Classic Pecan Pie

So, my family acquired a very large amount of pecans. I'm not sure how, but it's certainly not unusual in Louisiana where pecans are plentiful!

After making the pumpkin pie for Christmas, I decided that I wanted to make another pie, but I didn't want to make an extra trip to the grocery store to pick up any ingredients. Luckily, we already had everything that I needed to make a pecan pie.

We used the recipe on the back of the Karo syrup bottle. According to my mom, everybody uses the recipe on the back of the Karo syrup bottle!

Like pumpkin pie, this recipe could not be easier! You just mix all of the ingredients together and pour them into a partially-baked pie shell (or unbaked pie shell if you are using a store bought pie shell).

Recipe-Classic Pecan Pie

1 cup light or dark corn syrup
3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups pecans, chopped in halves and quaters
1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie crust (or 1 partially-baked 9" pie crust if homemade)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix the corn syrup, eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract with a spoon. Stir in pecans.

3. Bake on center rack for 60-70 minutes (the pie is done when: the center springs back after being given a light tap).
4. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours.

Tada!

Pumpkin Pie

Ok, so apparently there is this disconnect in American culture between the sweet potato pie people, and the pumpkin pie people.

I seriously thought they were the exact same thing until very recently.

Anyway, so back to these "sweet potato pie" people and "pumpkin pie" people. My mom has always made sweet potato pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas. So... I guess that makes us sweet potato pie people. BUT, she grew up eating pumpkin pie..

I have discovered that sweet potato pie is often associated with traditions in African-American families, while pumpkin pie is associated with traditions in other American families.

I like baking new things, so I decided to bake a pumpkin pie this Christmas. It tastes slightly different than a sweet potato pie, but I'm seriously convinced that the taste is indistinguishable to many people.

Baking a pumpkin pie could not be easier with all of the right ingredients!

If you are making the crust yourself, partially pre-bake the crust.  If you are using a store-bought crust, don't worry about pre-baking the crust.

Recipe-Pumpkin Pie

1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 14-ounce can of sweetened, condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 9-inch pie crust

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Whisk all of the ingredients in a bowl. Pour into the pie crust.  Bake 15 minutes.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F, and continue baking for 35-40 minutes (when given a shake, the center should jiggle slightly. A knife inserted one inch from the crust should come out clean). Let cool. Serve with whipped cream.  Store the leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Season!

I just bought a pound of strawberries from my local grocer for 79 cents!  I've always loved strawberry season.  As a little girl, my family would go to a friend's strawberry field and pick crates of fresh strawberries.  My mother and sister would stay in the car, so it was just my dad and I out in the field--getting dirty and having a good time!  After we ate as many fresh strawberries as we could, my parents would make jars of strawberry preserves.  

Several months ago, I came across a beautiful strawberry tart that I wanted to make.  I patiently waited for strawberries to be in season, and finally got around to making it just yesterday.

 I'm always a little wary about fruit tarts because their taste rarely matches their aesthetics.  I altered the recipe and used my grandmother's famous "strawberry delight" crust instead of a regular pie crust.  But, this was fairly simple to make, and even easier if you buy a pre-made pie crust.  (The recipe is at the bottom of the post.)

 I pretty much never make it to Louisiana during strawberry season these days.  But I did this year.  I'm so glad I did, because I got to enjoy some Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager.  I found some at the Fresh Market which is walking distance from my house.  This beer was so delicious!  I'm not really a beer girl, but it was very light and crisp, with a slightly sweet taste and the aroma of strawberries throughout.  The beer is made with Louisiana strawberries that were picked at their ripest, so it's seasonal and only a very limited supply is made.

Strawberry Tart Recipe

1 fully baked pie crust

1 cup cream cheese or mascarpone cheese, cold

3/4 cup heavy cream, cold

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

20 fresh strawberries, hulled

1. Mix cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract with the whip attachment of a stand mixer, or a hand mixer on medium, until firm peaks form (about 2 minutes).  Pour into the fully baked pie crust.  Arrange the strawberries on to the tart. Refrigerate.

2. Serve cold.

Baking Flops!

Everything does not always come out just right.  Especially your first attempt at something.  Like everything, baking takes practice!  Things often turn out bad for one of two reasons: either the recipe or the execution.  My deceptively beautiful lemon meringue pie (below).

