Pies

Pies are one of my favorite desserts. To that end, here are six yummy pie recipes to help you through the day, including Ginger-Lemon-Blueberry Pie and Mississippi Mud Pie. Enjoy!

NO-BAKE LEMON ICEBOX PIE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Lemon lovers and lazy bakers alike will adore this easy, no-bake pie!" The recipe ends with, "This is one of Betty’s easiest lemon pies to make, but it’s not the only one. We’ve got tons more lemon pie recipes for you to choose from, plus details on how to make a traditional pie crust. With Betty’s help, making the lemon pie of your dreams is simpler than you think!"

Prep Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 8 hours; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Crust

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 to 12 whole crackers)

1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Directions

In medium bowl, mix Crust ingredients. Press evenly into ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate 1 hour.

In large bowl, beat Filling ingredients until smooth. Spread evenly in crust. Refrigerate 6 hours or until set.

Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Crush graham crackers in food processor or in sealed food-storage plastic bag with rolling pin.

CHERRY PIE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "In this classic and adaptable cherry pie recipe, you can use either sour cherries or sweet ones, fresh or frozen. Lemon zest and juice are mixed with the sweet cherries to add brightness and tang. But you can skip this step with sour cherries, which have their own natural acidity. Serve this pie warm or at room temperature, preferably within 24 hours of baking for the flakiest crust. Ice cream or whipped cream are optional, but very nice with the syrupy filling."

Time: About 2 hours, plus 3 hours' chilling and cooling; Yield: 8 servings

This was featured in "A Cherry Pie That’s as Sweet (or Sour) as You Want It to Be", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024323-cherry-pie.

Ingredients

For the Pie Dough

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 to 7 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

For the Filling

1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons instant tapioca

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom

2 pounds sour or sweet cherries (about 6 cups), pitted (or 20 ounces pitted frozen cherries)

1 lemon (optional)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

Make the crust: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a food processor, whisk or pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter.

If using a bowl, toss with your hands until the butter pieces are well coated with flour. Cut the butter into the flour by pressing the pieces between your fingertips, flattening the cubes into big flakes and continuing to toss them in the flour to recoat the flakes. If using a food processor, pulse butter into the flour until the pieces are about the size of lima beans.

Mix or pulse in 3 tablespoons ice water, tossing it with the flour in the bowl if working by hand. Continue to add ice water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, pulsing briefly or tossing well, until the dough begins to come together. Press the dough together if working by hand.

Form the dough into two disks about 1-inch thick. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days before using. (It can also be frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed overnight in the refrigerator.)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack.

Make the filling: In a bowl of a food processor (you don’t have to wash it out if you used it for the dough), combine sugar (use 1/2 cup for sweet cherries and up to 1 cup for sour cherries), tapioca (use more for a thicker, solid filling, and less for looser, juicier filling), and cinnamon or cardamom. Run the motor until tapioca is finely ground.

Place cherries in a large bowl, and add sugar and tapioca mixture. Toss gently to combine. If using sweet cherries, zest the lemon into the bowl, then squeeze in the juice and toss well. (Sour cherries don’t need the extra acidity, so skip this if using.)

Using a rolling pin, roll out one disk of the dough on a lightly floured surface and into a 12-inch round, about 3/8-inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate, preferably metal for the crunchiest crust. Roll remaining dough for the top crust into an 11-inch round.

Pour the cherry mixture into the crust and top with the remaining round of dough. Press the edges together, trim the excess dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers or press down with the tines of a fork. Cut a few steam vents in the center of the pie.

Brush the top crust with cream and sprinkle generously with Demerara sugar. Carefully place pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake until the crust is dark golden brown and the filling bubbles up, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours, allowing the filling to set before serving.

NO-BAKE OREO PIE

This yumminess is from Nicole Hopper on the Southern Living site. This recipe begins, "No-bake Oreo pie recipe is an absolute dream for cookies and cream lovers—rich, decadent, and intense. Plus, it’s super easy to make using just seven readily available ingredients. The crust holds up well despite not being baked, and the filling is creamy, light, and packed with bits of cookies for an irresistible texture."

Active Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 6 hours 40 minutes; Servings: 10

To view this online, as well as to read everything Nicole has written about this (quite a few notes), go to https://www.southernliving.com/no-bake-oreo-pie-7505842.

Ingredients

Crust

24 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 10 oz.) (such as Oreos) (from 1 [25 1/2-oz.) pkg.)

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Filling

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, very softened

1 cup (about 4 oz.) powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

15 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos) (from 1 [25 1/2-oz.) pkg.), coarsely crushed (about 2 cups)

Topping

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Additional ingredient

2 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos) (from 1 [25 1/2-oz.] pkg.), finely crushed

Directions

Turn cookies into crumbs:

Process cookies in a food processor until crushed into very fine crumbs, about 45 seconds.

Add butter and salt:

With food processor running, add melted butter and salt; process until well combined, about 10 seconds.

Make Crust:

Transfer mixture to an ungreased 9-inch pie plate; press crumbs evenly up sides and into bottom of pie plate. Transfer, uncovered, to freezer; freeze until Crust is hardened, about 15 minutes.

Make whipped cream:

Beat cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Make Filling:

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a separate large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until very smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds.

Add whipped cream and cookies:

Carefully fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture in 3 additions, folding until mixture is homogeneous and well combined.

Fold in coarsely crushed cookies until evenly distributed.

Transfer Filling to chilled Crust:

Smooth filling into an even layer using a small offset spatula. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator until Filling is completely firm, at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

Prepare the Topping:

Beat cream and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Transfer Topping to a piping bag.

