Sisterhood of the Strawberry Chiffon!

Tangy Strawberry Chiffon Pie

9 oz. prepared graham cracker crust (larger size)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

6 oz. strawberry jell-o

16 oz. container sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed

8 oz. lite cool whip topping, thawed

1 can Ready Whip

fresh strawberries (for garnish, if desired)

With electric mixer, whip cream cheese for a minute until smooth. Drain container of sliced strawberries, reserving 1/2 cup of syrup. In small bowl, mash sliced berries (it’s okay if the mashed berries retain some syrup after mashing). Bring reserved syrup to boil and pour over strawberry jell-o, mixing until jell-o is dissolved. Add jell-o/syrup mixture to cream cheese in mixing bowl and beat with mixer until smooth. Fold in mashed berries until combined. Fold in thawed Cool Whip topping. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust. (If you have some mixture left over it’s fun to use it in small graham cracker pie shells for mini-pies.) Refrigerate until set (at least 3-4 hours, but probably overnight). Top with sliced, fresh strawberries and Ready Whip, slice, and serve.

Presidential Peanut Butter Creme Pie

Today's Pie Guru is Cindy from Island Stamper. I can't tell you how much I love her for posting a peanut butter pie, I am going to have to wreck my diet a bit, because I NEED this pie!

Presidential Peanut Butter Cream Pie!
(Just in time for the inauguration!)

Peanut Butter Cream Pie is popular in this area at local restaurants, especially Amish owned restaurants. Here it is served as a cream pie, and no local restaurant that I know makes it with any kind of chocolate. This is how I have always had it, and is my preference. You can make it with either a graham cracker crust or a pastry crust, I prefer a pastry crust. Now, if you can wait, I really, really, recommend letting this stay in a fridge for a day. It doesn't take long to set up, but it is so much better the next day!

Ingredients:

8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

1 - 8 ounce tub of Cool Whip, divided

1 - 9 inch prepared pie crust, pastry of graham cracker

Directions:

Whip the cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Beat in sugar and peanut butter. Fold in one cup of the Cool Whip into the peanut butter mixture. Pour and spread the filling into your prepared pie crust. Spread the rest of the Cool Whip on top of the peanut butter filling. Chill until firm, or overnight.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (softened)
2 Eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbps. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 cups sliced rhubarb (frozen will work- see baking time below.)
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbps. butter, cut into pieces.

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375º Place pie crust in 10-inch tart pan or deep dish pie pan.

2. In large bowl, beat eggs on med. speed until light. Beat in granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons of flour and the almond extract until well blended. Alternately layer rhubarb and strawberries into crust-lined pan. Pour egg mixture over fruit.

3. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and the nutmeg. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over top.

4. Bake 50-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is set in center. Cool completely - about 2 hours. Store in refrigerator. If using frozen rhubarb, increase baking time to 55-65 minutes.

Enjoy.

For High altitudes bake 53-57 minutes.

Nutrition:

1 Serving: Cal. 220; total fat 8g

Better than Betty's

This week's pie comes from Suzanne at Random Ramblings. This is a tweaked Betty Crocker recipe that is...you guessed it...is BETTER than Betty's ;)

Better than Betty’s Peach Pie

6 cups peels, pitted and thinly sliced peaches

½ to ¾ cup sugar

3 TBSP flour

½ to ¾ tsp nutmeg

½ to ¾ tsp cinnamon

double pie crust (I use Pillsbury’s)

Mix ingredients for filling. Transfer to a pastry-lined 9 inch pie place, cover with second crust. Cut slits in top crust. Seal and flute edge. Sprinkle the top crust with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, if desired. Cover edges of crust with foil and bake in a 375* oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden.

I always use fresh peaches for this pie, but I’m sure frozen peaches would work as well. My dad told me this pie is better than my mother’s, and that is quite a compliment as my mother is an awesome cook.

SOUR CREAM LEMON PIE

Are you ready for something refreshing to wake you up from the "Turkey Blues?" How about a slice of lemon pie?

