Peaches and Cream Pie

This was a pretty tasty pie. Warning: must like peaches in your food. The crust was interesting - obviously different from a normal flaky pie crust. It was more like a cake. But, the star of this pie is the cream. Mike liked it, so I'll probably end up making it again at some point.

Recipe: All Recipes

3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 (3 oz.) pkg. non-instant vanilla pudding mix
3 TBSP butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 (29 oz) can sliced peaches, drained
3 TBSP reserved syrup from canned peaches
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 TBSP white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease sides and bottom of a 10-inch deep dish pie pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and pudding mix. Mix in butter, egg and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into pie pan. Arrange the peach slices on top of the pudding mixture.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 3 TBSP reserved peach syrup. Beat for 2 minutes. Spoon mixture over peaches to within 1inch of pan edge. Mix together 1 TBSP sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle over top.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Chill before serving.

Apple Pie

Recipe: Betty Crocker

Apple Pie is at the top of Mike's all-time favorite desserts. I made this for him around Christmas time. I didn't taste it, as I don't like apple pie, but he said it was good. I didn't get a picture of the finished pie - oops!

Crust
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Filling
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (8 medium)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll one pastry round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples until well mixed. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over filling. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate.
Roll other round of pastry into 10-inch round. Fold into fourths and cut slits so steam can escape. Unfold top pastry over filling; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Serve warm if desired.

Lemon Chess Pie

Recipe from Country magazine.

1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 TBSP cornmeal
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt

Unroll pastry on lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 9 inch pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate; flute edges.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat for 2 more minutes or until mixture becomes thick and lemon-colored. Beat in the lemon juice, butter, cornmeal, flour & salt.

Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

This has a very, very strong lemon flavor and it was very, very sugary. If I make it again, I will add less sugar and less lemon juice. Mine took about 55 minutes to bake completely. Simple to make.

Cream Cheese Blueberry Pie

Recipe from Taste of Home

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 (9 inch) pastry shell, baked
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

1. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spread into pastry shell.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice until smooth; stir in blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool. Spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until serving.

Peanut Butter Pie

Source: All Recipes

1 1/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
1(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Combine 1 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup butter or margarine; press into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Whip the cream, and fold into the peanut butter mixture.
3. Gently spoon filing into crust. Garnish pie with chocolate or cookie crumbs if desired. Refrigerate.

Butterfinger Pie

Professional Division First Place - 2008 APC Crisco National Pie Championships

Crust:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup fine chopped nuts
3 TBSP sugar
6 TBSP melted butter

Combine all ingredients. Press into 9 or 10" pie pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool before using.

Ganache:
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels
3/4 cup heavy cream

Combine ingredients in a 1 quart glass measuring cup. Microwave for 1 1/2 mins. Stir until smooth. Pour 1/2 the ganache into baked pie crust. Tip and roll pan to move chocolate up the sides of the crust to coat the crust with chocolate. Set remaining ganache aside for later. Place crust in freezer to harden chocolate layer.

Filling:
16 oz. whipped topping
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 king size butterfinger candy bars, crushed
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine 12 oz. whipping cream (the rest is for piping around edge of pie), cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar & crushed butterfingers. (save 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top of pie). Mix on high until completely blended.

Place peanut butter filling into chocolate lined crust & smooth top with a spatula. Pour remaining ganache on top of pie. Pipe the edges with remaining whipped topping and sprinkle with crushed butterfingers. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Serves 8-12.

California Mudslide Pie

Amateur Winner of 2008 APC Crisco National Pie Championships

1 Pie Crust Baked & Cooled

Brownie/Chocolate Bottom
9 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9" pie pan & an 8" square baking pan with non-stick spray. In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together chocolate & butter until completely melted. Cool slightly. Beat in sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until completely blended. Stir in vanilla. Fold in flour & salt. Divide batter in half & spread in prepared pans. Bake both pans together in oven until done, or approximately 15 mins. for the 9" pie pan and 25 mins. for the square pan. Test with a toothpick. Cool completely.

Take the brownie in pie dish & place in the bottom of the pie crust, trimming to fit if necessary. Set aside.

Heat 3 oz. chocolate and whipping cream in microwave until melted. Stir and spread over brownie. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Chocolate Filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp. instant espresso powder (I left this out)
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Set aside. Heat 1/2 cup whipping cream & espresso until it just simmers. Pour over chocolate & let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. In another bowl, beat the remaining whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in half of the cream. Beat the remaining cream until stiff. Fold in whipping cream. Spread 1/2 over brownie. Halfway from center of pie to the edge, make a 1/2 inch wide indentation in filling. Fill with caramel topping. Top with remaining chocolate filling. Prepare topping.

Topping:
2 cups brownie chunks (square pan)
6 oz. semisweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 (1.4 oz) Skor candy bars, chopped
caramel topping

Cut brownie into chunks. In a saucepan, heat the cream and chocolate until melted. Stir in reserved brownie chunks and chopped candy bars. Spread over top of pie. Drizzle with caramel topping. Decorate edge of pie with sweetened whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired. Refrigerate 4 hours. Keep refrigerated.