Carrot Custard Pie



Photo from: Grandmaskitcen.com

This is a recipe that I am going to be serving for our family Thanksgiving.  It is a wonderful twist on Pumpkin Pie.  I tested it on the girls I work with and some were afraid to try it, but once they did they loved it! 











Carrot Custard Pie

Ingredients
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups grated carrots
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Directions
1Preheat the oven to 425ºF. 2Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 3Add the carrots, evaporated milk and cinnamon to the granulated sugar mixture and mix well. 4Spoon carrot mixture into the pie shell. Cover edge of pie shell with foil. 5Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil. Bake at 350ºF until set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let pie cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate any remaining pie.

Cran Raspberry Pie

This is a bit different twist on Cranberries.  I never thought to include cranberries in my pie, but this pie is delightful and a perfect addition to Thanksgiving!

Cran-Rasperry Pie
Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
• 1 (12 ounce) package frozen raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/4teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)

 Directions

1. In a bowl, gently stir cranberries, raspberries, sugar, tapioca, extract and salt. Line pie plate with bottom pastry; add filling. Top with a lattice crust.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 35-40 minutes more or until bubbly.

White Chocolate Toffee Cream Pie

Today, my recipe is a classic ice box pie.  I love these pies when entertaining a large crowd.  In the midwest where I live, you can even set them outside to chill because the weather is cold.  I hope you enjoy this lovely twist on a classic icebox pie.

Foodily.com

White Chocolate Toffee Cream Pie

(adapted from foodily.com)

9 inch single pie crust

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1  tsp pecan extract

1 (12 oz) package white chocolate chips, melted and cooled

3/4 cup ground toasted pecans

3/4 cup toffee baking bits

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and 1/4 cup heaving whipping cream with an electric mixer at high speed until smooth. Beat in chocolate and extract. With a wooden spoon fold in pecans and toffee bits. Gently fold in whipped cream. Turn into pie crust and smooth top of pie. Chill pie until set, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Topping

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp pecan extract

Large rosette tip

Pastry bag

1/4 cup ground toasted pecans

1/4 cup toffee baking bits

Toasted pecans bits, dipped in chocolate, optional, recipe follows

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the first three ingredients and beat with an electric mixer until stiff. Spread  mixture over top of pie. Combine nuts and toffee bits in a small bowl. Sprinkle them evenly over center of pie. Chill until ready to serve.

Thanksgiving Pie Week

This week I have declared Thanksgiving Pie Week...It is a week in which I plan all my pies I am going to make for Thanksgiving.  I love to make pies and have even won some blue ribbons at the Iowa State Fair for my great pies.  This week some pies will be traditional and others will have a bit of a twist. 

Here is the first pie to get us started.

For me the holidays are not the holidays without a pecan pie.  This is the one I will be making this year.


Salted Caramel Pecan Pie

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
• 36 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels, butter and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and cinammon. Gradually mix in the melted caramel mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.               

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool until filling is firm

The fair is getting closer....Great pie to make to spend the time!

Chocolate Caramel Pecan French Silk Pie


Crust:

1 cup flour

½ cup shortening

¼ cup cold water

Pinch of salt

Cut shortening into flour and salt. Sprinkle the water into the particles until all the flour is moistened. Gather the pastry into a ball and refrigerate until chilled. Roll our until it is about 2 inches larger than the pie plate. Nake at 475 degrees for 8-10 mins until lightly browned.



Caramel Pecan Layer:

Combine 20 caramels with 2 tbsp milk in a saucepan on low heat. Stirring until smooth. Stir in ½ cup chopped pecans. Pour into baked pie crust and cool.

Chocolate French Silk:

1 ½ cup whipping cream

4 oz. German Sweet Chocolate

1 oz. semi sweet chocolate

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

In a heavy saucepan, combine cream, both chocolates, butter and sugar. Cook over low heat for 10 mins. Or until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually stir half the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Return to pan and cook until it bubbles. Remove from the heat. Place the saucepan in a refrigerator for 25 mins. Until cooled. Put the chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Spread the filling over the caramel mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours. Garnish with sweetend whip cream.

1 cup whipping cream to ¼ cup powdered sugar.

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie




Crust Ingredients:



1 1/3 cups pastry flour

8 tbsp butter

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

2 ½ -3 ½ tbsp. ice water

1 ½ tsp cider vinegar

Crust preparation:



All ingredients need to be cold. Place flour, salt, baking powder in food processor. Pulse 6 times. Place butter in to flour mixture and pulse until butter is the size of peas. Add water and vinegar until mixture just comes together. Take out of food processor bowl and place on plastic wrap and form into a disc. Chill for at least 30

mins. Roll out crust and place in 9 inch pie plate

Pie:

1 c. white corn syrup

1 c. brown sugar

3 eggs

½ c. butter melted

Dash of vanilla

Pinch of salt

1 ½ c. pecans coarsely chopped

1 unbaked pie shell



pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl and mix well. Stir in chopped pecansPour batter into shell. Arrange pecans decoratively around border of pie. Bake until center is set and crust is golden brown. About 1 hour. Serve at room temperature.