This isn’t my photo… I stole it from the internet. I haven’t made this one in a while. When I do, I will add my own photos so you can see what my messy kitchen will look like during the process of making this one.

Pretty isn’t it? Maybe a few less lemon slices on top…who’s gonna eat all those?

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

1 C sugar

3 ½ Tbsp cornstarch

Dash salt

1 C milk

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

¼ C butter softened

1 Tbsp lemon rind, grated

½ C fresh lemon juice

1 C sour cream

1 pie crust, graham cracker or baked pie shell

(I think graham cracker is best, but that’s my preference.)

Whipped cream

Lemon slices

In a heavy saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add milk and wisk over medium heat until mixture is boiling and thickened. Remove pan from heat. Blend a small amount of hot mixture into beaten egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to hot pan. Cook and stir 2 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice and lemon rind. Cool mixture to room temperature. Stir in sour cream and pour filling into your choice of pie shell. Cover with whipped cream. Add sliced lemons to decorate top. (Lemon slices can be sugared, by shaking slices in a plastic bag of white sugar. Try blotting with paper towel if they are too juicy.) Store in refrigerator for 3-4 hours before cutting. Yes Jess, I said 3-4 hours!!!

Who says Turtles aren't TASTEY???

Just in time for Thanksgiving our next contributor is Stacey from Tastey's Creations. She's offering up a twist on the classic pumpkin pie with this Turtle Pumpkin recipe! So wow your family and friends this year by bringing something new and TASTEY to the Thanksgiving table.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided

1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. PLANTERS Pecan Pieces, divided

1 cup cold milk

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

POUR 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans.

BEAT milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP. Spread into crust. (you could probably use one pudding pack since it makes enough for two pies)

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, caramel topping and pecans just before serving.

http://brands.kraftfoods.com/jello/knet_print_version.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&recipe_id=106961&print_show=1

There's nothing like warm apple pie...

Your pie contributor this month is none other than MOI. Since we had a nice rich chocolately pie last time I'm going with my old stand by (and most requested) pie. The American Pie. Yummy, simple...delightful. APPLE PIE.

I make my own crust. Feel free to buy your own, they work just as well and especially in a pinch. I know that most of you probably have your own apple pie recipes, but just once, try it my way...and if you have something better pass it along. I'm always looking to improve.

Simple Apple Pie

Ingredients

for the pie:
6-8 medium apples (I would suggest GALA or ROME, in a pinch McIntosh or Jonagold)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup flour
3 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
EITHER: 2 tsp of apple pie spice OR 1 tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp cinnamon

for the pie crust:
makes 2 crusts

1 cup unsalted butter chilled
3 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp white sugar
1/3 cup ICE water

combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter. With mixer on low speed pour in ice cold water. When dough begins to clump but before its a ball stop the mixer. Lightly knead into a ball. Separate into two sections and chill 3o minutes before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 400* Peel, core apples discarding both. Dice apples into SMALL pieces. (This is where my recipe will differ from many others, it won't take you too long to make the pieces small and it allows the sugar and spice to mix in with the apple flavor better in my opinion)



Put apples into a large bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice mixing well. Sprinkle with flour, sugar and spices (whichever you choose to use) Mix well and REFRIGERATE for 30 mins to 1 hour covered.



I like to do this step because it will separate out a lot of the "watery" part of the pie filling that makes your dough gooey. The important part is to make sure you've mixed it well before putting in the fridge. When you remove it, your apples should be nicely coated with the mixture and a bit of "juice" will be in the bottom of the bowl, mostly separate from your apples.

Remove chilled dough from the fridge (or roll out your pre-made crust) and roll out and fit into your pie plate. Fill with apple mixture, taking care to leave the watery stuff in the bottom. Don't worry, there is enough moisture in your apples that it won't dry out, it will just not get your crust so moist.

Roll out second pie crust to place on top of the pie. I just vent with a fork in a star pattern but you can do a lattice top crust if you are so inclined. Bake for 15 mins at 400 and then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes. (You may want to put foil around the edges of your pie crust at the end of baking)

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture when I was at these stages, then I took it to church and it was gone before I got a chance to take any more pics.