Pie Recipe #44 - Michael Symon's Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

The next month's worth of recipes will be variations of pumpkin pie because I found so many variations I thought needed trying (and tasting). I had my doubts about mixing chocolate with pumpkin but I should have known that chocolate mixed with ANYTHING is never a failure. This is a basic pumpkin pie with some luscious melted chocolate stirred in. A definite winner! Ingredients: Crust: 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 cup unsalted butter (very cold and cut into small pieces), 2-3 tablespoons ice cold water. Filling: 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped very fine, 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips), 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into small pieces), 1 14-ounce canned pumpkin, 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, pinch of ground cloves. Instructions: Crust: Combine the flour, salt, sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until coarse, with small marbles of butter remaining. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse until crumbly, and dough holds when squeezed together. Add another sprinkle of water if too dry, but do not overmix. Transfer dough to a plastic bag, press into a disk, and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface. Press into pie plate, trim to leave 1-inch excess around edges, fold under and flute edges. Poke holes in bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Filling: In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter, stirring frequently until smooth, and remove from heat. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Fold in the chocolate mixture, and pour into pie crust. Place pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven until center of pie has set, about an hour. Refrigerate until cooled completely to serve. Top with whipped topping and a sprinkling of cinnamon, if desired. This recipe is from the ABC TV show, "The Chew". "As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #43 - Chicken Pot Pie

This savory pie takes a little work, but tastes much better than the frozen kind you buy at the grocery store. Ingredients: 3 whole chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on (I used boneless, skinless), 3 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, 5 cups chicken stock, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, 2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions), 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes, 1 )10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups) (mine was pea-less), 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions, 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves, or 1/4 cup dried parsley. Pastry: 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced, 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water, 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash, flaked sea salt (or kosher salt) and cracked black pepper. Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, make pastry: Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4-6 cups of cubed chicken. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Continue with remaining 3 portions. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. Makes 4 individual pies. I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com. "As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #42 - Chocolate Crunch Pie

Because it's the year of the pie (cake was last year) my son, Joe, received a pie for his birthday and this was the one he chose. He's a chocolate lover (just like his mother) and thought this was tasty. Keep it in the freezer removing it for 15 minutes before serving to thaw. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Ingredients: 1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate cookie crumb crust (try to say that more than once), 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix, 1 cup cold milk, 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed, 20 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed, 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Instructions: In a medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk. Allow to set up 5 minutes, then fold in whipped topping. Gently stir in 1 cup of the crushed cookies and the chocolate chips. Spoon into crust. Sprinkle with remaining crushed cookies. Freeze for a few hours, preferably overnight. Remove pie from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Submitted by Jan Taylor on allrecipes.com. "As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #41 - Burrito Pie

The only "sweet" you will find in this week's pie is the exclamation made after the first bite-"sweeeeeeeeeeeeet" (interpretation: good!!!). My son described it as a many-layered quesadilla and my husband prefered scooping some of his into a seperate taco shell. I ate mine directly from the dish with no additions (although a dollop of sour cream on top would be a good addition). I modified this recipe to my family's taste (no beans, no olives, and picante sauce rather than taco sauce). We found it quite tasty. Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef, 1 onion, chopped, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced, 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, 1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce, 2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans, 12 (8 inch) flour tortillas (I used corn), 9 ounces (or more) shredded Colby cheese (I used Mexican cheese). Instructions: In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes or until beef is browned. Drain any excess fat. Mix in the olives, green chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco sauce and refried beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low; let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Cover with a tortilla followed by more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly. Serve directly from dish to plate or scoop into separate warmed tortilla shells along with some lettuce, sour cream, etc. Submitted by KATHIMC on allrecipes.com. "As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #40 - Butternut Squash Pie

Similar to pumpkin pie with a slightly different taste, this could replace or accompany the familiar Thanksgiving dessert usually served. I used a squash grown in our own garden which makes it better :) Ingredients: 1 9-inch pastry shell, 3 large eggs, 2 cups cooked butternut or buttercup squash, pureed (I used butternut), 1 1/2 cups light cream or evaporated milk, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (or ground), 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, whipped cream (optional)(seems like a staple to me!). Instructions: Cut squash in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds, and peel outer skin. Cut into small chunks and cook on top of stove in some water (I steamed mine) until tender when poked with a fork. Remove to food processor and blend to a puree. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place prepared pastry shell in pie plate. In a large bowl whisk the eggs; add in the squash, light cream or milk, sugars, spices and salt. Place the pie crust in the preheated oven until hot to the touch. Pour the squash mixture carefully in shell. Bake until the center of the filling is set but quivery, like gelatin, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a rack, then refrigerate up to one day. Serve with whipped cream (of course!). Found this recipe in the Food Section of our local newspaper, "The Mercury News", Thursday, January 12, 2012. "As easy as pie!"