Pecan Pie - Flaky Pastry

Decadent Pecan Pie - Flaky Pastry

Make this traditional holiday pie anytime with this easy recipe. It�s sweet, crunchy pecans in a light flaky crust just like you remember.

Yield: 1 pie, 8 servings

Best Flaky Pastry:
1 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening or 1/3 cup lard
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup pecan halves or broken pecans

Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down pie plate, 9 x 1-1/4 inches. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.

Heat oven to 375 F.

Beat sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and eggs in medium bowl with wire whisk or hand beater until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set; cool.

Tempting Pumpkin Pie

Tempting Pumpkin Pie

You, too, can make homemade pumpkin pie! Continue the holiday tradition with this easy recipe.

Yield: 1 pie, 8 servings

Best Flaky Pastry:
1 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening or 1/3 cup lard
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) - make your own
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down pie plate, 9 x 1-1/4 inches. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Trim overhanging edge of pastry even with plate. Cut scraps of rolled pastry with tiny leaf-shaped cookie cutter. Sprinkle cutouts with sugar; press on pastry edge.

Heat oven to 425 F.

Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in remaining ingredients.

To prevent spilling, place pastry-lined pie plate on oven rack. Pour filling into pie plate. Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake about 45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 4 hours or until chilled. Immediately refrigerate any remaining pie after serving.

Note:
The cutouts that top the filling are baked on a cookie sheet while the oven is at 425°F. It will take just a few minutes for them to bake golden brown. Let cool. Once pie has baked and cooled, top with baked pastry in the branch of leaves pattern.

Top this pie with "spiced cream clouds" without last-minute fuss! For 8 nice dollops, simply beat 1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream with 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a chilled small bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff. If making ahead, drop the whipped cream by 8 dollops onto waxed paper and freeze uncovered at least 2 hours, then cover tightly and freeze no longer than 2 months. If you plan to add a candy pumpkin when serving, make a depression in each dollop before freezing. Once on the pie, the frozen dollops need to stand only 5 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Pie

Yields: 1 pie - 6 servings

1 double 9 inch pie shell
4 to 5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 drops vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
egg wash (1 egg with a pinch of salt) for glazing

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with pastry dough (more).
In a large bowl, toss the blueberries, corn starch, flour, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Spoon or mound into pie shell. Dot with the unsalted butter. Wet pie edges with a bit of water (more). Roll remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Place on pie and press securely onto fruit and edges to seal. Trim edges and crimp. Cut slits for steam to escape. Brush top of pastry with egg wash.

Place pie on baking sheets and place on lowest rack in oven. Bake for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 375 F. and bake until juices begin to bubble through steam slits (about 35 to 45 minutes). Cool for 1 hour before serving

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Pie

Ingredient

1 1/2 c. canned or cooked pumpkin or squash
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
2 T. molasses
3 eggs, slightly beaten
12 oz. can of evaporated milk
1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices and molasses.

Add eggs and milk and mix thoroughly.

Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 425 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cool. Serve with Whip cream.

Sweet Potato Pie with Cornmeal Pastry

Enjoy a classic pie made southern style with cornmeal pastry and topped with lots of whipped cream!

Yield: 1 pie, 8 servings

Cornmeal Pastry:
2/3 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2 eggs
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cinnamon-Pecan Streusel:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sweetened whipped cream, if desired

Cornmeal Pastry
Mix flour, cornmeal and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down deep-dish pie plate, 9x1 1/2 inches. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim and flute pastry edge.

Heat oven to 425 F.

Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except Streusel Topping and whipped cream. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake 15 minutes.

Make Streusel Topping by mixing all 4 ingredients

Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake 35 minutes longer. Sprinkle Streusel Topping over pie. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack, about 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream

Enjoy a classic pie made southern style with cornmeal pastry and topped with lots of whipped cream!

Yield: 1 pie, 8 servings

Cornmeal Pastry:
2/3 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2 eggs
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cinnamon-Pecan Streusel:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sweetened whipped cream, if desired

Cornmeal Pastry
Mix flour, cornmeal and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down deep-dish pie plate, 9x1 1/2 inches. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim and flute pastry edge.

Heat oven to 425 F.

Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except Streusel Topping and whipped cream. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake 15 minutes.

Make Streusel Topping by mixing all 4 ingredients

Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake 35 minutes longer. Sprinkle Streusel Topping over pie. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack, about 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Classic Strawberry Pie

Yield: 8 servings

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup skim milk

9-inch graham cracker pie crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter

2 pint baskets California strawberries, stemmed
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Graham Cracker Crust

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl mix 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted margarine or butter until thoroughly blended. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake in center of oven about 8 minutes until lightly brown, cool.

In bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk 2 minutes; chill 30 minutes. Spread pudding evenly in piecrust. Cover top of pie with strawberries, pointed ends up. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Nutritional Information per serving: 239 calories; 8 g fat; 1 mg cholesterol; 247 mg sodium; 41 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 3 g protein

How To Make Apple Pie Shake

Apple Pie Shake Recipe

Ingredients:

2 scoops French Vanilla Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix
2 tablespoons Personalized Protein Powder (or more)
1 cup plain soy milk or nonfat milk
1 cup frozen apple slices
A few dashes each cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

Directions:
Place all ingredients in the blender and mix thoroughly until the ice cubes are completely crushed. Ice cubes are optional.

Nutritional Analysis (with nonfat milk):
Calories: 300
Protein: 30 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Carbohydrates: 46 grams