Pies

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Best Blueberry Cobbler

Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie

Chocolate Crumb Pie Crust

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cobbler 

Diana’s Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie

Diana’s Never-Soggy Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Fresh Fruit Tart

Grasshopper Pie

Macadamia Cream Pie

Mocha Butter Crunch Pie

Mother’s Never Fail Pie Crust

Mother’s Pineapple (Apricot) Chiffon Pie

Mother’s Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Glazed Pecans and Cinnamon-Cream Topping

Peach Galette

Peach or Mango Kuchen

Pie Pastry



 

 

 

 

 

 

Mother’s Pineapple (Apricot) Chiffon Pie

 

1 Never Fail Pie Crust Recipe

Pineapple:

1 1/2 packages gelatin

1/3 cup water

20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, separated, room temp

1/8 teaspoon salt

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/8 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 cup sugar

 

Apricot:

3 17-ounce cans apricot halves, drained and lightly blended with 1/4 cup liquid

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

 

Pineapple-Apricot:

1 10-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

2 15-ounce cans apricots, drained

      Sprinkle gelatin lightly over water.  Set aside.

      Beat egg yolks with 1 teaspoon water.  Combine yolks, pineapple, sugar, salt, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla.  Stir over med heat until mixture boils.  Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring continually.  Take off heat; add gelatin and stir thoroughly. Pour into a large mixing bowl.  Cool to lukewarm.

      Beat egg whites 2 minutes.  Add 1/8 cup sugar.  Continue beating to form medium- firm peaks.  Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the pineapple mixture. Then fold in the remaining egg whites.  Pour into pie crust.  Chill.  Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.


 

 

Mother’s Never Fail Pie Crust

9-inch pie crust                                                                                            Mother

 

2 cups flour

1/4+ teaspoon baking powder

1/8+ salt

1 cup Crisco

1 egg

1 1/2 tablespoon cream or sour cream 

      Sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut in shortening.  Beat egg and cream together.  Add to flour mixture.  Mix tightly until dough forms ball. Press dough into pie dish.  Prick with fork.

      Bake 400-degrees for 14 minutes or until light brown.  Cool.


 

 

 

 

 

 

Mother’s Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Glazed Pecans and Cinnamon-Cream Topping

 1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust recipe

 

Glazed Pecans:

2 cups large pecan halves

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

 

Pumpkin Pie:

9-inch graham cracker pie crust

1 ½ packages gelatin

1/3 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups canned pumpkin

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup evaporated milk

4 eggs separated, room temp

pinch salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

 

Cinnamon-Cream Topping:

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

Optional: 1 teaspoon instant gel powder

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon cinnamon

 

      Glazed Pecans: Heat oven to 350-degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and syrup; mix well. Cook until bubbly, stirring constantly. Add pecans can cook until well coated. Spread mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 6 minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store in tightly covered container.

      Pumpkin Pie: Sprinkle gelatin over water and let set while preparing the filling.

      Beat together brown sugar, pumpkin, salt, spice, milk and egg yolks.  Simmer 5 minutes, slightly covered, stirring occasionally. Stir in gelatin; pour into large mixing bowl; let cool for about 30 minutes or until lukewarm.

      Beat together all remaining ingredients until whites form medium-firm peaks.  Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture; fold in the remaining egg whites.  Pour into crust/ Refrigerate. Decorate rim with glazed pecans.

      Cinnamon-CreamTopping: Mix together sugar and gel powder. Add all remaining ingredients and beat to a heavy, creamy consistency.  Do not overbeat. Add a dollop of topping to individual pieces of pie.


 

 

Diana’s Never-Soggy Graham Cracker Pie Crust

9-inch pie plate

 

1 inner seal package graham crackers, finely crushed in food processor

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 egg white whisked with a few drop of water

 

      Combine crumbs and sugar in bowl.  Add butter and blend well. Line glass pie plate with heavy foil and rub into sides and bottom with a potholder.  Pour crumbs into foil and press in firmly.  Bake 350-degrees for 10 minutes .Cool.  Dab the shell with egg white mixture.  Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer.  Cool. Freeze for 4 hours.  Remove foil from pie shell and return back to the pie dish.

