Coconut Key Lime Pie/Tartlets

This recipe works great as a large pie, or as tartlets. I really like the coconut, but you could easily leave it out.

-Stephanie Warner, 2014 Carling Cookbook

Crust:

8 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces

5 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

3 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:

1 Tbsp. lime zest

⅓ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 30 key limes)

2 egg yolks

1 can sweetened condensed milk

⅓ cup sweetened coconut flakes toasted in oven until light brown (or a little more for topping)

Topping:

Heavy whipping cream + sugar

Remaining toasted coconut

To make crust, put broken graham crackers into food processor and process until you get fine, even crumbs, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle butter and sugar with it and pulse until incorporated. Put in a 8 or 9 inch pan depending on your like of thickness (I like it thick!). Bake in oven at 325 for 13-18 minutes until crust is fragrant and beginning to brown. I like to make this the night before for ease.

To make filling: sprinkle ⅓-½ of the ⅓ cup of toasted coconut flakes directly on top of crust. In bowl, combine all the rest of filling ingredients (not coconut) and mix with spoon until it thickens. Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until set (not jiggly). Cool completely, a minimum of 1 hour. Top with freshly whipped cream and the rest of your toasted coconut flakes.

Apple Crumb Pie

Suzie makes the best apple crumb pie ever! I'm still trying to make mine turn out like hers - don't know if that will ever happen.

-Suzie Irwin

Basic Pie crust:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup lard/butter mixture (half lard, half butter) Crisco works too but lard will make it flakier

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp ice water

Whisk together salt and flour. Using a pastry blender (or 2 knives) cut in cold butter/lard, making small lumps. Add water one tbsp at a time. Mix with fork. Don't make you dough too wet. If you add too much water it will not be flaky. Pour out onto lightly floured surface. Mold into a disk with your hands, handling as little as possible. Roll out until it is large enough to fit into a 9' pie plate. Once in the plate, prick the crust with a fork.

Apple Crumb Pie:

Pie Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp.cinnamon

5-7 apples (I use Gala) peeled and sliced

butter

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup butter (softened)

Mix apples, sugar and cinnamon and pour into unbaked pie crust. Cut several small slivers of butter and place throughout the apples (about 1- 2 tbsp). To make the crumb topping, cream together the butter, flour and sugar, use your hands to make it crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the apples. Bake at 400˚ for 30 minutes then cover the crust with foil and bake for 10 more minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown.

Apple Pie Bites

I love recipes that are easy and delicious! This one has been floating around Facebook for awhile and didn't disappoint!

-TheBlondCook.com

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. apple pie spice, and additional apple pie spice for sprinkling on top of crescent rolls

3 tablespoons butter, melted

⅓ cup chopped pecans

1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into 8 (1/2-inch) slices

1 (8-ounce) can Pillsbury Original crescent rolls

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and apple pie spice. Set aside.

Melt butter and toss apple slices in butter, set aside.

Arrange crescent roll triangles on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Evenly distribute brown sugar mixture onto each triangle.

Sprinkle each triangle evenly with the chopped pecans.

Place an apple slice on the wide end of each triangle. Wrap crescent roll dough around each apple.

Brush each crescent roll with remaining butter. Sprinkle lightly with additional apple pie spice.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Tin Roof Chocolate Pie

 

This is another recipe that's been in my "to-try" file for a loooong time. It's a good one! I skipped the caramel topping since everyone was anxious to have dessert.


-Better Homes & Gardens - Nestle Toll House competition

1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked

PEANUT LAYER:
20 caramels
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cups salted peanuts

CHOCOLATE LAYER:
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
15 large marshmallows
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

TOPPING:
3 caramels
5 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter

Whipped cream and salted peanuts, optional

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the 1/3 cup chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp. butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread onto the bottom and up the sides of crust; refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

For peanut layer, in a small saucepan, melt caramels and cream over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in peanuts. Spoon into pie shell; refrigerate.

For chocolate layer, in a medium saucepan, combine milk, 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips and the marshamllows. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate and marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract; set aside until cool.

When chocolate mixture is cool; beat the 1 cup whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon chocolate mixture over peanut layer in pie shell (pie will be full). Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Before serving, in a small saucepan, melt caramels, cream and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly. Top each serving with caramel mixture, whipped cream and additional chocolate chips. Serve immediately. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie

A yummy variation on a traditional apple pie! I used caramel ice cream topping in place of dulce de leche. If your family likes dulce de leche go for it!

-RecipeGirl

½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
7 to 8 cups of peeled, sliced apples (I like Granny Smith & Braeburn) (Approx 5 apples)
½ cup dulce de leche (canned or homemade) or caramel topping
2 Tablespoons apple cider
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
double crust for 9-inch pie (purchased or homemade)
egg white mixed with 1 teaspoon of water

coarse sugar for top, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Center rack in oven.
2. In a small bowl, mix sugars, cornstarch, spices and salt.
3. In a large bowl, toss together apples, dulce de leche, apple cider and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and toss to combine.
4. Between waxed paper, roll out pie dough as large as possible keeping it a good thickness. Line deep dish pie pan with crust and let it hang over the sides. Brush with egg white mixture. Add filling and spread out evenly.
5. Roll out 2nd crust a little bit too & place on top of pie. Crimp edges together in a decorative fashion to seal. Brush with egg white mixture. Cut a few holes in the top crust for venting. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. If pie is browning, cover it with foil and top with a pie crust shield to prevent crust edges from burning. If you don’t have a pie shield, just cover the whole thing with foil. Bake for another 30 minutes.

