Tastes Like Christmas

This one was the sugar plum dancing in my head this holiday season. I made this for a rockin' Festivas party down the street a couple weeks ago. I needed something fast with easily obtainable ingredients and I wanted it to be downright festive. This one fit the bill. I lament that I could not find chocolate graham crackers for the crust though, so I used regular honey grahams (the crust from my Chocolate Pudding Pie). I also felt there should have been more crushed candy canes on top. And now for my slam-dunk recipe:

Peppermint Bark Pie (makes one deep dish 10" pie)

ingredients:
cooked graham cracker crust
1/3 c. white sugar
1/4 c. arrowroot starch
3.5 c. half n' half
4 large egg yolks
1 bag of white chocolate chips
2 T. unsalted butter
1 t. vanilla extract
whipped cream (1 c. whipping cream + 2 T. powdered sugar)
1 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips
2 candy canes, crushed in the food processor

Whisk sugar and starch in a pan. Whisk in 1 c. of half n' half. Whisk in remaining 2.5 c. half n' half and egg yolks. Whisk over med-hi heat until thickens and boils (about 8 min). Remove from heat. Add chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Whisk to blend and pour into prepared crust. Put plastic wrap on top and chill for about 6 hours. Beat whipped cream and spread on top of pie. Sprinkle liberally with mini chocolate chips and crushed candy cane bits. Serve.

Current Pie Tally: 132

A Four-Pie Party

First off, my apologies for the crappy photo. There were 60 people in my house and I downed a couple mugs of hot mulled wine just before taking it. So, yeah, I made four pies for a huge Austrian Christmas Market Party at my house. There was one Pecan Pie, two Vinegar Chess Pies, and one Chocolate Pudding Pie (omit the coffee ingredients). The second Vinegar Chess Pie was barely cut into, so I probably could have gotten away with just three pies in all, but I am not complaining about the leftovers. I wish I could have made an Cranberry Apple Pie instead of one of the Vinegar Chess ones, but I just didn't have the time or gumption. I'm still relatively impressed that I made 24 lbs. of gulasch and the four pies. The Chocolate Pudding Pie was the most popular I'd say, but the Vinegar Chess provided more conversation points. The questions on my mind now are, "Will I make another pie for my husband's lab party (also at our house!) this coming weekend?" and "What pie should I make for Christmas?" I've also got visions of a new concoction with a chocolate graham cracker crust, white chocolate pudding filling, and a whipped cream topping sprinkled with smashed up candy cane bits and mini dark chocolate chips. I don't know if I could successfully wing how much sugar to put into the white chocolate pudding though. Hmmm...maybe I could look that up.

Current Pie Tally: 131

Thanksgiving Apple Crumb Pie

Since I just made a bunch of pumpkin pie, I was craving a fruit pie. It's also come to my attention that most of the fruit pies are a lot more work, what with all the peeling and slicing and whatnot. So they are fast becoming more of a holiday or special occasion pie. Reading between the lines, that means my husband is around to watch the kids while I spend half the day baking. This pie is also a testament to how I am becoming less of a pie purist in my old age. I served vanilla ice cream alongside it and savored every bite! Happy Belated Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble! Recipe, with my substitutions, can be found here. I think I used a mixture of fresh-squeezed lemon and orange juices in this one.

Current Pie Tally: 127

Another Two-Fer

I promised to make a pie for the monthly neighborhood book club gathering last night and had everything I needed on hand to make Pumpkin Pie. So I made two! I left the extra one at home for my husband to enjoy. I'll let you in on a little secret with these pies. They're actually Butternut Squash Pies. I may have used butternut squash in my pumpkin pie before, but I can't remember. At any rate, the German word for "butternut squash" is "Kuerbis". "Kuerbis" is in fact the same word used for any old pumpkin, so I figured butternut squash would work in the pie. I couldn't tell the difference, and I like to think I have a discerning palate. I shall definitely do this again, especially if butternut squash is more readily available and/or cheaper. Recipe can be found here.

Current Pie Tally: 126

Ravenous Mommy Pecan Pie

The crappy week that I mentioned in my last post was the result of my new baby boy waking up every three hours to nurse, even at night, FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK. That made for some serious sleep deprivation for me. Couple that with my husband working late almost every night and it was tough going indeed. The baby's increased hunger led to my own increased hunger, so I whipped up this pie with said baby strapped to my chest one night while my husband was bathing my toddler. It baked to perfection and was a much-deserved sweet reward for trying times. Recipe can be found here.

Current Pie Tally: 124

Crapple Pie

This Cranberry Apple Pie marked the start of a very crappy week for me, hence Crapple Pie. Perhaps it's cursed, which is a shame, because the cranberry tartness really makes this one sing. I also dappled in a different kind of crust for this one. I recalled the one other time that I have made it, Thanksgiving quite a few years ago, and remembered that the crust was nice and flaky and chewy. The secret? More butter of course! The crust recipe can be found here. You'll need to double it to make a top AND bottom crust. And now for my slam-dunk recipe:

Cranberry Apple Pie (makes one deep dish 10" pie)

ingredients:
enough butter crust for top and bottom of pie
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. cranberry pomegranate juice
2 c. or 8 oz. cranberries
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 lbs. Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and cut into thick slices)
2 lbs. Stayman or Winesap apples (peeled, cored and cut into thick slices)
2 T. flour
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. butter

Simmer white sugar, cranberries, and cranberry pomegranate juice for about 25 min. or until all liquid evaporates. Cool and set aside. Toss remaining ingredients, except for 2 T. butter. Roll out bottom crust and place in pie dish. Spread cranberry mixture on bottom of pie. Next dump in the apple mixture. Cut up 2 T. butter into a bunch of little pieces and sprinkle over top of apple mixture. Roll out top crust and place over top - crimp and seal. Cut a steam vent in the top crust. Freeze 10 min while the oven preheats to 400F. Bake at 400F for about 23 min, then at 375F for another 60-70 min. Cool slightly and enjoy!

Current Pie Tally: 123

Pumpkin Yum

Pie pumpkins recently started making their seasonal appearance at the farmer's market, I had some cream to use up, and my kids took a nap, so I made this pie. It is creamy and caloric, perfect for a nursing mommy. I used my fancy red pie dish for this, which I think I will continue to do. I want to say it's 10.5", and the pumpkin filling all fits in it. Usually when I make this pie in another 10" dish, I have some filling leftover. The larger pie does take a few extra minutes to bake though. I had this one in for 50 min at 350F. For the recipe, refer to this post.

Current Pie Tally: 122