Its Jes' Pie

Photo and original recipe from Taste of Home

 Pie of the Month is my son-in-law's favorite Christmas gift. My husband likes it also, since I usually make 2. One of my goals last year was to improve my pie crust so this has given me lots of practice. Its also fun to find pie recipes that are seasonal, some new and some old favorites. In last year's line up, the traditional pumpkin pie was the least liked. After tasting several new flavors it just didn't hold up! 

So this year I'm looking for some new ideas. Upon searching for January pies I found quite a selection - who knew that was a thing? Common ideas were lemon meringue and pecan. To me those are spring or summer (for the lemon) and December (for the pecan) flavors. Then a new idea - Chess Pie. One I hadn't tried and it looked easy and with ingredients I had on hand. And the chocolate version sounded even better! 

Chess pie is a Southern favorite that starts the year right. It's ingredients are butter, sugar, and eggs (sounds good already), things commonly in the kitchen. Its a simple custard pie similar to Buttermilk pie. Some recipes have cornmeal for a bit of texture. The name "Chess Pie" has several pieces of lore connected. One story is that at a time when pecans and other nuts were scarce, a cook made a pie with these simple ingredients and when asked what kind of pie she had made, she replied, "Oh, its jes' pie". Another story is that with these ingredients combined with sugar the pie could be kept unrefrigerated in a 'chest' (pie safe or cabinet) and the flavor became better the longer it lasted. 

When I found this recipe for Chocolate Chess pie I knew it was one I wanted to try. I subsititued cocoa powder for the original recipe's unsweetened chocolate. (original - 1 ½ oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled and without the oil).

 Everyone in my family (s-i-l  proclaimed it "incredible") liked it, I think you will also. 

CHOCOLATE CHESS PIE 

Use a favorite pie crust recipe (or boughten) for a one crust pie. 

After fitting the crust into the pie pan, trim and flute the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights. Bake on a lower oven rack until light golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 325 degrees. 

 

Filling Ingredients: 

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup sugar

4 ½ Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 ½ Tablespoon oil

2 Tablespoons 2% milk

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup butter, melted

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk sugars and flour. Whisk in eggs. Mix liquids – milk, oil, vanilla extract and melted butter. Whisk cocoa powder into the liquids to dissolve. Gradually whisk liquid mixture into dry ingredients. Pour into crust.

Bake at 325 degrees until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cover edge of crust with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil and cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate, covered for 3 hours or until chilled. 

 

 

 

Pie/PI Day - My Favorite - Coconut Cream Pie

I'm not afraid of Coconut Cream Pie anymore! Although it is our family's favorite and a common birthday treat, it usually came from the local bakery to our house. And for church dinners I always hoped my fellow UMW members would make the coconut cream pie and I could pick my seat  at that pacesetting. 
My experiences with making coconut cream pie involved lots of stirring, time at the stove, and not-so-great results. This recipe from Chef Alli is a game changer! It is cooked in the microwave, much easier and quicker. Also the toasted coconut adds a richer flavor. The meringue recipe she shares is also different. It includes water! And it works beautifully. The meringued pie is also baked at a lower temperature for a longer time to cook and brown the meringue. This helps the meringue cook completely and keeps it from shrinking back from the edges or weeping as it cools. 
Wow! I may even volunteer to take a Coconut Cream Pie to the next church dinner. My son-in-law enjoyed this month's version of his pie-of-the-month Christmas gift. 

COCONUT CREAM PIE

                              

1 – 9” pie crust, baked and cooled

1 recipe meringue

6 Tbs. cornstarch

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp. kosher salt

3 cups milk

3 egg yolks, beaten
3 Tbs. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. coconut extract

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (plus extra for garnish)

To toast the coconut: spread out over a large baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, uncovered, in preheated 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown, tossing often. 

In a large bowl, combine corn starch, sugar, and salt; whisk in milk. Cook on high power in microwave in 2-minute intervals, stirring between each, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken a bit. Stir a bit of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, then whisk the egg/milk minute back into the hot milk. Continue to cook on full power in microwave in 2-minute intervals for an additional 8-10 minutes or until mixture has formed a nicely thickened pudding/pie filling. 

Remove from microwave and whisk in butter, vanilla, and coconut extract; fold in coconut, then pour into a cooled pie shell. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pie filling; let pie cool. After pie has cooled, cover with meringue. Bake in preheated 325-350 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown. 

MILE-HIGH MERINGUE

5 egg whites

5 Tbs. ice water

¼ cup granulated sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites, water, and sugar for 3-5 minutes on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Spread meringue over cooled pie filling, making sure meringue is spread over the edges of the pie crust all the way around (to keep the meringue from shrinking back when baked).

Use a small spoon or spatula to make decorative peaks and swirls on the top of the meringue if desired. 

Bake pie, uncovered, in preheated 325-350 degree oven for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Let pie cool before slicing. 

Favorite Dessert - Coconut Cream ???

 I love coconut cream pie. When it is a choice at a church dinner, I sneak a piece out early and write my name on the plate. Since I'm still working on my pie baking skills, coconut cream pie doesn't happen very often at my house. When I found this recipe for Coconut Cream Pie Bars with a shortbread crust it sounded good. And it is! It also makes several more servings than a pie so it would make a good dessert for a group. 

