Apple Pie

The fruit of our labor.  Mama is the only one who really enjoys apple pie though.  She ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 8 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degree Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water and sugars. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.  Put bottom crust in pan. Fill with apples. Cover with lattice crust. Pour sugar mixture over the crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350. Bake another 40 minutes.

 

Key Lime Pie

I got this one from my friend, Ellen.  Key lime pie is Charlie's favorite, and he gave this one an A+.  He liked that it was tart and crisp, as a lime pie should be.  I'll be making this a few more times this summer but need a zester, and a key lime press may help although I really don't have room for either in this postage stamp sized kitchen.

Ingredients:

Lime Mixture:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• ½ C. of fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 t. lime zest
• 9 inch graham cracker crust

Sour Cream layer:

• 2 C. (16 oz.) sour cream
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. lime zest 

And since my online grocer doesn't carry graham cracker crusts, I made my own.


Crust:

• 1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs
• 5 T. butter
• 3 T. sugar
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix ingredients for crust and press into pan.
3. Place crust in freezer for an hour before using.
4. Beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk, lime juice and lime zest
5. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust
6. Bake for 30 minutes
7. While the lime mixture is baking, make the sour cream layer
8. Whisk the sour cream, sugar and vanilla together
9. Remove the lime mixture from the oven
10. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
11. Spread the sour cream layer over the lime mixture and sprinkle the lime zest on top
12. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, just until it firms up
13. Remove from oven and allow pie to cool
14. Refrigerate the pie overnight and then serve 

By the way, I have tried a quicky version of key lime pie, and it is pretty yummy as well.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I attempted an M&M heart before baking but they all sank in. 

Recipe from Nestle

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 C flour
• 1/2 C white granulated sugar
• 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 3/4 C real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 C chocolate chips, semi-sweet 
• 1 C chopped pecans (Can be done without nuts!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. 
3. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. 
4. Beat in butter. 
5. Stir in morsels and nuts. 
6. Spoon into pie shell.
7. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. 
8. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed.  
9. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes:

• I baked this for 65 minutes and it probably could have gone another 5 minutes to firm up, but it was much better the next day.
• It is *rich* so I am thinking the chips could be reduced to about 3/4 cup.  I may try it without nuts next time.
• Definitely yummy and easy, and I'll be making it again.

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of Key limes (about 20 key limes) - $2.00 (this is enough to make two pies)
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 regular sized container of cool whip
• 1 graham cracker crust (homemade or store bought)

Directions:

1. Make sure your cool whip is semi-thawed
2. Over a mixing bowl, squeeze 10 key limes using your lime press. Make sure that no seeds are in the bowl after you're finished.
3. Mix into the lime juice 1 can of condensed milk
4. Mix in the semi-thawed cool whip
5. Stir ingredients to taste.
6. Pour mixture into graham cracker crust
7. Freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.
8. Keep frozen for best results.
   

Ta-dah!