 

Note: Don’t dab egg white before baking.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grasshopper Pie

 

1 Chocolate Crumb Pie Crust Recipe + 8 additional cookies for garnish

 

7 ounces Marshmallow Fluff

1 pint heavy cream, whipped

1/4 cup green Cream d'Mint

 

      Whisk Fluff and Cream d'Mint until mixture is smooth and of even consistency, about 5 minutes. Stir ¼ of the whipped cream into the Cream d’Mint mixture; fold in the remaining whipped cream.  Pour into pie shell.  Insert cookies around rim to give scalloped border.            Freeze at least 2 hours.  Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.


 

 

Chocolate Crumb Pie Crust

                                                                        Naomi Minegishi

 

Note: Use shallow pie plate for Peanut Butter-Chocolate Pie

1 9-inch pie plate

1 package (9 oz) Famous Chocolate Wafers

(Save 8 cookies for a scalloped border, if desired)

1/3 cup butter, melted

 

      Remove 8 cookies and set aside.  Brake up the remaining cookies into the bowl of a food processor. Process into crumbs. Add butter and pulse a few times until well mixed.  Loosen mixture from the bottom of the bowl and pulse a few more times.

      Press 12" piece of heavy foil to the sides and bottom of a pie dish with a pot holder.  Fold edges over rim.  Pour in crumbs and press in firmly.  Freeze at least 4 hours.  Remove from freezer.  Gently remove foil from the pie shell and return it back to the pie plate.


 

 

 

Macadamia Cream Pie

                                                                                         Mona Kea Hotel, Hawaii

 9-inch baked pie shell

½ cup sugar

1 envelope gelatin

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons sour cream

1 3/4 cups milk

2 eggs, separated

3 ¼-ounce jar macadamia nuts,

about 1 cup

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

      Combine sugar, gelatin, cornstarch, cream cheese, and sour cream in blender; adding milk gradually.  Cook over gently boiling water about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. 

      Whisk the egg yolks. Whisk about 2 tablespoons of hot milk mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk the egg-milk mixture into the remaining hot milk.  Return mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, add vanilla and cool the pastry cream slightly.

      Whip egg whites to medium-firm peaks. Stir in about ¼ of the egg whites and into the pastry cream; gently fold in the remaining egg whites.  Chill the pastry cream until cool but not set.

      Meanwhile, roll nuts in towel to remove the salt; then chop finely by hand.  Toast in shallow pan for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring continually. Reserve 2 tablespoons of nuts for the garnish.

      Whip cream, adding sugar gradually; fold with the remaining nuts into the pastry cream.  Pour into pie shell.  Sprinkle with remaining nuts.  Refrigerate.


 

 

Mocha Butter Crunch Pie

                                                                     Greenhouse Restaurant, Philadelphia

 

Chocolate-Walnut Crust:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons well-chilled butter

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons unsweetened coca

2 1/2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mocha Butter:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup light brown sugar

4 teaspoons instant coffee powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted 4 eggs 

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

grated semisweet chocolate

 

      Crust:  Combine flour, sugar and salt in the food processor. Pulse-cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Pour into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in walnuts and chocolate using a fork.  Blend in water and vanilla with a spatula.  Press heavy foil into a 9 -inch pie plate; press in crust mixture.  Bake 350-degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.  Turn off oven.  Leave crust in oven until firm, 20 to 30 minutes longer.  Cool completely.  Gently remove foil from pie shell and put crust back in pie plate. 

      Mocha Butter: Using mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in sugar, 4 teaspoons instant coffee powder and vanilla until smooth.  Stir in melted chocolate.  Add eggs one at a time, beating 4 minutes after each addition.  Mound into crust.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.   

      Just before serving: Whip cream with powdered sugar and remaining coffee powder to stiff peaks.  Spread over pie, covering completely.  Garnish top of pie with grated semisweet chocolate.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh Fruit Tart

9-inch tart pan with removable bottom 

Fresh Fruit: strawberries, blueberries, etc.

