Pumpkin Pie

I don't have a picture for this recipe.  However - it did win a blue ribbon at the 2011 Tillamook County Fair.  It's mostly from the Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe found on the pumpkin from the store.

Pumpkin Pie
2 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie shells
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
4 eggs
1 quart homecanned pumpkin, drained
1 pint homecanned carrots, drained and pureed
2 (12 oz EACH) cans evaporated milk

Combine all pie ingredients except shells.  Mix very well.  You may need to run it through the blender to make sure the pumpkin and carrots are pureed.  Pour into prepared shells.  Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack.  Refrigerate.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Layered Lemon Pie

There is quite a lengthy ingredient list as well as instructions. Please don't run the other way! This was so yummy and so worth the steps. It really didn't take long at all. The original recipe calls for a deep dish pie pastry - I didn't feel like making any pie crusts - so opted for 2 graham cracker crusts and divided each layer between the two crusts. It was perfect! This is from the August 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My partner was Sydney Mike from Southern California.

Layered Lemon Pie
2 graham cracker crusts

Bottom Layer:
3/4 cup sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup lemon juice PLUS 4 more tsp lemon juice
2 TBSP butter or margarine
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp lemon extract
2 drops yellow food coloring

Middle Layer:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 (3 oz) package instant lemon pudding mix

Top Layer:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 oz frozen cool whip, thawed

Bottom Layer:
In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat and cook - stirring for another 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir a small amount of hot filling into beaten egg yolks. Return everything to saucepan, stirring constantly.
Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, butter, lemon zest, extract and food coloring. Stir until butter is melted.
Set aside and cool to room temperature. When cool - divide between 2 graham cracker crusts. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Middle Layer:
In a medium bowl - beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually beat in milk. Add pudding mix and beat 2 minutes more. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Divide between 2 pies and spread over 1st layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Top Layer:
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in thawed whipped topping. Divide between 2 pies and spread over 2nd layer. Refrigerate until set and ready to serve! Enjoy!

Blackberry Pies for the freezer.

Blackberry season isn't a very long one. I thought I might be out of luck this year. The area we usually go to was mowed down and sprayed. As luck would have it....we found some bushes farther back and picked enough so far for 3 freezer pies.

First: pick your berries.

Next you need to rinse them off. Make sure they are well drained.

For Blackberry pie filling you need:

4-5 cups of blackberries (I went closer to 5 - personal preference)

1/4 cup flour

3/4 - 1 cup sugar

A dash of cinnamon if desired

Mix gently until combined.

Now for the tricky part...this was the first time I did it myself - saw the idea and went for it.

Line a pie plate with saran wrap. It would be a good idea to spray it with vegetable spray.

Pour your blackberry mixture into the pie plate. Put in your freezer overnight.

The next day take out the pie plate. With saran wrap - you will probably have to wait for a few minutes before it will loosen enough from the pie plate to lift out the entire "pie." This was my experience.

So - I am trying alternative number two. I did foil today with vegetable spray. I will let you know how it turns out tomorrow. I think it will be better. Well with this method I still had to let it sit for a little bit for the foil to loosen from the pie plate. Maybe because it's glass? Not really sure. So....keep that in mind.

Okay. Third time is a charm. I did it this way...

first line your pie plate with foil. Then with saran wrap. Spray the saran wrap. When the berries are frozen - the "pie" will slip right out of the pie plate! Bingo - I knew it would work out sooner or later!

I put foil over the tops of the frozen saran wrapped "pies" and put one pie each in a gallon ziploc bag. Back into the freezer they went. Now when I want a blackberry pie all I need to do is make the crust, add the berries and bake!

Blueberry Pie

This recipe comes from MrsMM in Massachusetts. She was on my team for the September Aussie/NZ recipe swap. A very tasty pie with lots of yummy blueberries!

Blueberry Pie
2 pie crusts - either buy them or make your own
3 3/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (thaw the frozen berries) (If using fresh - make sure to clean them over)
3/4 cup sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss berries with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt until evenly coated. Pour berries into pie crust. Dot with butter. Add top crust. Cut slits to ventilate. Bake for 45 minutes. I like to sprinkle the top crust with water then add cinnamon sugar.

Cranapple Pie

I was up bright and early this morning to make this lovely pie. I used 2 quarts of homecanned apple pie filling and cranberries from my freezer. After filling the pie shell - I used the leftover filling to make a very tasty Cranapple Fruit Crisp for dessert tomorrow night!













Cranapple Pie
2 quarts homecanned apple pie filling
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch
3 TBSP water

Lets start with the apple pie filling. It's not thickened when it's canned (you don't can with cornstarch - it's a breeder for bad germs) so we need to do that now. Empty both jars into a large saucepan. Add 3 TBSP cornstarch. Simmer, stirring occasionally until nice and thick. About 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan: combine cranberries, sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a full boil over medium heat; stirring frequently; boil gently 5 minutes. When apples are thickened add the cranberries. Mix well. Spoon into 9 inch pie crust. Put remaining pie filling in another oven proof bowl (or make two pies - it's up to you.) Top filling with upper pie crust. Make four slits in upper crust. Brush with a little water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375 for about an hour. I don't generally time my baking. Just until the crust is a nice golden brown all over is what I am aiming for. Make a fruit crisp topping for the leftover filling if your hear desires and bake the crisp at 375 for 30 minutes. You can bake both of these at the same time. :) Then your house will smell so good. Your kids will come up to you wanting to know when the cinnamon rolls are going to be ready. They are then disappointed when you tell them you aren't making cinnamon rolls. They won't believe you so you turn on the oven light so they can see for themselves. Then their faces are downcast for about a minute.

Cheesecake Pie

This is the second pie I made for the potluck tonight. I thought we were having a pie judging contest because that had been announced. So I made this one very colorful. We didn't have the contest - which is fine - I got to make my pie and eat it too! This pie was the second to be gone. Someone liked it so much he came back to scrape the pie plate of anything left! I thought that was comical. I topped this pie with freezer jam so I could create a swirly design. I liked how it turned out. I wish I ate a bigger piece. I will just have to make it again I suppose. Maybe tomorrow....

Cheesecake Pie

2 (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 (8 oz) container cool whip

1 cup powdered sugar

Freezer jam

OR fruit mixture

1 cup sugar

3 TBSP cornstarch

1 cup berries/fruit or combination of both

1 (9 inch) prebaked pie crust

In a medium size mixing bowl beat cream cheese, cool whip and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Spoon into prepared pie crust. Top with freezer jam. If you would like to do the fruit mixture - read on....

In a medium saucepan combine all fruit mixture ingredients and simmer until thickened. Stirring frequently. May need to add a little water. When cool - spoon onto cheesecake pie. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Can you say light and oh so tasty? I am part of the NZ/Aussie recipe swap on recipezaar for the month of July. Taste Tester in Florida gets credit for this tasty treat. I was thinking while I was eating the filling - this would be really yummy with orange jello and mandarin oranges OR raspberry jello with raspberries. I am trying to think of a tasty fruit to go with lime jello. Don't worry - I am thinking.........At any rate - let's see the recipe!
Strawberry Pie
2/3 cup boiling water
3 oz strawberry jello
ice cubes
1/2 cup cold water
8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
1 cup chopped strawberries
6 oz ready-to-use graham cracker crumb crust
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Add whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well-blended. Stir in chopped strawberries. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes or until mixture is very thick and will mound. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight until firm. Top with sliced strawberries. Store in the refrigerator.
**Don't be like me and put it in the freezer. It made for relatively easy cutting - but I am still watching it sit here at my desk thawing so I can finish eating it. I already know it tastes good from eating filling yesterday. :)