Pies

I love pies. There's just something about them that I find appealing

That said, if pies are your thing, too, these six yummy pies are sure to please, including Peach Pie and Peanut Butter Pie. (Don't forget to check out the others, too!) Enjoy!

CRANBERRY PIE



My dad loved to cook, and usually came up with decent recipes. He sent this one in a letter dated “18 No 79”. He wrote, “Here is a recipe for a pie. 1st the way it was in the paper and the way I made it.” (It can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.)



Note: The pie can be made with either one crust (lower photo) or two (top photo). My dad's original recipe was with one crust, but either way is great. If you make it with two crusts, place foil over the top for the first 10 - 15 minutes, then remove.

Ingredients

2 T cornstarch

1 C sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T butter

2 C cranberries

Pie crust

Directions

Blend 1st four ingredients & cook in double boiler until thick. Add next 3 ingredients & cook 10 minutes. Put in pie shell & bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, covering pie with foil for the first 10-15 minutes. (Crust can be any kind you want, whether double crust or simply a bottom crust.)

VARIATION

Ingredients

2 Tbls cornstarch

3/4 C honey + 1/4 C molasses

1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T margarine

1-1/2 C cranberries + 1 C canned cranberries (kind with berries in sauce)

Pie crust

Directions

Make as above.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

I’d driven cab for several years. One Friday afternoon, I got a call to pick up a single dad from the store. When I dropped him off, his son and daughter came out of the trailer to help bring in the groceries.

“Did you remember to get the stuff for the peanut butter pie?” his daughter asked. They were taking it to an early Thanksgiving gathering that weekend.

“Sure did,” he answered.

“Peanut butter pie?” I asked, as we finished unloading the groceries. “How do you make that?

“With peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, and a few other things,” came the answer.

The following week, I managed to pick the dad up again. This time, I managed to get the ingredients: pie crust, peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese and Cool Whip. It wasn’t until the third (and final) time I picked him up in as many weeks that I got the exact amounts. He used 1/3 cup each of peanut butter and sugar, both of which I upped to 1/2 cup each.

This is in my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking.



Ingredients

8-ounce tub of Cool Whip (see note)

8-ounce block of cream cheese (see note)

1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth is preferable)

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Graham Cracker Pie crust (see note)

Directions

Put Cool Whip, cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With beaters, beat on high. Pour into pie crust, smooth out, and freeze for 1 hour.

Note: Cool whip (or store equivalent) can be fat-free. Cream cheese can be regular cream cheese or the 1/3 less fat kind, but do not use fat free, as the pie won't set up right. I usually use a store-bought graham cracker crust for the pie, which is what the man used to make this. However, you can also use an Oreo cookie crust.

BEST PECAN PIE

My step-dad loved pecan pies, so I'm sure he would've loved this one. It's from Linda Larsen, a contributor at The Spruce Eats. She wrote, "This recipe makes a perfect pecan pie. By that, we mean a balanced sweet flavor, lots of toasted pecans, and the pie slices beautifully into wedges, looking just like pictures of pecan pie in a cookbook. Using a 9-inch pie shell, prepare to bake the crust and construct the sweet and delicious filling that makes these pies so popular and well loved. The method to make the pecan pie filling for this recipe is a bit unusual and offbeat, but it's not difficult to make.

"Pecan pies are traditionally enjoyed on the holidays or why not whip one up for a special occasion. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for an irresistible dessert."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 55 minutes; Total Time: 80 minutes; Servings: 6 to 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-pecan-pie-483200.

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) pie shell

1/3 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups pecans (coarsely chopped)

Garnish: 1 cup large pecan halves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the unbaked pie crust in the freezer until ready to bake. Then line pie crust with aluminum foil and pie weights or dried beans. Bake pie shell until set, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove the foil and weights and bake 2 to 3 minutes longer until crust is just beginning to brown on the edges.

As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, decrease the oven temperature to 300 F.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat; mix in sugars and salt with a wire whisk until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in corn syrup and vanilla.

Place the saucepan over very low heat. Cook and stir constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture is very warm and thickened, about 6 to 7 minutes. You have to stir constantly with a whisk so the mixture cooks evenly and the eggs don't scramble on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and strain into a large bowl using a medium-mesh strainer. (This is important to remove any cooked egg.) Then, stir in the chopped pecans.

Pour the hot pecan mixture into the hot pie crust. Place large pecan halves on top of the filling in a decorative pattern.

Bake the pie until the center feels set but soft when touched with your finger, and moves slightly when the pie is gently jiggled, about 40 to 55 minutes. You may need to cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent over-browning or cover the top of the pie with foil so it doesn't get too brown.

Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool completely for at least 5 hours. It's best eaten within 12 to 14 hours.

APPLE PIE



I got the original recipe for this from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook, years ago. I've tweaked the recipe a bit; the original called for butter, which mine doesn't, while I add apple cider or apple juice, which isn't in the original. I've also added a few things here and there. Here's my weaked version apple pie.



Ingredients

Crust for a 9-inch two-crust pie

3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (do not use self-rising flour, but if you must use it, omit salt)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

dash salt

6 to 7 cups apples (6 to 8 apples), peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare crust and line pie pan with bottom crust.

Placed cut up apples in large bowl. Add sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and (lastly) apple cider or juice. Mix apples and additions with hands, then pour apples and additions into crust-lined pie pan.

Cover with top crust, cut slits into top crust, then seal edges of crusts. (Note: You can replace top crust with a lattice crust.) Cover top of pie with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.


PEACH PIE

If I remember right, this is from my mom, who loved a good peach pie.

Ingredients

4 C peaches, cut up

1 - 1-1/4 C sugar

3 T unbleached flour

dash salt

2 T butter

1 unbaked pie shell and lattice top

Directions

Arrange peaches in unbaked pie shell. Mix sugar, flour & salt. Sprinkle over peaches. Dot with butter. Cover with lattice top. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

HARVEST WALNUT PUMPKIN PIE

This comes from Allrecipes, and begins, "A walnut topping adds lovely crunch to this quick and easy spiced pumpkin pie with a hint of maple flavoring. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Servings: 8; Yield: 1 9-inch pie

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/268384/harvest-walnut-pumpkin-pie/.

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can plain pumpkin puree

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon maple-flavored extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Walnut Topping

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter, cubed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Combine pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, maple extract, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix well and pour into the graham cracker crust. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking until filling is set, about 30 minutes.

Prepare walnut topping while pie is baking. Mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Cut in butter with a fork until coarse crumbs form. Stir in walnuts.

Remove pie from the oven and cover evenly with the topping. Continue baking until topping is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Cook's Note

Substitute an unbaked pie shell for the graham cracker crust if preferred.

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