7. Remove pie from oven and cool on rack for several hours to allow filling to set.

Pioneer Pie Crust

Pie crust has never been one of my strong points, but I thought I'd try to make it one! My mom shared this recipe with me and it's a winner for flaky crust. I decided to use lard because it was what the pioneers would have used. At my mom's suggestion I rolled it out between layers of a clean trash bag. It was the easiest dough I've ever worked with. The crust came out beautiful and flaky, but it was not very flavorful. I think next time I'll try butter-flavored Crisco.

-Mom Pulsipher

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup lard or shortening (butter-flavored Crisco)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Approx. 4 Tbsp. cold water

Mix flour with salt. Cut in shortening. Mix egg and vinegar in a 1/2 cup measuring cup and fill to top with cold water - about 4 Tbsp. Drizzle into flour mixture and mix with fork. Chill while preparing pie ingredients. Roll out in between sheets of a clean trash bag. Brush with egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water.

Snickers Bar Pie

I am still not confident in my crust-making skills, so I decided to make this pie for the Boy Scout dinner and fundraiser last night. It brought in $75! :) I love that it makes two pies - one I can take to a special event and one for the family to enjoy at home. This is definitely sweet, but super yummy! I reserved all of the candy bars for the top, and think I prefer it that way.

-RecipeGirl

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
½ cup chunky or creamy peanut butter
16 ounces Cool Whip, thawed (or about 8 cups of stiffly whipped, sweetened cream)
Two prepared chocolate cookie pie crusts*
4 regular-sized Snickers candy bars, chopped
chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, chopped peanuts (optional) for garnish

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese sugar and peanut butter until creamy.
2. Gently fold in the whipped cream just until mixed.
3. Divide between the two crusts. Drizzle chocolate and caramel syrup on top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and additional chopped snickers. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*For two oreo pie crusts, crush 1 pkg. Oreo cookies and stir in 6 Tbsp. melted butter. Press into two pie plates and bake at 350 for 7 minutes. Cool completely.

Lemon Supreme Pie

Brandon's favorite pie is the Lemon Supreme from Village Inn - a perfect combination of smooth cream cheese and tangy lemon. I was on the food committee for a church function last night and needed to bring a pie, so I was browsing the internet and was so excited to find this recipe. The ultimate compliment from Brandon: "This tastes just like the one from Village Inn- this one's a keeper!"

This really does need a deep-dish crust. If you're using regular pie pans, use two, and double the cream cheese filling and 1 1/2 times the lemon filling. Make sure your lemon filling is thick enough - I had to return mine to the heat after cooling to get the right consistency. I used whipped cream for my garnish and piped around the edge with a star tip with one large star in the middle. YUM!!

-Taste of Home

1 unbaked deep-dish pastry shell (9 inches)

LEMON FILLING:
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
4-5 drops yellow food coloring, optional (I used 3)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 3 oz package cream cheese, softened (If using whipped cream for garnish, omit this)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups whipped topping
2 tablespoon lemon juice (Reduce to 1 Tbsp. if omitting the 3 oz cream cheese)

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

For lemon filling, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; add the remaining sugar. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat; stir in butter, lemon peel and food coloring if desired. Gently stir in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

For cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and lemon juice. Refrigerate 1/2 cup for garnish. Spread remaining cream cheese mixture into pastry shell; top with lemon filling. Refrigerate overnight.

Place reserved cream cheese mixture in a pastry bag with a #21 star tip; pipe stars onto pie. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Pecan Tarts

My mom got this recipe for Pecan Tassies from her good friend Helen Henegar. She has made them for every Thanksgiving and Christmas since and has even sold them at craft fairs. 

-Mom Pulsipher

Tart Pastry:
2 (3 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2-1/2 c. flour
1/2 lb. butter or margarine, softened

Beat cream cheese and butter until blended. Add flour all at once. Knead in flour util evenly distributed. Roll into small balls and form into tart shells with a teaspoon or tamper. Set aside.

Filling:
1-1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. melted butter
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs slightly, add melted butter, corn syrup and sugar. Blend well. Stir in vanilla. Mix in chopped pecans. pour into uncooked tarts. Bake until tart crust is lightly browned at 375 or until pecan filling is set-about 15-20 minutes.

Honey Crunch Pecan Pie

We enjoyed this pie at Thanksgiving Dinner 2006 with the Hartung Family, whose tradition it is to eat pie first!

-Phil & Melissa Hartung/ Allrecipes.com, Sarah Spaugh

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shortening
6 T. cold water
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, mix together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Gradually add water and vinegar and cut together until mixture will hold together. Press dough into a ball and flour each side lightly. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes. Roll out between wax paper into a circle 1/8 inch thick and press into 9-inch pie pan fluting edges.

Filling:
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup light corn syrup
2 T. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 T. bourbon (optional)

Combine all ingredients for the filling and mix well. Spoon mixture into unbaked pie shell. in the preheated oven, bake for 15 minutes. Remove and cover edges of pastry with aluminum foil and return to oven and bake 20-35 min. more.

Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 T. butter
3 T. honey
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Combine brown sugar, butter and honey in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves - about 2 minutes. Add pecans. Stir just until coated. Spoon topping evenly over pie. Return pie to oven and bake for an other 10 min. or until topping is bubbly and golden brown. Cool to room temperature before serving.