Who remembers the parmesan parsley muffins I made for book club back in October??  I was being really ambitious, so I decided to make two types of muffins--one sweet (sweet potato muffins), and one savory--these awful parmesan parsley muffins.  I'm not sure if the error was in the recipe or the execution, but parsley overwhelmed the muffins.  

My most recent catastrophe was much more tragic.  My mom, who is the busiest person I know, had been wanting to make a lemon meringue pie.   It was Christmas day, and I decided to make the pie.  I am certain that it is my execution that doomed this pie.  And the sad part is, it took soooo long, and required several hours to set in the refrigerator.  Everyone's taste buds were anxiously awaiting the  completion of this pie.  The lovely meringue (below).

Where it wrong:  1.  The filling never set.  When I cut into it, the filling had not solidified.  I'm pretty sure that this is because I was not used to the slow-to-heat range I was using at my house.  This could have been easily remedied with an instant-read thermometer.  The filling that never set (below).

2. The meringue on the pie had condensation on it when I took it out of the refrigerator.  This is because it did not completely cool when I first put it in the refrigerator.  Plus, I put it in an air tight container because I did not want the pie to taste like the Christmas feast that was in the refrigerator.  

I'm confident that if I attempted this pie again, I would be successful.  Plus, I think the meringue came out beautiful!  It was just so sad when I had to dump the pie in the trash can :(

Old Fashioned Apple Pie

This is the one dessert where the Americans have the French beat, hands down. A "tarte aux pommes" can't even be compared to an old-fashioned Apple Pie!

My mom's grandmother made these pretty much every day of her life, and my mom said that this apple pie tasted just like her grandmother's apple pies.

This pie was very easy to make--you just peel the apples, slice them, toss them in flour, spices, and sugar, and put them in the pie shell. The magic happens in the oven. The apples and pie crust transform into the familiar taste of an apple pie :)

Pie crusts: If you don't want to make a pie crust from scratch, you can buy sheets of pie dough at the grocery store. You'll need this instead of the pre-made pie shell because an apple pie needs two layers of crust--one for the bottom and one on top.

Once you figure out the pie crust situation, it really is just a matter of peeling apples, slicing them, tossing the ingredients together in a bowl, putting it in the pie dough, sealing the second piece of pie dough on top, and baking it.

Recipe- Apple Pie
Pie Crust
2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable shortening, room temperature
1 egg
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Apple Filling
5 large apples (variety)
3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pie Crust:
1. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut shortening into flour until it is in pea-sized clumps.
2. Beat the egg, water, and vinegar together. Pour the liquid over the flour mixture.
3. Stir with a fork until the mixture is moistened. Divide the dough in half and shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes.
4. Remove dough from refrigerator. Dust the rolling pin and the counter with flour, and roll the dough into a circle that is slightly larger than your pie pan. Place the dough into the circle, and press down in the pan.
If using store bought pie dough, start here. Repeat Step 4 with your dough.
5. Preheat oven to 400 F.
6. Peel, core, and slice apples, about 16 wedges per apple.
7. Mix apples with sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Place the apples in the pie shell.
8. Roll out the second pie crust and place it on top, and press down the edges with the first pie shell, sealing it.
9. Cut a hole at the top of the pie, and make about 4 1-inch slits. Place the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes.
10. Bake it on a cookie sheet for about 40 minutes (until the apples are tender and the juice is running).
11. Let chill for about one hour on a wire rack.

Mom's Mini Sweet Potato Pies

My mom has always made the most delectable sweet potato pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year, she started making pie in the off season because her office had a bake sale to raise money for the American Heart Association. She baked about a dozen mini pies, and they sold out pretty much instantly! The next week, she baked more mini pies for the fundraiser, and again, they sold out super fast. As a matter of fact, customers started coming in, asking for the pies.

My mom now makes her mini sweet potatoe pies every month for the "sick and shut-in" members at her church in Baton Rouge. There are always a couple left over, which is a nice treat for whoever is lucky enough to be around!

This Thanksgiving, my mom made the mini pies instead of a regular-sized pie. Since my family hosted Thanksgiving dinner, it was an easy way for guests to take home some pie to enjoy later. Sorry folks, there is no recipe. My mom just keeps adding spice until it tastes how it tasted the last time...