Caramel Apple Pie

Note:    Pie is not one of my favorite desserts, but this caramel apple pie with walnuts was one I just enjoyed.   It just screams fall to me.

Caramel Apple Pie

Instructions
24 caramels
2 T. water
4 c. apples, peeled, cored and sliced
9-inch pie crust, unbaked
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/3 c. margarine
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions

Melt caramels in water in heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Spoon apples into pie crust; top with caramel sauce. Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon together; cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts; sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Note:  How did I miss that today is National Chocolate Cake day?    It is too late for me to make a chocolate cake, but I have everything to make a chocolate pecan pie.    Plus I can share the biggest portion of it with our neighbor who LOVES pecan pie!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients

One 9-inch (deep dish) unbaked pie shell
6-oz. (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter/margarine
2 eggs

Directions

Beat eggs until foamy. Add sugar, brown sugar & flour. Blend in melted butter until smooth. Blend in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350* for 1 hour. This pie freezes well.

Lemon Icebox Pie (No Bake)

Note:    My Aunt Wilma makes a ton of lemon icebox pies.    She makes them because her boys loves them.   Isn't that why all moms cook?    I don't have her recipe, but I love a good lemon icebox pie too.   I am sure that mine are not as good as hers, but every time I make one I think of her.


Lemon Icebox Pie

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions
Cream all ingredients together and pour into prepared graham cracker crust.      Refrigerate overnight.   

Shoney's Strawberry Pie

Note: Growing up we loved going to Shoney's Big Boy. (It used to be called that when I was growing up.) I remember seeing this guy standing in front of our Shoney's. My favorites at Shoney's were the hot fudge cake, the strawberry pie and the breakfast bar. Someone gave me the recipe for the pie a long time ago and I stuck it in a book (I have the worst habit of sticking things in books.) so when I found it I decided I better post it.

Shoney’s Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1 ½ cup sugar

1 – 12 oz can of 7up or Sprite

1 teaspoon red food coloring

1 baked pie shell 9 inch

1 12oz container of fresh strawberries (remove the greenery and slice)

Directions

Place the washed and sliced strawberries in the cooked pie shell. Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and add the 7up with the red food coloring. Cook over medium heat until becomes thick. Cool at least 1 to 2 hours before pouring over the strawberries in the cooked pie shell. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to complete the setting of the pie. Cut and serve with the topping of your choice.

Chocolate Chess Pie

Note:   I originally posted this recipe last Thanksgiving, but now that my house is filled with the smell of these pies I decided to post it again.     Little Guy is busy making these pies for us.    All I can say is yummmmmmmm...

Chocolate Chess Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 eggs

1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk

1/4 c. melted butter (1/2 stick)

1 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar and cocoa together. Beat the eggs then add the cocoa mixture. Beat in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla.Pour mixture into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell (I use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts) and bake for 45 minutes or until set. (I recommend covering the pie's edges with foil or a pie guard after the first 20 minutes, or when edges attain a good brown color... so they don't burn.) Let cool before slicing.

Buttermilk Pie

Note:   This is my favorite fall pie.   Simple, delicious, warm and delicious.    Does it get any better?


Buttermilk Pie

Ingredients
3/4 stick of margarine melted
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 eggs




Directions
Mix all of the ingredients together well and pour into a pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Peanut Butter Pie

Note: This is my hubs' favorite pie. The fact that it is a frozen pie means you can make several at a time and keep them around for unexpected company.



Peanut Butter Pie



Ingredients:

9" graham cracker of chocolate crust

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

8 oz cream cheese

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 large container Cool Whip



Directions:

Mix everything together thoroughly except Cool Whip. Fold in Cool Whip. Freeze for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Serve drizzled with chocolate syrup!

RecipeCurio

I found a new (to me) cooking website. Why does it appeal to me so? Because it focuses on saving vintage handwritten recipe cards and newspaper recipes. I love looking through all the handwritten recipe cards. I think they speak to me because most of my recipes come from ones that I grew up watching my own Mom and Grandmother prepare in their kitchens.

