electric mixer, I made it into 2 balls. I rolled out the first ball and it rolled out so easy on the first round. I was able to fold it in half and place right in the pie pan. I was so excited. I filled the pie pan with apple pie filling. Now the second pie crust to roll out, once again, as pretty as any picture. Nice, big circle of dough and I decided to get fancy and do lattice strips. Well, each strip broke at least once in my efforts to place it on the pie. But broken strips and all, my pie looks pretty good. The taste test comes on Tuesday night.
Pastry for Double-Crust Pie
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 tablespoons cold water
In a mixing bowl, combine flour and the salt, add shortening. Beat with an exlectric mixer on low speed till pieces are the size of small peas. Add 6 tbsp. cold water (all at once), beat at low speed just til dough clings together (15 to 20 seconds).
Take the dough out and make into 2 balls, put one aside. Then on a lightly floured board and floured rolling pin, roll dough from center to edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Fold dough in half, place in pie tin. Poke holes with fork all over. Place canned apple pie filling inside. Take remaining ball of pie dough and repeat, placing whole pie dough on top, crimping edges and baking at 375 F for about 55 minutes or until browned on top. I don't reccommend lattice strips for a beginner like me, but it does look prettier. Also, I forgot to mention, using the whole pie crust on top, you need to make vents to let the "whatever" out when baking (air-I don't know)-just a couple of straight cuts on the top of the dough.
I set my pie on a pizza pan, in case of any overflow of filling. There wasn't any, but next time there may be.
This recipe was courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.
I will let you know how it tastes in a few days. If I wasn't going out of town for a few days, I would be making more pie crusts! Happy Baking
Pastry for Double-Crust Pie
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 tablespoons cold water
In a mixing bowl, combine flour and the salt, add shortening. Beat with an exlectric mixer on low speed till pieces are the size of small peas. Add 6 tbsp. cold water (all at once), beat at low speed just til dough clings together (15 to 20 seconds).
Take the dough out and make into 2 balls, put one aside. Then on a lightly floured board and floured rolling pin, roll dough from center to edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Fold dough in half, place in pie tin. Poke holes with fork all over. Place canned apple pie filling inside. Take remaining ball of pie dough and repeat, placing whole pie dough on top, crimping edges and baking at 375 F for about 55 minutes or until browned on top. I don't reccommend lattice strips for a beginner like me, but it does look prettier. Also, I forgot to mention, using the whole pie crust on top, you need to make vents to let the "whatever" out when baking (air-I don't know)-just a couple of straight cuts on the top of the dough.
I set my pie on a pizza pan, in case of any overflow of filling. There wasn't any, but next time there may be.
This recipe was courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.
I will let you know how it tastes in a few days. If I wasn't going out of town for a few days, I would be making more pie crusts! Happy Baking
Saturday, July 7, 2012
48 Pies To Go
It's been awhile since I have posted, because I was in training from one company to another and then a trip last week, but today I have made a pie. A very easy pie for bunco tonight. For those of you not familiar with bunco, it is a dice game and can be played with 12-20 people. Actually, tomorrow I play Harvey Bunco, which is a similar game, but played with cards. I play both of these games once a month and they both always come on the same weekend. I also made very easy chicken parmesan to bring, but I digress.
Cherry Cheese Pie
1 (9-inch) graham cracker crumb crust
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese softened
1 (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cup lemon juice from concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling, chilled.
When I started purchasing these ingredients, I really had to think whether or not I wanted to make this, because this was a very easy, but very expensive pie to make. The cherry pie filling along was almost $4.00, but I perservered.
In a large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust. Chill 3 hours or until set. Top with desired amount of pie filling before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
Now, I used a prepared graham cracker crust, because they are only 99 cents at the Dollar Tree (and they are good as I can make). However if you are a purist and want to make this from scratch, here's the recipe.
Graham Cracker Pie Crust (from scratch)
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
Combine margarine, crumbs and sugar; press firmly on bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan. That's it. It doesn't need to be pre-baked.
Tomorrow-maybe, I am trying to rev myself up to try make pastry pie crusts again. My only excuse is I need more flour and sugar.
Cherry Cheese Pie
1 (9-inch) graham cracker crumb crust
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese softened
1 (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cup lemon juice from concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling, chilled.
When I started purchasing these ingredients, I really had to think whether or not I wanted to make this, because this was a very easy, but very expensive pie to make. The cherry pie filling along was almost $4.00, but I perservered.
