Tag Archives: pie

Mar 19

Spring is here!

Well almost…at 1:14 am tomorrow morning anyway!

It’s been almost a month since the last post but no worries, I’m back! It was a very, VERY busy month at that. As I stated in a previous post, I’ve got some exciting news and will be sharing that. Actually, I’ve got two tidbits to share! But more on that later…

In that month, I’ve come to fall in love with a new site. It’s not so new anymore, but it sure is addicting! If you haven’t tried “pinning” on Pinterest, I’m positive you’ve at least heard of it. There are “boards” galore to pin to and as you can guess, the food ones are my favorites. They have so many neat things on there and you will be in awe, after I was joined for about a week, Archie started asking when I was going to invite him to join. Imagine THAT! If you’re interested in an invite, feel free to send me your email and I’ll get one out to you! =]

Now on to our exciting news. First off, WE MOVED! Yes, the newlyweds have finally moved out (my parents are beyond thrilled I’d imagine) and another, we’re expecting! That’s right, coming soon we’ll have a tiny bundle of joy in our brand new apartment. As for our apartment, I’m still getting used to “out on our own” after having to come back to Momma and Dad after college, saving up for this after we got hitched and all that fun stuff that comes with getting older (when does wise kick in?). We just have one small issue at the new place…We don’t have an oven. I shouldn’t say it like that, we do, it’s just that the oven doesn’t work. A friend of my parents gave them a relatively new stove because the cook-top was the only part that worked. They were going to get it fixed but well, it never happened. It was okay till we found a place that wasn’t furnished…at all. It’s super nice that my parents helped out a bit with that stuff but having a faulty oven and baking blog, doesn’t mix. For now, its been toaster oven baking, but I don’t have a muffin tin or cake pan to fit it. Hopefully after this week, it will be back in commission and I can bake away. =]

Spring and Easter have always been my “try out a new recipe” phase in the year. I always think light and airy, something that won’t fill you up so much. Before my Grandma moved, Easter was always at her house. Since she just moved, we’re all up in the air about what we’re doing this year. If we aren’t having our usual family dinner, I offered to serve at my house for immediate family members (short on room, can’t have everyone here as I’d like) Being that I try new stuff around this time, I also have flops (and faves). I once made a lemon blueberry tart. Sounded wonderful, looked fantastic, but oh boy, was that ever sour! I ended up using bottled lemon juice since I was just starting out baking and didn’t know better. It was my first tart (the taste fit the name!) ever and I loved (still do!) the concept of blueberries and lemon. It just flopped. I don’t believe I have the recipe anymore but I’ll definitely try my hand at it again as well as with avocado pie. I love avocados. The smooth silky texture, the way it lends to both sweet and savory…But again with the lemon juice (and the fact I omitted the blender usage), it failed. Not really in taste, but appearance. Only one other person tried it because it browned so badly (plus no one in my family is daring enough to push the envelope when it comes to sweet/savory mixed). A favorite of ours, Cream Puff Cake. My mom used to work in an office and a coworker gave her the recipe. The crust is made with a pate choux (fancy French name for Cream Puff/Eclair Dough), cooled, filled with an amazing pudding mixture, topped with cool whip and chocolate syrup…oh Heaven! I don’t think we make it less than 5 times a year! So good…That recipe will come later. ;)

Well, since I’m in a spring mood (it’s even dreary out to boot!) I’ve been thinking about what recipe I should post. I made this pie once before and it was absolutely divine, just didn’t look all that appetizing when it came time to serve. I’d love to make it soon so I guess I need to hit the store! It’s an avocado pie. The recipe is straight from the California Avocado Commission and it only takes a few ingredients! So delish, but if you’ve used avocados before, you know they tend to brown easily. I’d love to make it again, this time with a blender/processor as stated since I don’t think I did the first time…

Here goes! If you love avocados as much as I do, you’ll enjoy as well!
2 small avocados, peeled
½ cup lemon juice (or lime)
1 13 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 9″ graham cracker crust.
cool whip for garnish

In blender put peeled avocado and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Pulse couple of times. Add eagle brand milk and blend till creamy.
Pour into pie shell and refrigerator for 1 hr.
Cover with Cool whip when served.

As I said, I mashed mine up the first time and combined in a bowl so I think that’s the biggest reason mine oxidized so badly. The lemon juice should prevent oxidization, but if not blended well, won’t get mixed as it should. This is just my thought. I’ll try again and see if it works! =] Otherwise, eat fast!!!