Crust

4 ounces butter

1/3 cup blanched, toasted almonds

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups flour

1 egg

2 tablespoons cold water

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 

Vanilla Pastry Cream

2 cups whipping cream

4 tablespoons cornstarch

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

 

      Crust:  In a food processor mix almonds with sugar and process until fine.  Add butter, flour and salt and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse just until dough forms a ball.  Press into flat disk between wax paper.  Chill at least 30 minutes.  Roll into 11-inch circle.  Fold into quarters and transfer carefully to pan with point in center.  Unfold and fit dough into bottom and sides. Press into place.  Do not stretch.  Prick bottom with fork.  Line the dough with light foil, gently pressing into bottom and sides of crust.  Bake 12 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 8-12 minutes longer, or until golden. 

      Vanilla Pastry Cream:  Boil the cream in a medium saucepan.  Process remaining ingredients except vanilla until smooth.  With motor running, pour half the hot cream through feed tube in a steady stream.  Return mixture to remaining cream in the saucepan.  Cook, stirring, over medium high heat until thickened, at least one minute.  Stir in vanilla.  Cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for 4 hours. 

      Fill cooled tart shell with Vanilla Cream.  Arrange the fruit in concentric circles. (If desired, brush the fruit with melted sugar-water solution to give a shiny appearance.) Refrigerate 4 fours.


 

 

Peach or Mango Kuchen

9-inch tart pan with removable bottom

Sour Cream Crust

5 1/3 tablespoons butter

1 ¼ cups flour

4 tablespoons sour cream 

Custard

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup regular sour cream

2/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

3 to 4 large fresh peaches or mangos, peel removed and sliced

 

Topping:

1/3 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

 

      Crust: Process butter with flour and salt until crumbly.  Add sour cream and process until dough just begins to mass together.  Press dough into greased tart pan.  Prick bottom with fork.  Bake 20 minutes at 375-degrees.  Let cool 15 minutes.  Don’t worry if it is a little cracked. 

      Topping: Process all ingredients until nuts are finely chopped.  Spread out in greased 9-inch pie tin.  Bake 10 minutes at 37-degrees.  Cool then crumble. 

      Custard:  Process all ingredients just to combine. 

      Assembly:  Peel and slice peaches.  Pour custard into crust.  Arrange peaches over top in concentric circles.  Bake tart for 40 minutes at 350-degrees.  Let cool for 15 minutes; remove tart from pan. Add crumbled topping. Serve warm or at room temperature.


 

 

Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie

                                                                                                    Sunset Magazine

1 9-inch pie pastry in tart pan (unbaked)

½ cup melted butter

2 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup flour

pinch salt

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

vanilla ice cream

 

      Beat butter, eggs, and sugars until well blended. Add flour and salt and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

      Pour filling into pastry.

      Bake on lowest rack in a preheated 325-degree oven until top is a rich golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.  Cool on rack at least 20 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream.


 

 

Pie Pastry

Makes 9-inch pie shell                                                             Cook’s Illustrated

Note:  This crust does not hold a nice decorative edge.  See end of recipe for a variation.

1 ¼ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into ¼-inch pieces

4 tablespoons chilled Crisco

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

 

      Mix flour, salt, and sugar in food processor. Scatter butter over mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little of the flour. Cut butter into flour with 5 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about four more 1-second pulses.  Turn mixture into medium bowl.

      Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 4 tablespoons. more ice water if it will not come together. Shape into ball with hands, then flatten into 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling.

 Firm Crust Variation for Decorative Edge

Follow master recipe directions, using just 4 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons shortening.


 

 

Best Blueberry Cobbler

Serves 6                                                                                     Cook’s Illustrated

 

Filling:

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

pinch ground cinnamon

pinch salt

6 cups (30 ounces) fresh blueberries, picked over

1 ½ teaspoons grated zest+ 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon

 

Biscuit Topping:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons sprinkling sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

vanilla ice cream

 

      Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat over to 375-degrees.

      Filling: stir sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in large bowl. Add berries and mix gently with rubber spatula until evenly coated; add lemon zest and juice and mix to combine. Transfer berry mixture to 9-inch glass pie plate, place on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until filling is hot and bubbling around edges, about 25 minutes.