In a large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust. Chill 3 hours or until set. Top with desired amount of pie filling before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
Now, I used a prepared graham cracker crust, because they are only 99 cents at the Dollar Tree (and they are good as I can make). However if you are a purist and want to make this from scratch, here's the recipe.
Graham Cracker Pie Crust (from scratch)
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
Combine margarine, crumbs and sugar; press firmly on bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan. That's it. It doesn't need to be pre-baked.
Tomorrow-maybe, I am trying to rev myself up to try make pastry pie crusts again. My only excuse is I need more flour and sugar.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
49 Pies to Go!
Like I said 49 pies to go. And this is quite a pie story. My first pie made was the Dark Chocolate Pudding Pie with the Peanut Crust. Well, unfortunately, I spilled about 1/2 cup of the peanuts on the floor, so that left me with only 1 cup of peanuts, but you make do when you have to.
Dark Chocolate Pudding Pie with a Peanut Crust
1 1/2 cups chopped peanuts (how finely chopped is up to you)
2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
1/4 cup sugar
2 boxes Royal Dark & Sweet Chocolate Instant Pudding (1.7 oz each)
3 cups milk
The Crust: Mix the chopped peanuts with the butter and sugar and place in a 9-inch pie pan, bringing the peanut mixture up to the top of the pie pan. The crust will shrink a little when baked. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
Pie Fillling: Add 2 packages (4-serving size) mix to 3 cups cold milk in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk or electric mixture at low speed for ONLY 1 MINUTE. Pour immediately into pie crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set. Top with whipped topping if desired. Tastes like a hot fudge sundae!
So now I had to make the Strawberry Pie, but first I had to find the recipe. And it had to use a pastry crust. For about 3 hours I had a anxiety attack, trying to find the perfect recipe and a really easy pie crust.
Recipe selected, breath exhaled and I put off making the pie crust until the next morning.
The next morning comes, I take a deep breath, get out my pie placement board-shows you the exact diameter of each pie size. Follow the recipe-everything looks great, add the flour to the cutting board. Roll, roll, roll. Sticks, sticks, sticks. Start over again, lots of flour, both on my rolling pin and board and the same thing happens. Well, the crust is shot by now, too much flour and rolling. Luckily, I had a frozen store-bought deep dish crust in the freezer to use. Tomorrow is another day, but maybe you will have better luck with the crust than me. And the strawberry filling was trementdous.
Strawberry Pie (by Betty Crocker's Best In Baking)
8 servings
Heat Oven to 475 F. Mix 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1/2 tsp salt with fork.. Cut 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. shortening into flour mixture with pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp at a time 2-3 tbsp. of cold water, tossing with fork untill al the flour is wet and pastry almost leaves the side of the bowl.
Cover a breadboard with a pastry cloth. Sprinkle flour lightly voer cloth. Shape pastry into a ball on floured cloth. Roll pastry with floured, cloth-covered rolling pin until pastry is 2 inches larger than pie palte turned upside down.
Fold pastry into fourths. Put pastry into pie palte. Unfold and fit pastry into plate, pressing firmly abgainst bottom and side. Trim edge of pastry that hangs over pie plate to 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with pie plate then press around edge with fork dipped flour. Poke bottom and sides many times with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until crust is light brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
Strawberry Filling: Wash 6 cups whole strawberries in colander and then remove stems. Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in medium bowl with potato masher or fork to measure 1 cup mashed strawberries. Save the rest of the strawberries for later.
Mix 1 cup sugar with 2 tbsp cornstarch in saucepan with wooden spoon. Stir in the mashed strawberries and 1/2 cup water. Cook strawberry-sugar mixture over medium heat, stirring all the time, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute, then cool.
Beat 1 package cream cheese (3 ounces), softened with wooden spoon until smooth. Spread over bottom of pie crust. Pile whole strawberrries on cream cheese in pie crust. Pour cooked strawberry mixture over top. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until set. Cover and refrigerate any leftover pie.
Mashing with a potato masher-didn't work-the strawberries were too firm. Same goes for a fork. I ended up using a knife and slicing and dicing until they could finally be mashed.
All of my pies were a big hit at my dinner party-try them some time. Only 49 pies to go.