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Aug 2

Berry Pie Pops

I’ve had this recipe lying around for weeks. Ever since I got my first berries of the season, I’ve wanted to try it. But who wants same old boring items? What recipe am I talking about? Berry pie pops. They are the cutest thing! I saw them online while I was searching and I’ve tried similar ideas but never knew how to go directly about it. It calls for 6″ lollipop sticks and woe is me, I only have 4″ (what was I thinking buying THOSE?!) so I was digging in the drawer and found (drumroll…) skewers! I rarely do kabobs and 100 was a bit too many for the last time I made them so I had a bunch just lying around. The only problem was getting them to be 6″ when they were 10″. *Lightbulb* Use my dowel cutter (the contraption I use to cut my dowels to size for cakes- I don’t know the “real” name for it)…new roadblock! They are about 1/4 the size of my regular 1/4″ dowels… So what did I do? Taped them together… Not completely brilliant but it worked (after 5 minutes of struggle). I had everything laid out last night before bed, had my dough and filling chilling in the fridge while I was snoozing then when I got up, I got to work. I tried to pierce some berries in the filling but it didn’t work too well. They gushed everywhere! So I got some of the fresh ones and skewered them instead. Besides the dough going soft on me (and re-chilling every so often) things went well. I put everything together and put them in the oven. Fast forward 20 minutes, they looked amazing! Golden brown, glistening with sugar …sigh! Everything went off without a hitch… almost. After I let them cool, the sticks kept sliding through and going everywhere, they were too skinny! Giving up, I pulled it off and ate it like a cookie instead. Pie cookies anyone? I’ll definitely give them a try again, with different sticks!

Berry Pie Pops…

Pie Dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled
6 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Work the butter into the flour with your fingers or a pastry cutter until you have large pea-size chunks of butter scattered throughout the flour. Gradually add the water in while stirring with a fork, until just combined. Avoid overworking the dough. Using your hands, shape the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Berry Filling:
1 1/2 cups mixed berries, your choice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Place the berries in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and cook until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the Perfect Pie Dough on a well-floured surface until it is 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 16 rounds, for 8 pie pops. Place the rounds onto the prepared baking sheet. If the dough becomes too soft, place the entire baking sheet into the refrigerator to chill.

Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of 8 rounds, leaving a border about 1/4-inch from the edges. Place the lollypop stick in the middle of the 8 rounds through the filling and almost to the top of the rounds. Take the remaining 8 rounds and slightly stretch them out so they can fit over the filling. Brush the edges of all the rounds with egg wash. Place the 8 rounds on top of the filled rounds, egg wash side down. Press the edges together gently with your finger and then crimp the edges with a fork to make sure the edges are completely sealed. (Use a little flour on your fork to crimp the edges so your fork doesn’t stick to the pie dough.) Brush the tops of each pie pop with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Use a paring knife to cut small vents in each pop.

Bake the pie pops until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

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Jul 18

Chocolate Mess Pies

So I have a BBQ to attend this weekend. Me being me, I didn’t request off at the other job like I should’ve (did I mention its Archie’s bday-strike 2!). Well, I got really frustrated trying to switch things around and even got to the point of tears on break. As luck would have it, we found a way around it! I got replaced for that day. In return I promised the girls some “Chocolate Mess Pies.” Sounds dirty and gross, (like something a 3 year old produces after a rainstorm haha) but trust me, they are WORTH every penny and minute of cleaning the mixer! I knew I had to make 4 of them right off the bat. One was for a girl going back to college, two for my shift replacers and of course, I absolutely *needed* one myself! I decided to make a “double” batch for cost effectiveness. You mix the cream cheese and sugar (plus some vanilla) and it calls for cool-whip in that layer, but I don’t care for it in there. Choice is yours! You pour that in the pie shell. I’ve made the crust before, but its just as simple to buy them. I used Oreo brand but Ready-Made has a chocolate graham crust now too (not to mention, I’ve even located store brand chocolate graham crackers…) The second layer is just a box of chocolate pudding and the milk called for, minus a half cup to make it thicker. I find it still gets thin so that’s why I started to add the cool-whip to that mix instead. It fluffs it up and “thickens” as well. You want to spread that on top of the cream cheese layer. I usually pipe my leftover cool-whip over the top in small puffs or rosettes, but this time I did something different and just spread it all over the top. You want to cover it with mini-chocolate chips and drizzle some chocolate syrup on top. SOOO good! I’ve been told it took one night and one person to finish off a pie but as for myself, I’m not a huge chocolate fan (for a woman, sacrilege!) so one slice does me in. Plus its super rich, I don’t even know what the caloric content is (nor would I like to!) since it would probably mean, NEVER enjoying it again. Recipe below! =]

 

Chocolate Mess Pies…
Store bought chocolate pie crust, or make your own, I cheated on this part since I had 4 to make!

1st Layer:
8 oz. softened cream cheese
3/4 c. powder sugar
8 oz. cool whip
1 tsp. vanilla

Whip cream cheese till softened, add powdered sugar and vanilla, blend well. Fold in cool whip. Pour into crust.

2nd Layer:
1 lg. box chocolate pudding
Milk
8 oz. cool whip

Make pudding as directed minus 1/2 c. milk. Fold in cool whip. Place on top of first layer.

To “decorate” I pipe extra cool whip into rosettes or dollop on, drizzle chocolate syrup over top and add mini chocolate chips!

Yummmmmm!

 

 

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