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  PIE CRUST   LAVINA NELSON

 1 3/4 sticks corn oil margarine                     2 1/4 cup flour
 1/2 t salt                                                     1/3 cup cold water

            N.B. I like to soften the margarine making a very soft dough and then refrigerate before rolling out.  Makes two crusts.

 GRANDMA’S APPLE PIE

 4 lbs. Granny Smith Apples                1 ½ cups sugar
3 heaping table spoons flour                1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon

 Peal and slice apples mix sugar, flour and cinnamon together and pour on top of apples seal pie with the top crust

 pre heat oven to 375 degrees bake for one hour  

   CHERRY PIE

 3 cans cherries                    1 1/2 cup sugar
6 T cornstarch                      2 caps full of almond extract
red food coloring

 Drain cherry juice into large microwave bowl.  Save a little juice and mix with cornstarch.  Add sugar and microwave until hot; add cornstarch and cook , stirring frequently, until thick.  Add almond extract, food color and cherries.  Mix and pour into a 10 inch unbaked pie shell.  Cover with pastry lattice.  Bake at 425 degrees until brown and bubbly.

 CHOCOLATE CHIP WHEAT GERM PIE

 1/2 cup butter                                3/4 cup sugar
1 cup wheat germ (with sugar and honey or plain)
2 eggs                                             1 6 oz pkg. semi sweet chocolate pieces
1 1/2 t vanilla extract                       1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell

     Melt butter and cool.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Add wheat germ, eggs, chocolate pieces and vanilla.  Beat with spoon about 2 minutes or until creamy and blended.  Turn into pastry shell. 

    Bake at 350 degrees 40 - 50 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.  Top with whipped cream or ice cream and sprinkle with additional wheat germ if desired.

 CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

 8 sq. semisweet chocolate                                  1 1/2 t vanilla
1/4 cup water                                                    2/3 cup sugar
8 eggs separated

     Butter a 9 inch pie plate and sprinkle with sugar.  Melt chocolate in sauce pan over very low heat, stirring until smooth.  Stir in egg yolks; add vanilla.  Beat egg whites gradually adding sugar until mixture forms stiff peaks.  Stir a small amount into chocolate mixture,  then fold chocolate mixture into remaining meringue mixture.  Pour 4 cups into pie plate.  Chill remaining chocolate mixture. 

Bake pie "crust" at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until just set.  Cool slightly; chill 1 hour (center will fall forming shell). 

Spoon chilled chocolate mixture into pie shell.  Chill at least 3 hours.  Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

 CREAM PUFF PIE

  1/4 cup margarine                1/2 cup boiling water
  1/2 cup flour                        pinch salt
   2 eggs

     Make as directed for cream puffs (see cakes and frostings).  Place in a greased 9 in pie pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes.  Cool away from any draft.

 FILLING

            Mix together: 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, pinch salt and 2 eggs.  Add 2 cups scalding milk slowly.  Cook in double boiler or microwave until thick.  Cool; add 1 t vanilla and 1 cup cream  whipped.  Put custard in shell and cover with more whipped cream.  Garnish with strawberries or fruit in season.

         For an extra special desert I suggest using layers of slightly thickened fruit and custard and then whipped cream and garnish.

 OPEN SESAME PIE  This is an outstanding pie and worth the effort and calories

         Toast 2 to 4 T sesame seeds in 9 in pie pan at 325 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove seeds then turn oven to 450 degrees. 

         Sift together 1 cup sifted enriched flour and 1/2 t salt into mixing bowl.  Add the toasted sesame seeds.

         Cut in 1/3 cup Crisco until the particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 3 - 4 T water over mixture, a little at a time, while tossing and stirring lightly with a fork.  Add water to driest particles, pushing lumps to side until dough is just moist enough to hold together.  Form into ball then flatten to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Smooth dough at edges.  Roll out on floured pastry cloth or board to 1 1/2 inches larger than inverted 9 inch pie pan.

         Fit loosely into pie pan.  Gently pat out air pockets.  Fold edge to form standing rim.  Flute.  Prick generously with a fork.  Bake in hot oven, 450 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

 Date Chiffon Filling

         Soften 1 envelope (1 T) gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water.
        Beat together 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 t salt in top of double boiler until well blended. 

         Cook over hot water, microwave, or (directly over low heat, stirring constantly) until mixture will coat a metal spoon.

        Add the softened gelatin,  Stir until dissolved.  Chill until almost set stirring occasionally. 

