Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Perfect Pumpkin Pie
1 15-oz. canned pumpkin
1 14-oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked
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Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350° and continue baking 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe taking from Plain Chicken.

Pie Crust

I did it. I finally made a successful pie crust. I tried once a few years ago and it failed miserably. I swore I would never make pie crust again. But I decided to try again. I even used the same recipe as before, since it is from a trusted coworker. I think the secret I learned it to chill the shortening and make sure the water is ICE cold. I also need to take my time, but don't over work the crust. I wrote down the instructions hastily, so I hope they make sense. I've also learned to roll my top crust so it is thicker before fluting the edges.

Pie Crust
2-1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup ice water
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Sift the dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening until incorporated using a pastry cutter. Add water and cut with pastry cutter just until it is all combined. Rolled out on a flour surface.

This recipe makes enough for a double crust pie or for 2 single crust pies.

For single crust pies, bake at 425° for 15 minutes.

For double crust pie, bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350° and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Tent crust as needed to prevent it from over browning.

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie
1 graham cracker pie crust
3 eggs
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cream of tartar
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Preheat oven to 325°. Separate 2 of the eggs, placing the two egg whites in a mixing bowl. Reserve the yolks in another bowl.

To the yolks, add one whole egg, lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk until smooth. With clean mixer blades, beat the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until stiff, but not dry. Fold whites into filling mixture. Pour filling into crust.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until set. Let cool at room temperate, then freeze for 4 hours to overnight. Just before serving, top with whipped cream and garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Whipped Cream Topping

This is actually part of the recipe from the Chocolate Cream Pie, buts it seriously so delish, it deserves a post of its own. This would be a great topper for ANY pie.

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
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Place the heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip until the whisk begins to leave tracks in the bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until the cream holds a medium peak.

Razzleberry Pie

Razzleberry Pie
Pie crust for a 9-inch double pie crust
1 bag frozen raspberries
1 bag frozen blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 Tbsp. flour
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Line pie plate with bottom curst. Preheat oven to 400°.

Thaw fruit almost completely and pour in colander to strain juice. In a large bowl, mix fruit, sugar and flour together. Fill pie crust with fruit.

Before adding top layer, cut design into crust (as vents). Lay over top of crust, moisten edges with water to "glue" the two crusts together. With the back side of a fork, pinch edges together, or pinch with fingers.

Lightly brush top curst with water. Sprinkle sugar over the top. Cover edges with a strip of aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake and additional 10 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Pie crust for 9 inch pie

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/2 cups water

3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp. butter

1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1/3 cup lemon juice

MERINGUE:

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

4 egg whites

3/4 tsp. vanilla

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 Roll out pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

For filling, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

 

Remove from the heat. Stir in a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter and lemon peel. Gradually stir in lemon juice just until combined. Pour into the crust.

 

For meringue, in a saucepan, combine 2 Tbsp. sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in cold water. cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is clear. Transfer to a bowl; cool.

 

In a large bowl, beat egg whites and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time. Beat in cornstarch mixture on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.

 

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

 

Recipe taken from Taste of Home.

Apple Pie

This pie was AMAZING! It was my first time doing a lattice pie crust top, but you pour the sauce over the top and it soaks in. It was really easy to make  and the best apple pie ever.

Apple Pie
1 pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8-10 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
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Preheat oven to 425°. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350°. Continue baking for 35 - 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Recipe from AllRecipes.com

Chocolate Cream Pie

 

 

Chocolate Cream Pie
1 baked and cooled 9" deep dish pie crust
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1-1/3 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream, divided
2 cups milk

TOPPING:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
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Place the chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla extract in a 2 quart mixing bowl, set aside. In  a medium saucepan away from the heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup of cold heavy cream until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Repeat with another 1/4 cup of the cream. Whisk in the egg yolks. Place the saucepan over medium heat and gradually whisk in the remaining cream and milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly as the mixture thickens. Boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the reserved chocolate and butter. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Place plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill thoroughly.