Dark Chocolate Pudding Pie with a Peanut Crust
1 1/2 cups chopped peanuts (how finely chopped is up to you)
2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
1/4 cup sugar
2 boxes Royal Dark & Sweet Chocolate Instant Pudding (1.7 oz each)
3 cups milk
The Crust: Mix the chopped peanuts with the butter and sugar and place in a 9-inch pie pan, bringing the peanut mixture up to the top of the pie pan. The crust will shrink a little when baked. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
Pie Fillling: Add 2 packages (4-serving size) mix to 3 cups cold milk in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk or electric mixture at low speed for ONLY 1 MINUTE. Pour immediately into pie crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set. Top with whipped topping if desired. Tastes like a hot fudge sundae!
So now I had to make the Strawberry Pie, but first I had to find the recipe. And it had to use a pastry crust. For about 3 hours I had a anxiety attack, trying to find the perfect recipe and a really easy pie crust.
Recipe selected, breath exhaled and I put off making the pie crust until the next morning.
The next morning comes, I take a deep breath, get out my pie placement board-shows you the exact diameter of each pie size. Follow the recipe-everything looks great, add the flour to the cutting board. Roll, roll, roll. Sticks, sticks, sticks. Start over again, lots of flour, both on my rolling pin and board and the same thing happens. Well, the crust is shot by now, too much flour and rolling. Luckily, I had a frozen store-bought deep dish crust in the freezer to use. Tomorrow is another day, but maybe you will have better luck with the crust than me. And the strawberry filling was trementdous.
Strawberry Pie (by Betty Crocker's Best In Baking)
8 servings
Heat Oven to 475 F. Mix 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1/2 tsp salt with fork.. Cut 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. shortening into flour mixture with pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp at a time 2-3 tbsp. of cold water, tossing with fork untill al the flour is wet and pastry almost leaves the side of the bowl.
Cover a breadboard with a pastry cloth. Sprinkle flour lightly voer cloth. Shape pastry into a ball on floured cloth. Roll pastry with floured, cloth-covered rolling pin until pastry is 2 inches larger than pie palte turned upside down.
Fold pastry into fourths. Put pastry into pie palte. Unfold and fit pastry into plate, pressing firmly abgainst bottom and side. Trim edge of pastry that hangs over pie plate to 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with pie plate then press around edge with fork dipped flour. Poke bottom and sides many times with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until crust is light brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
Strawberry Filling: Wash 6 cups whole strawberries in colander and then remove stems. Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in medium bowl with potato masher or fork to measure 1 cup mashed strawberries. Save the rest of the strawberries for later.
Mix 1 cup sugar with 2 tbsp cornstarch in saucepan with wooden spoon. Stir in the mashed strawberries and 1/2 cup water. Cook strawberry-sugar mixture over medium heat, stirring all the time, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute, then cool.
Beat 1 package cream cheese (3 ounces), softened with wooden spoon until smooth. Spread over bottom of pie crust. Pile whole strawberrries on cream cheese in pie crust. Pour cooked strawberry mixture over top. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until set. Cover and refrigerate any leftover pie.
Mashing with a potato masher-didn't work-the strawberries were too firm. Same goes for a fork. I ended up using a knife and slicing and dicing until they could finally be mashed.
All of my pies were a big hit at my dinner party-try them some time. Only 49 pies to go.
Monday, June 11, 2012
The 12-hour layover
A short layover in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Staying at the Caribe Hilton, which is located on the beach. Just enough time to have a drink and dinner at Morton's Steakhouse. and to watch the sun set over the ocean. Perfect.
Friday night is my next Family Style Dinner and it is Italian night. Spaghetti and meatballs, as well as a meatless marinara sauce and everything else. The pies I'm still trying to figure out. One will be a pumpkin pie which is frozen and not homemade, but cost me only 99 cents and that's a great deal. My second pie will be a dark chocolate pudding pie with a homemade penaut crust-it's like eating a hot fudge sundae. The third pie will be a fruit pie. Probably Strawberry pie, since they are in season and pretty expensive to buy. Maybe I'll make a homemade crust.
We won't count the pumpkin pie against 52 pies. Recipes to follow on Thursday or Friday.
Friday night is my next Family Style Dinner and it is Italian night. Spaghetti and meatballs, as well as a meatless marinara sauce and everything else. The pies I'm still trying to figure out. One will be a pumpkin pie which is frozen and not homemade, but cost me only 99 cents and that's a great deal. My second pie will be a dark chocolate pudding pie with a homemade penaut crust-it's like eating a hot fudge sundae. The third pie will be a fruit pie. Probably Strawberry pie, since they are in season and pretty expensive to buy. Maybe I'll make a homemade crust.