Decorate pie:

Decorate pie as desired with Topping. Sprinkle pie with finely crushed cookies, and serve immediately.

GINGER PUMPKIN PIE

This is from Kathy Kingsley, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. She wrote, “Flavored with fresh ginger and honey, this pumpkin pie is sure to become one of your go-to holiday recipes.” Prep Time: 35 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 85 minutes; Yield: Serves 8

Unfortunately, the old link for this no longer works. But this is yummy enough that I wanted to add it, and give credit to Kathy, as she came up with this pie.

Ingredients

Pastry

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons ice water

Pumpkin Filling

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 16-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Honey Whipped Cream

3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream, chilled

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Make the pastry dough: Combine the flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, and butter in a food processor and pulse on/off until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube, and process just until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.

Press the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disc, about 1-inch thick.

On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough. Turn the edges under, and crimp or flute the crust. Set the pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Brush about teaspoon of the egg around the edge of the crust.

Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, sugar, ginger, pumpkin pie spice and salt to the eggs, and mix until well blended. Pour the filling into the pie crust.

Bake the pie for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is set. If the edges become too dark during baking, carefully cover them with foil strips (see Recipe Notes). Set the pie on a wire rack to cool. If not serving right away, cover and chill.

When ready to serve, make the honey whipped cream. Put the cream into a medium bowl. Add the honey and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Serve the pie topped with the whipped cream.

Recipe Notes

• To make a foil collar to prevent edges of pie from browning too much, fold a 12-inch-long piece of foil into a strip with 3-inch-high sides. Stand the strip on the oven rack around the pie dish. Secure the overhang with a paper clip. The collar doesn't have to touch or cover the crust to protect it.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this recipe, Samanatha wrote, "Mississippi mud pies come in all shapes and sizes: No two are exactly alike. They can have one layer, or five, and include ice cream or meringue, a flourless cake, nuts, fudge sauce and even brownie. This version, inspired by the towering beauty made by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito of Baked in Brooklyn and written about in their book, 'Baked Explorations,' features a graham cracker base, a dense brownie, chocolate custard and whipped cream. Needless to say, a little goes a long way. Share it with 16 to 32 of your closest friends. And a tip for serving: To ensure a clean release, give the underside and sides of the cake pan a 10-second blast with a hairdryer."

Time: 90 minutes, plus chilling; Yield: 16 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018722-mississippi-mud-pie. While you're at it, check out Melissa Clark's guide, "How to Make a Pie Crust."

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust

About 15 whole graham crackers

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Brownie Cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the Chocolate Custard

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

To Finish

1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream

Preparation

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, grind the graham crackers to fine crumbs — you should have about 2-1/4 cups crumbs — and tip into a bowl. Add sugar, salt and butter, and toss until evenly moistened. Tip the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Use your fingers to press the crumbs into a thin, even layer on the bottom of the pan and at least 2¼ inches up its sides. Bake the crust until just set, about 10 minutes. (The crust will continue to cook in the next step.) Increase heat to 350 degrees.

Prepare the cake: In a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water but not touching it, melt together the butter and chocolate. (Alternatively, do this in short bursts in the microwave but be careful not to scorch the chocolate.) Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the dark brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the 3 large egg yolks.

In large bowl, beat the remaining 3 large egg whites with an electric mixer on medium until foamy, about 30 seconds. While mixing, gradually add the granulated sugar in a steady stream. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to beat until you have stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg-white mixture evenly into the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour evenly over the chocolate mixture and fold it in. Transfer the batter to the prepared crust and smooth the top. Bake until a crust has formed over the top, the center is just set and a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edges comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. The center of the cake, under the crust, should still be very moist and fudgy. (Peek under the crust if necessary.) Do not overbake. The cake will sink slightly as it cools. Let the cake cool completely, at least 90 minutes.

Prepare the custard: Set the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and set it aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. Add the milk, little by little, while whisking to incorporate it fully. Whisk in the egg yolks. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened and just come to a low boil. Continue to cook the custard, whisking, for another minute, then immediately pour it into the sieve, pushing it through with a small spatula. Let the custard stand for 1 minute, then whisk it together with the butter and chocolate until smooth. Pour the custard over the cooled cake. Cover the custard with plastic wrap or wax paper, making sure to press it gently into the surface of the custard. Chill until the custard has set completely, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Just before serving, remove the ring from springform pan base and transfer pie to a serving plate. Whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon high dollops over the top of the pie, leaving about a 1-inch border. Dust with cocoa powder.

GINGER-LEMON-BLUEBERRY PIE

This is from Pillsbury, and begins, "Directions for this luscious pie specify cooling two hours before slicing, which gives the filling time to firm up a little for neater cutting. If you absolutely can't wait, serve the pie in shallow soup bowls and be ready with a large spoon to ladle up every last bit of the filling!"

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Crust

1 box (14.1 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Pie Crusts (2 Count), softened as directed on box

6 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon half-and-half

Filling

5 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Remove 1 pie crust from pouch; place flat on work surface. Sprinkle top of crust with 1-1/2 teaspoons of the sugar. With rolling pin, roll crust lightly to coat with sugar. Continue to make pie crust, sugared side up, as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

In large bowl, mix filling ingredients. Spoon into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Brush top crust with half-and-half; sprinkle with remaining 4 1/2 teaspoons sugar.

Place foil or cookie sheet on oven rack below middle rack to catch any spills. Place pie on middle oven rack; bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. After 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Cool at least 2 hours before serving. Serve warm or cold.

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