Pie Recipe #12-Peanut Butter Candy Pie

This one is for the Extreme Rice Krispie Treat lover. The shell is Rice Krispie Treats pressed into the bottom of a pie plate, then filled with chocolate, sprinkled with coconut and topped with lots of candy-coated peanut butter pieces. For even more, I drizzled some melted chocolate over the top. Experiment with this one and make your own additions, such as nuts, candy-coated chocolate pieces, or even making the crust with chocolate-flavored crisp cereal.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, 2 cups miniature marshmallows, 3 cups Rice Krispies, 3/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup flaked coconut, 1 cup candy-coated peanut butter pieces.

Instructions: Grease a pie plate; set aside. In microwave, heat butter and marshmallows on Hi for 1 minute; stir until marshmallows are melted. Reheat in 30 second intervals until thoroughly melted and mixed smooth. Add the cereal and mix well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate.

In microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Spread over prepared crust. Spinkle with coconut and candy pieces, pressing down lightly. Let stand until chocolte is set. Cut into slices and serve.

"As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #11 - Minty Grasshopper Pie

After collecting one handful of grasshoppers...(not really!); if you enjoy the chocolate and mint combination, this pie will become one of your favorites. Simply mix the ingredients together, pour into the pre-made shell and for the hardest part-wait 3 hours for it to chill.

Ingredients: 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened, 1 (14 ounce)can condensed milk, green food coloring, 1 package fudge mint cookies, 1 (8 ounce) cool whip (or whipped cream), 1 (6 ounce) pre-made chocolate pie crust (I used an Oreo pie crust).

Place 16 cookies in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a hammer or rolling pin until coarsely crushed; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth.

Stir in a few drops of food coloring and the crushed cookies, mixing well. Fold in the cool whip (or whipped cream). Pour into crust, spreading evenly. Chill for at least 3 hours. Garnish with more cookies, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

"As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #10 - Brown Sugar Tarts

The original name for these sweet treats was "Vinegar Tarts." My mom made these with leftover pie crust and I always loved them as a child (seems I still do!). I changed the name to "Brown Sugar Tarts" because I thought it sounded more appetizing besides there's more brown sugar in them than vinegar. Whatever the name, they really are delicious; limiting yourself to one is probably a good idea (unless you want to be bouncing off the walls from a sugar high).

Ingredients: Pastry: 1/2 cup shortening, 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3-4 tablespoons ice cold water. Filling: 1 cup brown sugar, packed, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vinegar.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have a 12-cup muffin pan on hand. Prepare pastry as for a regular pie. Roll out to 1/4-1/2 inch thickness and cut out circles with a 3 1/2-4 inch drinking glass. Press one circle in each cup of muffin pan, pressing until entire cup is covered with pastry. Re-roll pastry and cut cirlces until used entirely (makes about 8-10 cirlces).

In medium bowl beat together all filling ingredients until thoroughly combined. Pour into each pastry-lined muffin cup about 1/2 full (distribute evenly between each cup).

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before carefully removing tarts from pan. Run a sharp knife around each one before removing.
Cool completely on wire rack or serve while warm.

Makes 8-10 depending on thickness of pastry.

Pie Recipe #9 - Custard Pie

My Mom made this quite often when I was a child and is also my husband's favorite. A generous amount of fluffy custard bathing in a baked pie crust shell and topped with a sprinkling of nutmeg for color and a bit of spice describes this recipe.

Ingredients: 1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/2 cups milk, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Instructions: Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce heat of oven to 350 degrees.

Separate one egg; set the white aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the yolk and remaining 3 eggs just until combined. Blend in the sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir in milk, mixing well. Beat egg white separately until stiff peaks form; fold into egg mixture.

Carefully pour into crust. Cover edges of pie with foil and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and sprinkle with nutmeg. Cool on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

"As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #8 - Brown Sugar Rhubarb Meringue Pie

This one is for my friend, Faith, who requested it. I had never heard of it, but have decided its a keeper. Lots of rhubarb sweetened with brown sugar baked in a regular pie crust then mountained with a thick layer of meringue. I cheated today by using a pre-made pie crust, but for a freshly made one, check out pie recipe #1 for ingredients and instructions.

Ingredients: 1 cup brown sugar (packed), 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 4 cups rhubarb (cut in 1/2 inch slices), 2 egg yolks, beaten, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 unbaked pie crust (9 inch), 3 egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and salt; stir in rhubarb. Let stand for 15 minutes. Combine egg yolks and lemon juice; stir into rhubarb mixture. Turn into unbaked pastry shell.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until knife inserted in center comes out almost clean, about 20 minutes. (Cover edges with aluminum foil, if necessary, to prevent crust from overbrowning).

Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling, sealing to the edge. Bake at 350 degrees until meringue is golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool away from drafts.

Found this recipe at 123easyaspie.com.

"As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #7 - Strawberry Pie

What's better for Valentine's Day than strawberries? Okay, maybe chocolate, but this recipe is strictly strawberries encased in a pie crust and topped with whipped cream. Make this for your Valentine!

Ingredients: 1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell (see Pie Recipe #1 for pastry recipe), 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup water, 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin, 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries, fresh mint (optional), whipping cream, whipped.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line unpricked pie shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 5 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until slightly cooled.

Meanwhile, arrange strawberries in the cooled crust. Pour gelatin mixture over berries, covering all. Refrigerate until set. Top with whipped cream and fresh mint, if desired.

This recipe was presented by Sue Jurack on allrecipes.com.

"As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #6 - English Apple Pie

This is a recipe my Mom made often when I was a child. It's very easy to put together-simply mix everything together then pour in a pie plate and bake. Top it off with a scoop of ice cream.

Ingredients:1 egg, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup chopped apples (I prefer Granny Smith-takes 1), 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts), 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine egg and granulated sugar. Add in flour and baking powder; mix well. Toss in chopped apples and nuts and combine. Pour into pie plate and spread evenly; sprinkle top with ground cinnamon. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or cold with a scoop of ice cream (or some whipped topping).

"As easy as pie!"