      Biscuit Topping: Whisk flour, cornmeal, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to combine. Whisk melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl. Mix remaining 2 teaspoons sprinkling sugar and cinnamon in second small bowl and set aside.  Just before berries are ready to come out of the oven, add wet ingredients to dry; stir with rubber spatula until just combined and no dry pockets remain.

      Remove berries from oven, increase oven temperature to 425-degrees. Spread dough on top of hot berry filling. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake until filling is bubbling and biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack 20 minutes.  (To reheat, put cobbler in 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes.)  Serve with vanilla ice cream.


 

 

 

 

 

 

Peach Galette

 

Makes 2 8-inch galettes, Serves 8

 

Galette Dough:

3 tablespoons sour cream

1/3 cup ice water

1 cup flour

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into 7 pieces

 

Filling: Prepare 1 day ahead

5 medium peaches, peeled and cut into thick wedges, sprinkled with Ever Fresh to prevent browning

4 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold butter

 

Galette Dough: Stir the sour cream and 1/3 cup ice water together in small bowl; set aside. Put flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in work bowl of processor with metal blade; pulse to combine. Drop the butter pieces into bowl and pulse 8 to 10 times or until the mixture is speckled with pieces of butter that vary in size from bread crumbs to peas. With machine running, add the sour cream mixture and process just until dough forms soft, moist ball.  (It will be quite sticky.)  With flowered hands, roll into two balls and flatten into disks.  Wrap each in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. 

      Position racks in lower third of oven and preheat to 400-degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment.

      Put dough on lightly floured work surface and roll it into and 11-inch circle.  Since the dough is soft, you’ll need to lift it now and then and toss some more flour under it and over the top. Roll up the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to prepared baking sheets. 

Filling:  Store peaches in bowl overnight and drain the following day. This will remove excess liquid.  Gently stir in sugar mixture.

Assembly: Spread peaches over dough, leaving 2 to 3-inch border. Sprinkle with sugar mixture.  Cut butter into slivers and scatter it on top of the fruit. Fold the 4 borders of dough up over the filling, allowing the dough to pleat as you lift it up.  Dip pastry brush in water, give the edge of the crust a light coating.  Sprinkle the crust with 1 teaspoon sugar.  Bake galette in 400-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is gently bubbling.  If using two baking sheets rotate them top to bottom half way through cooking. Transfer baking sheets to cooling racks and let rest for 5 minutes. Slip a wide spatula under each galette and slide it onto a cooling rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature, cutting the tart with a pizza wheel.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diana’s Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie

 

1 Shallow Chocolate Crumb Pie Shell Recipe                                                                        

1/3 to 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups freshly ground or gourmet peanut butter

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon heavy cream

 

      Process graham crackers. Set aside.

      Filling: In the food processor bowl, process peanut butter and 4 tablespoons butter for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and process for another 1 ½ minutes or until smooth. Process in graham cracker crumbs.

 Carefully spread the mixture into the pie shell and bake in 350-degree preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while preparing the topping.

      Topping: Heat cream in microwave for 30 seconds. Add the chocolate making sure it is completely submersed in the cream. Allow to sit for 2 minutes. Gently whisk until the chocolate is melted and combined with the cream. Spread the mixture over the pie and chill for 1 ½ hours before serving.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cobbler 

¾ + 2 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ cup + 2 tablespoon unsweetened coco powder divided

¼ cup chopped bittersweet chocolate, about 1 ½-ounces

2 ½ cups flower

1 ¾ cups white sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cups while milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 ounces milk chocolate chips

1 cup fresh peanut butter

1 cup brewed coffee.

vanilla ice cream 

           Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Lightly spray 8 by 11 baking dish with Pam.

           In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and chopped chocolate. Set aside.

           In a large bowl sift together flower, sugar, cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Add the milk, melted butter and vanilla and stir until well combined and smooth. Mixture will be very thick, almost like biscuit dough.

           Spread milk chocolate chips in baking dish. Spread peanut butter. Spread the dough with damp fingers. Top with streusel mixture. Pour coffee over the top and place on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the cobbler is bubbly around the edges, firm and nicely puffed in the center. Let Cool for 15 minutes before serving. If not serving immediately, spoon servings into a baking dish and microwave about 1 minute. Serve with vanilla ice cream.