COCONUT CREAM PIE BARS

Ingredients:

Crust – 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup powdered sugar

Coconut Cream Filling – 

3 cups half-and-half

3 cups coconut milk

4 eggs

1 ½ cups white sugar

⅔ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cup flaked coconut

½ teaspoon coconut extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Topping – 

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon cold water (to dissolve gelatin)

1 teaspoon gelatin (for stabilizing)

3-4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 cup coconut, for toasting

Instructions:

1.    Make shortbread crust:                                                                                

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch glass baking pan by spraying with non-stick baking spray. Cut the butter into the flour and powdered sugar with a food processor (about 6 – 10 pulses) and press the mixture onto the bottom of the pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Set on a wire rack to cool. 

2.    Toast the coconut for the topping:                                                                          

Spread about 1 cup of coconut flakes on a baking sheet and bake with the shortbread crust for 3-6 minutes, stirring every minutes or so, until the coconut is golden brown. Spread on a plate to cool completely. 

3.    Make the coconut cream filling:                                                                  

Combine the half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it is thick and bubbling (15-30 minutes). Add coconut and vanilla extracts and the untoasted coconut (1 ½ cups) and stir. Pour this filling over the cooled crust, and refrigerate until firm, about 2-4 hours. 

4.    Make the whipped cream topping:                                                                                                 

Put 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let it soften for 2 minutes before microwaving for 30 seconds and whisking to dissolve the gelatin. Using a chilled bowl and beaters, whisk 2 cups of heavy cream and powdered sugar together until the cream forms stiff peaks, stopping to add gelatin mixture about halfway through. Dollop the cream over the filling and gently spread over the top. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Chill until ready to serve. Slice into bars with a sharp knife. 

February is Cherry Pie Month

With Presidents' Day (remember George Washington and the cherry tree story?), Valentine's Day, and the gloom of winter, February is a perfect month for Cherry Pie. February 20 is even denoted as National Cherry Pie Day. We recently enjoyed a pie from frozen cherries. I finally feel like I've got the right recipes for both the pie filling and the crust! The bad news is that was the last of my frozen cherries! I'll be working on another filling next.
One of my 'retirement' goals is to learn to make a good pie crust. This one seems like the best I've found. I was able to get it blended together, chilled and rolled out without too many problems and there was enough crust for my favorite pie pan which is large.

CHERRY PIE

4 cups fresh or frozen tart cherries

1 – 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

your favorite pie crust for 2 crust pie

1 ½ tablespoons butter, to dot

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, to sprinkle

Directions:

Place cherries in medium saucepan and place over heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well. Ad almond extract if desired, and mix. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water; to thin, add more cornstarch.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare the crust. Divide in half. Roll out each piece large enough to fit into an 8 – 9-inch pan. Pour cooled cherry mixture into the crust. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of bottom crust. Place top crust on and flute the edge of the pie. Make a slit in the middle of the crust for steam to escape. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.

 

Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup cold butter

½ cup shortening

¼ cup cold water

3 Tablespoons sour cream

1 egg

Cut together the flour, salt, butter, and shortening until pea-sized chunks.

Whisk the wet ingredients together and drizzle over the dry mixture. Toss with a fork until lightly mixed. Divide into 2 discs and chill for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to use, roll out to desired size.

A Taste of Summer - Banana Split Pie

One of the best parts of travel is the new food to try. For this recipe I didn't even have to leave home, just read a travel magazine! Southern Living's Drives and Dives offers many places I'd like to visit as well as several recipes to try.


This spring has been a long cool one, true we appreciate the rain but now we're anxious for warmer weather and the foods that taste special in the summer. This recipe combines many of those tastes in an easy to make dessert that looks rich but tastes light. Using some substitute ingredients such as lite whipped topping and egg substitute help keep the calories lower, but it is still a dessert with sugar and butter, not completely a 'free food'. I made this for a covered dish lunch of our Women's Educational Club and because it was a day of many desserts was able to bring a couple of pieces home for supper. For the lunch I did cut it into 12 smaller pieces because everyone wants to try lots of foods at these gatherings.

Banana Split Pie

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup egg substitute

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 (6-oz) ready-made graham cracker piecrust

2 bananas, sliced

1 (20-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

chopped pecans

toppings: maraschino cherries

chocolate sauce

Beat first 4 ingredients (powdered sugar, butter, egg substitute, vanilla extract) with an electric mixer until smooth, spread in piecrust.

Top filling with banana slices, pineapple, and whipped topping, sealing topping to edges.

Sprinkle topping with pecans.

Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Before serving, add toppings (maraschino cherries and chocolate sauce).

Makes 8 servings.

From Southern Living Drives & Dives (summer 2015)

Tip: Be sure to use the egg substitute, as this filling is not cooked! Look for egg substitute in the dairy/cheese/egg section of the grocery store. The carton is equal to 8 eggs or 2 cups. You only need 1/4 cup, equal to 1 egg for this recipe. To save the extra, I poured it into small plastic cups with lids and froze it in 1/4 cup portions. I've frozen it before, but not in portions, and this will be much easier to thaw and use when I need it.