         Fold in 3/4 cup whipping cream beaten very thick, 1 t vanilla and 1 cup pitted dates cut very small.

         Beat 2 egg whites until slight mounds form when beater is raised.  Add 2 T sugar gradually, beating well after each addition.  Continue beating to make a meringue which stands in stiff glossy peaks when beater is raised.  Fold into the date mixture.

        Spoon into cool baked pie shell, heaping into fluffy mounds.  Chill until firm.  If desired sprinkle lightly with nutmeg before serving.

 N.B. I add the dates with the gelatin - I think it increases the date flavor.

  PECAN PIE   DEAR ABBY

 1 cup white corn syrup                    1 cup dark brown sugar packed
1/3 cup melted butter                       1/3 t salt
1 t vanilla

            Combine the above ingredients.  Add 3 eggs slightly beaten and 1 heaping cup pecans.  Pour into 9 inch unbaked pie shell; sprinkle more nuts overall. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  The pie will set after it cools.

 PUMPKIN PIE  CORA BENANATO

 1 large can pumpkin or 2 1 lb. cans                    1 cup brown sugar packed
 2 cup warm milk                                                5 eggs slightly beaten
 1/2 t salt                                                            1/2 t cinnamon
 1/2 t ginger                                                        1 t cloves
 1/4 t mace                                                         1/2 t nutmeg

     Mix ingredients in order given.  Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees.  Reduce heat to 300 degrees for 45 minutes for 9 inch pie.  Makes two pies.

LIBBY’S PUMPKIN-PECAN PIE

 Pumpkin Layer

 1 egg lightly beaten                            1 cup Libby’s solid pack pumpkin
 1/3 cup granulated sugar                    1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
 1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

 Pecan Layer

 2/3 cup light corn syrup                        2 eggs lightly beaten
½ cup granulated sugar                          1 tablespoon butter or margarine melted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract                      1 cup pecan halves

 For pumpkin layer:  Combine egg, pumpkin, sugar and pie spice in medium bowl.  Spread over bottom of pie shell.

 For pecan layer:  Combine corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla in same bowl.  Stir in pecans.  Spoon over pumpkin layer.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until filling is set.  Cool on wire rack.

  FRESH RASPBERRY PIE

 4 cups berries                    1 1/4 cup sugar
 1 cup water                        3 - 4 T cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water
 1/4 t salt

         Put berries in an unbaked pie shell which has been sprinkled with 3 T dried bread crumbs. Cook remaining ingredients until thick.  Add red food color if desired.  Pour over berries. Add lattice top and bake.  N.B. Replace some of the water with raspberry juice if desired.

  RHUBARB PIE

1 1/3 to 2 cup sugar
6 T flour
4 cup rhubarb, sliced

     Mix above ingredients.            Pour into pastry lined pie plate.  Dot with 1 1/3 T butter.  Sprinkle top crust with sugar.  Bake at 425 degrees 40 -50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits.

 SCINTILLATING LEMON PIE

    pastry for 9 inch pie                                  1/4 t salt
1 1/2 T medium crystal sugar or 
granulated sugar if not avail.          
1/2 cup soft butter  or margarine
1 t ground nutmeg                                       3 eggs well beaten
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar                          2 T grated lemon rind
3 T flour                                                     3 peeled lemons very
thinly sliced
1/2 cup cold water

  Early in the day: ?

     1.   Start heating oven to 400 degrees.  Make up your favorite pastry for a two crust 9 inch pie, or use packaged mix.   Roll out half of pastry then use to line a 9 inch pie plate, making a high standup fluted edge; refrigerate until needed.

    2.  On lightly floured board, roll other half of pastry into a 9 inch circle.  On it invert a round bowl that measures 8 inch across;  with a pastry wheel or a sharp knife trace around bowl cutting through pastry.  Remove bowl then with same pastry wheel, or knife, cut circle into 6 equal wedges.

     3.  With wide spatula lift wedges to cookie sheet; sprinkle with combined crystal sugar and nutmeg.  Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Set aside to cool.

     4.  In a bowl stir granulated sugar, eggs, rind, sliced lemons and cold water;  carefully pour into crust.  Bake 25 minutes.  Then on pie, place 3 triangles equally separated with points touching at center (I use all 6 triangles).  Bake 10 minutes.  Cool.  To serve cut pie into 6 wedges.  Makes 6 servings.