We won't count the pumpkin pie against 52 pies. Recipes to follow on Thursday or Friday.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Redundant Pie Crusts
The piecrust was redundant. Totally unneccesary for this Breakfast Casserole and it could have used some salt and pepper and 2 more beaten eggs, to bring a total to six. My sister said it made her throw up. I didnt throw up.
I have a Meet-Up Group in Las Vegas. Every month I feature a family-style dinner that includes appetizers, salad, bread and real butter, a meat dish, a vetegaarian dish, bottled water, red & white wine and dessert is two to three pies. The pies are the best part. I love to watch my new and old friends as they ponder how big their pie slice is going to be. They always say they will try only one slice, but in the end, they have to have a slice of each pie. No pie shall be left untasted!
July 29th, I have set up a class on my Meet-Up to learn how to de-bone a chicken in 5 slices and then stuff it. My new friend, Mariza is going to teach this. De-boning chicken looks scary
I have a Meet-Up Group in Las Vegas. Every month I feature a family-style dinner that includes appetizers, salad, bread and real butter, a meat dish, a vetegaarian dish, bottled water, red & white wine and dessert is two to three pies. The pies are the best part. I love to watch my new and old friends as they ponder how big their pie slice is going to be. They always say they will try only one slice, but in the end, they have to have a slice of each pie. No pie shall be left untasted!
July 29th, I have set up a class on my Meet-Up to learn how to de-bone a chicken in 5 slices and then stuff it. My new friend, Mariza is going to teach this. De-boning chicken looks scary
Saturday, June 9, 2012
I have a fear of making pie crusts and writing blogs
I just did my whole blog and I was wiped out before I started. That's not fair. It takes a lot to inspire me to write and than to wipe it out and start over is not fair.
Anyway, here I go again. I re-watched Julia & Julie last night and was inspired to start writing my blog again. Maybe not 354 recipes in 365 days either. But I like making pies and so I'm commiting to 52 pies in 52 weeks. And maybe not every week either, because I'm out of town a lot, but 52 pies.
I admit I'm scared of making pie crusts. It takes a tender, light touch and I always seem to be in a hurry. It's not liking falling off a bike and getting right back on. It takes courage and tenacity.
I cheated today. I made my first pie-a breakfast pie with a store-bought pie deep dish pie crust from Ritz. I'm working up to the real flour and water deal.
Potato-Bacon Breakfast Pie (by Marsha Konken of Sterling, CO with Gooseberry Patch Publications)
1 lb. bacon, crisply, cooked and crumbled bacon 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
9-in pie crust 4 eggs, beaten
2 cups frozen, shredded hashbrowns, thawed 1/4 cup milk.
Arrange bacon in pie crust; layer evenly with hashbrowns and cheese. Combine eggs and milk; pour over cheese. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes, until center is set. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serves 4-6.
Mine is still cooking and I think I used too many hashbrowns, but I think it will still be good to eat.
I commit to regularly making dessert pies, but not today. And tomorrow, I will be gone for 4 1/2 days, but I'll be back. With better, juicier, more flavorful pies. And someday, I will make the flakiest pie crust ever.
.
Anyway, here I go again. I re-watched Julia & Julie last night and was inspired to start writing my blog again. Maybe not 354 recipes in 365 days either. But I like making pies and so I'm commiting to 52 pies in 52 weeks. And maybe not every week either, because I'm out of town a lot, but 52 pies.
I admit I'm scared of making pie crusts. It takes a tender, light touch and I always seem to be in a hurry. It's not liking falling off a bike and getting right back on. It takes courage and tenacity.
I cheated today. I made my first pie-a breakfast pie with a store-bought pie deep dish pie crust from Ritz. I'm working up to the real flour and water deal.
Potato-Bacon Breakfast Pie (by Marsha Konken of Sterling, CO with Gooseberry Patch Publications)
1 lb. bacon, crisply, cooked and crumbled bacon 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
9-in pie crust 4 eggs, beaten
2 cups frozen, shredded hashbrowns, thawed 1/4 cup milk.
Arrange bacon in pie crust; layer evenly with hashbrowns and cheese. Combine eggs and milk; pour over cheese. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes, until center is set. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serves 4-6.
Mine is still cooking and I think I used too many hashbrowns, but I think it will still be good to eat.
I commit to regularly making dessert pies, but not today. And tomorrow, I will be gone for 4 1/2 days, but I'll be back. With better, juicier, more flavorful pies. And someday, I will make the flakiest pie crust ever.
.
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