Raspberry Pie

This is a great fruit pie recipe.  You can make it with any berry, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or even a mixture of all.  It is a combination of the recipe that I got off the side of the pie crust box and one I found online.

Ingredients:

• 1 (9 in.) refrigerated pie crust
• 1 1/3 C. sugar
• 2 T. quick-cooking tapioca
• ¼ C. cornstarch
• 5 C. fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
• 1 T. butter
• 2 T. milk
• 2 t. sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Roll the pie crust into a 9 inch pie plate and gently press the crust into place around the pie plate.
3. Combine the sugar, tapioca, cornstarch, and raspberries together in a large bowl.  Allow the berry mixture to rest for 15 minutes.
4. Place the berries in the pie crust and dot with butter. Cover the pie with the other crust.  Seal the edges carefully.
5. Cut four slits into the crust and then brush with the milk and sprinkle the sugar over the top.
6. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and filling is bubbly. (If the edges of the pie start to get too brown cover them with foil.)
7. Remove and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before serving. 

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Pillsbury Pie Crust, which can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually by the can biscuits.
• I serve this pie with vanilla ice cream.  Pie a la Mode!

Cheesy Creole Tomato Pie

Creole Tomatoes and Vidalia Onions are a summer staple.  This is a great recipe that uses these as an entrée that isn’t a salad.  It’s great as a make ahead recipe because it can be served at room temperature.

 Ingredients:

• 1 (9 in.) refrigerated pie crust
• 3 medium Creole tomatoes, sliced ¼ in. thick (about 2 lbs.)
• 1 small Vidalia onion
• ½ t. kosher salt
• 1/3 C. Panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ C. mayonnaise
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• 1 T. fresh thyme leaves
• 2 T. fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 C. (¼ lb. or 4 oz.) Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 C. (¼ lb. or 4 oz.) Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 T. olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Roll the pie crust into a 9 inch pie plate and gently press the crust into place around the pie plate.  Pierce with a fork in several places on the bottom of the crust and in a few spots on the side.
3. Bake the pie crust for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.  Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool while preparing the pie ingredients.
4. Cut the onion in half to create a semi-circle and then slice thin, cut the core off of the top of the tomato and discard and then cut into slices.
5. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the salt.
6. Combine the mayonnaise, egg yolk, garlic, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
7. Sprinkle 1/3 of the breadcrumbs in the bottom of pie plate, cover with half of the tomato slices, half of the sliced onions, and half of the herbs.  Drizzle half of the mayonnaise mixture and then cover with half of each of the cheeses.
8. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the breadcrumbs over the cheese, and then the rest of the tomato slices, the rest of the sliced onions, and the rest of the herbs.  Drizzle with the rest of the mayonnaise mixture and cover with the rest of the cheeses.
9. Finish with the remaining bread crumbs and drizzle the olive oil over the whole pie.
10. Bake for 1 hour (the top should get nice and brown).
11. Remove and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.  This pie is best at room temperature.

Tips and Tricks:

• DO NOT refrigerate the Creole tomatoes.  They taste best at room temperature. 
• If you can’t get Creole tomatoes you can use Beefsteak tomatoes and it you can’t get Vidalia onions, you can use sweet onions or red onions instead.
• If you don’t have Panko breadcrumbs, unseasoned breadcrumbs work well also.
• I use Pillsbury Pie Crust, which can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually by the can biscuits.

Pecan Tarts

This is a recipe I got when I bought a Mini Muffin Pan from Pampered Chef almost 20 years ago.  I make them around the holidays and they are a family favorite.

Ingredients:

Tart Shells:

• ½ C. butter or 1 stick, softened
• ½ block of cream cheese or 4 oz.
• 1 C. all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 2 T. butter, melted
• ¾ C. brown sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ C. chopped pecans

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth
2. Add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
5. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces, rolling each piece into a ball
6. Place the balls of dough into a mini-muffin pan and form a tart shell for the filling, by pressing the dough against the sides of the pan
7. Combine the filling ingredients in a medium bowl
8. Fill each tart shell until level, (don’t over fill)
9. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until light golden brown
10. Remove from the muffin pan and allow to cool

Tips and Tricks:

• This tart shell can be used with lots of fillings.  It is flaky but durable.

Key Lime Pie

I made this to serve to my friends after a crawfish boil.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.  I combined some recipes I know well, to create this one.

Ingredients:

Lime Mixture:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• ½ C. of fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 t. lime zest
• 9 inch graham cracker crust

Sour Cream layer:

• 2 C. (16 oz.) sour cream
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. lime zest 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk, lime juice and lime zest
3. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust
4. Bake for 30 minutes
5. While the lime mixture is baking, make the sour cream layer
6. Whisk the sour cream, sugar and vanilla together
7. Remove the lime mixture from the oven
8. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
9. Spread the sour cream layer over the lime mixture and sprinkle the lime zest on top
10. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, just until it firms up
11. Remove from oven and allow pie to cool
12. Refrigerate the pie overnight and then serve 

Tips and Tricks:

• I have not had luck finding KEY limes.  I make this with fresh lime juice.
• You might need to wrap the edge of the pie pan with foil so the graham cracker crust doesn’t burn during the lime mixture baking step.

Lemon Icebox Pie

Lemon Icebox Pie is one of my favorite things about Easter.  I used to make the pie and top it with cool whip.  Cool whip is good, but meringue is better.  My mother-in-law taught me how to make meringue and now there is no turning back.

Ingredients:

Lemon Mixture:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• ½ C. of lemon juice
• ½ T. lemon zest
• 9 inch graham cracker crust

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• ¼ t. salt
• 6 T. sugar
• ½  t. corn starch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Separate room temperature eggs and put the whites in a stainless steel or glass bowl
3. Place the whites on the side for later
4. Beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest
5. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust
6. Bake for 30 minutes
7. While the lemon mixture is baking, make the meringue
8. Combine the salt, sugar and corn starch in a separate bowl
9. Using a mixer, beat the egg whites
10. Add the mixture gradually to the egg whites and beat until peaks are formed
11. Remove the lemon mixture from the oven
12. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
13. Spread the meringue over the lemon mixture and return to the oven for about 10 minutes or until the peaks turn brown
14. Refrigerate the pie overnight and then serve

Tips and Tricks:

• Beating egg whites are tricky.  You need a really clean bowl.  Stainless steel is great, but glass works well also.  NO PLASTIC.  Don’t try to make a meringue on a rainy day.  If there is too much humidity, it doesn’t work.
• You might need to wrap the edge of the pie pan with foil so the graham cracker crust doesn’t burn.