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!"

Pie Recipe #5 - S'Mores Pie

To have that second piece of pie is to have "s'more pie"! If you enjoy an ooey-gooey S'more, a slice of this pie will give you that same graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow enjoyment.

Ingredients:Crust: 9 graham cracker boards, 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted. Chocolate filling: 2 egs, at room temperature, 3/4 cup 2% milk, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder. Marshmallow topping: 2 egg whites, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, pinch of salt, 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Instructions: Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Break graham crackers into food processor and run until fine crumbs are formed. Transfer crumbs to a bowl and mix in brown sugar and melted butter. Press mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until crust is slightly brown. Cool 10 minutes.

Chocolate filling: Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs in a small bowl; set aside. Combine milk, cream, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and add vanilla, chocolate and cocoa powder; stir until combined and smooth. Stir about 3/4 cup of the chocolate mixture into the beaten eggs; stir chocolate-egg mixture back into saucepan and mix well. Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set and glossy (do not overbake or it could bubble and crack). Cool completely on a wire rack.

Marshmallow Topping: Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Combine egg whites, corn syrup, sugar and salt in a metal bowl large enough to sit on top of the saucepan (or use a double-boiler pan). Whisk constantly in bowl over water until suar is dissolved and eggs have reached 160 degrees, about 3-5 minutes (do not overcook, as the eggs could scramble). Pour mixture and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whisk and beat on high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Heat broiler. Spoon Marshmallow Topping on cooled pie, leaving a 1-inch margin from edge. Broil until topping begins to brown, 1 minute.

"Family Circle" February 2012, pg. 153, Meredith Corporation, NY.

"As easy as pie!"

Pie Recipe #4 - Lemon Meringue Pie

A tangy and sweet middle topped with clouds of meringue makes a pretty delicious pie. You could skip the meringue and use whipped topping as an alternative.

Ingredients: 9-inch baked pie shell, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 1/2 cups water, 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten (use egg whites for the meringue), 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 drops yellow food coloring, if desired. Meringue: 3 egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar or brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Instructions: Refer to Pie recipe #1 for pie crust ingredients, cutting in half. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. After rolling out crust and placing in pie plate, poke the bottom and sides several times with the tines of a fork. Bake in preheated 450 degree oven until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and lower temperature to 400 degrees.

Separate eggs into 2 bowls; set whites aside. Lightly beat egg yolks.

Mix sugar and cornstarch in 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture back to hot mixture in saucepan and mix well. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon peel, lemon juice and food coloring, if desired. Pour into pie shell.

Prepare Meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Beat in vanilla. Spoon onto hot pie filling. Spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until meringue is delicate brown. Cool away from draft. Immediately refrigerate any remaining pie.

"Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook", Prentice Hall, NY, 1990.

"As easy as pie!"

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Pie Recipe #3 - No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

This recipe truly is "easy as pie". No oven required and no pastry-making involved. Purchase an already-made oreo cookie pie crust or chocolate pie crust, mix a few ingredients and pop in the freezer for a few hours.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup whipping cream, whipped or cool whip, thawed, 1 9" pie crust, oreo or chocolate, crushed oreos (optional).

Instructions: In large mixing bowl beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk; beat until smooth. Fold in whipping cream. Spoon into crust; cover and freeze until firm, 2-3 hours.

Before serving, remove from freezer for a few minutes and sprinkle top with crushed Oreo cookies.

Submitted by Megan5 on allrecipes.com.

"As easy as pie!"