TOPPING:
Place the heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip until the whisk begins to leave tracks in the bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until the cream holds a medium peak.

ASSEMBLY:
Transfer the cooled filling to the cooled, baked pie crust. Level the top with the back of a spoon. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top. Chill the pie until ready to serve.

Recipe taken from Plain Chicken

Chili Con Carne with Beans

We stumbled onto this chili recipe a few months ago. It is our all time favorite new recipe. We make it ALL.THE.TIME. The first time we made it, we did it all on the stove top. Then I wanted to take it to some potluck dinners, so I adapted it for the crock pot. Each time, the crockpot is literally scraped clean.

I think the ingredient that makes this so good is the Chorizo sausage link. Roosevelt has two grocery stores and sadly, my favorite doesn't carry it. They have it in ground sausage only, but the links are by far better. But we've been able to find it at the other store in town. You can also use beer in the recipe, but when I have made it to take to the potluck dinners, I did beef broth instead.


Chili Con Carne with Beans
1 pound hamburger
1 pound chorizo sausage links, cut up into slices
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can light red kidney beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomatoes, diced
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomato sauce
12 oz. beer or beef broth
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cumin
1/4 basil
1/4 oregano
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
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Brown the hamburger and drain. Set aside. In the same pan, brown the sliced chorizo sausage links with the onion and bell pepper until the veggies are tender.

Return all the meat to the pan. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes. Serve with cheese.

To make in the crockpot:
Brown meats as directed. But I don't add the bell pepper. I just add it to the crock pot with everything else. When the meat is cooked, mix everything together in the crockpot. I turn the crockpot onto high about 4 hours before I need the meal to be ready.

Recipe was adapted from Grilling.com

Raspberry Lemon Pie

 

Raspberry Lemon Pie

1 (10-oz.) package frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed

1 T. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup ReaLemon lemon juice from concentrate
1 (6-oz.) packaged graham cracker crumb pie crust
Whipped Topping

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 Preheat oven to 350°. In small saucepan, combine raspberries and cornstarch; cook and stir until thickened and clear. In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour into crust; bake 8 minutes. Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over top. Chill 4 hours or until set. Spread with whipped topping and serve.



Cranberry Cherry Nut Pie

Cranberry Nut Pie

Pie pastry for double crust pie (9 inches)

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. 2% milk

1 Tbsp. coarse sugar

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Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom pastry; trim to 1 in. beyond edge of plate. In a large bowl, combine the pie filling, cranberries, sugar, walnuts, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and all spice. Spoon into crust. dot with butter.

Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut vents. Place pastry over filling; trim, seal and flute edges. Brush with milk; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. cover edges with foil during the last 30 minutes to prevent over browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.



Valentine's Chex Mix

 

Valentine's Chex Mix

4-1/2 cups Rice Chex Cereal

1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup red, pink & white M&M's

2 Tbsp. red or pink sprinkles

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Microwave vanilla chips, peanut butter and butter, until melted. Be sure to stir every 30 seconds. This will take 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.

 

Pour cereal into a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal and stir until evenly coated. Remove half of the cereal mixture to a large, resealable bag. Pour in powdered sugar. Close bag and shake until cereal is evenly coated. Spread onto tinfoil or wax paper until cooled, about 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread out on tinfoil or wax paper until cooled, about 15 minutes.

 

After both mixtures are cooled, stir all back together in a large serving bowl.

White Strawberry Lemon Sangria

White Strawberry Lemon Sangria

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1 apple, cored and sliced

1 cup strawberries, hulled & sliced lengthwise

1 750 ml bottle white wine

1/2 cup white rum

4 cups lemon-lime soda

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Add all the fruits to a large pitcher. Pour in wine and rum. Cover and refrigerate for 4-5 hours. Remove from fridge just before serving and add the lemon lime soda.