It has inspired me to go home and scan in my Mother's recipe cards (if you will dare let me... you know how Southern cooks are) so that I can have them forever as keepsakes.

In addition to handwritten cards, there are also vintage booklets from Jell-O, Bisquick, Kerr, Betty Crocker and more.

There is just something about having a recipe not only the one your Mom used, but having it written in her handwriting. I think that Mom has one of my Mammaw's cookbooks too and I definitely want to scan those.

Check out RecipeCurio!

Here is one of the recipes I found from the 1930's vintage booklet "55 Recipes You Can Make With Hershey Chocolate"

Chocolate Butterscotch Pie

Ingredients:
2 cupfuls milk
6 tablespoonfuls HERSHEY’S Syrup
1/2 cupful flour
3/4 cupful brown sugar
2 tablespoonfuls butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoonful salt
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla.

Directions:
Sift the flour and salt together and mix to a paste with a little cold milk or water, and add Hershey’s Syrup to this paste. Bring 2 cupfuls of milk to the boiling point, add the flour mixture and cook till thick. Meantime, cook the butter and brown sugar together just till well blended, add to the flour and milk and mix well. Pour over the well-beaten yolks of the eggs and stir over boiling water for a few moments, then pour into a previously baked pie shell and cover with a meringue made by beating the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth with 4 tablespoonfuls of granulated sugar. Flavor delicately with vanilla. Brown in a very slow oven and serve cold.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie

Note: I love pies at the holidays. Hubs is not a big pecan pie fan so I like making a pie that he will really enjoy. Chocolate and walnuts seem to make him happy.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie

Ingredients:
1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 to 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter with an electric mixer and gradually beat in the sugars. Add the eggs individually, beating well each time. Beat in the vanilla extract and then the flour and salt until well blended. Blend in the milk (don't worry if the filling looks a little lumpy at this point). Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour the filling into the shell, smoothing it with a spoon. Bake the pie on the center oven rack for about 50 minutes, turning it 180 degrees halfway through. When done, the top will be dark golden brown, and the filling will be set except for the very center, which may jiggle slightly when you tap the pan. Cool the pie on a wire rack. This pie is equally good served slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled (for 1 or 2 hours). Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Old Southern Tea Room Lemon Icebox Pie

Note: I grew up in Vicksburg when the The Old Southern Tea Room was a place of southern charm. Little tiny biscuits. Steaming cups of gumbo.

Old Southern Tea Room Lemon Icebox Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
vanilla wafers
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and butter; press into bottom of a lightly greased 9-inch pieplate. Line sides of pie plate with whole vanilla wafers; gently press into bottom layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool.Combine milk, egg yolks, and lemon juice; mix well. Pour into prepared pieplate.beat egg whites (at room temperature) until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over filling, sealing to edge of piecrust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool to room temperature. Chill. Yield: 1 9-inch pie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Note: Chocolate chip cookies and a pie in one dish? Can you say delish? Well, not until you top it with a little ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Ingredients:
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell*
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped pecansServe with ice cream (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high until foamy.
Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter.
Stir in morsels and nuts and spoon into pie shell.
Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.

Recipe from Nestle Classic Recipes, 2003

* If using frozen pie shell, use deep dish style and thaw completely. Bake on baking sheet and increase baking time slightly.

Happy Pecan Pie Day!

Note: My sister made this pecan pie at Christmas and I fell in love. She told me it was the recipe that Char uses for their pecan pie. I don't know how she convinced them to give her the recipe, but I am so glad she did.

Char's Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 tablespoons lightly salted butter
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked

Directions:
Place sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small pot, and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a bowl, mix eggs, pecans, vanilla, and salt, and blend with a whisk. When the syrup mixture has cooled, combine with pecan mixture. Add white chocolate chips, and mix well.
Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake at 300 for 35-50 minutes. (Note: it took me much longer than that!) Remove from oven, and allow to cool at room temperature. Wrap pie with plastic wrap, and place in freezer until frozen or until ready to serve. Remove from freezer, and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour before cutting. Heat each portion of pie, and top with ice cream.