Blueberry Pie

My Aunt Denise recommended this recipe while we were visiting my grandmother. I originally made this pie for my neighbor Charlie with half Splenda and half sugar. This pie was so good it was almost gone in 5 minutes. Luckily I saved the very last piece for Charlie. I highly recommend making the pie crust that goes with it but you can always save time by using a ready-made crust.

Country Blueberry Pie



Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
Flour, for dusting
Sugar, for sprinkling on top

Filling: Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and water. Add to a saucepan and heat rapidly until thickened. Set aside to cool as you prepare the pastry. Once cooled add the berries and lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening. Whisk together egg, water and vinegar. Add to flour mixture tossing lightly with a fork. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and using your hands combine dough. Separate into 2 single crusts. Line the bottom of a pie plate with 1 of the crusts.

Pour filling into dough lined pie pan, and sprinkle the lemon juice over the filling. Adjust top crust, cut vents and flute rim. Sprinkle top lightly with sugar. Place pie onto a baking sheet and into the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool, cut and enjoy!

Apricot, Cherry and Peach Pie

This pie is spectacular!

Apricot, Cherry, and Peach Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

Filling:
1 pound fresh peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges
1 pound fresh apricots, pitted and sliced into wedges
1 pound of fresh cherries (sweet, such as Bing), stemmed, pitted, and halved
¾ cup granulated sugar (use 2/3 for a more tart pie)
3 tablespoons corn starch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream

In a large bowl, toss together the fruit. Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice. Toss to combine.

Perfect Pie Crust:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan and unfold to fit the pan.

Spoon the fruit mixture and any juices into the pie shell, slightly mounding the fruit in the center. Dot with butter. Brush the rim of the pie shell with water. Add the top crust either whole or in lattice strips. Crimp edges.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream. Brush onto the top crust being careful not to let it pool. Generously sprinkle the entire surface with sugar.

Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through, until the crust is deep golden brown, about 40 – 50 minutes more.

Cool completely before serving.

Tomato and Zucchini Pie

I saw this on the Today show and had to have it. It was soooooooooo good and so so easy.

Tomato and Zucchini Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart

For the crust:
1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk, plus 1 large egg yolk, for egg wash
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash for the filling

For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch-thick half-moons
1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls)
or fresh mozzarella (1-inch pieces)
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground peppe

Make the crust:
Pulse flour, cheese, salt and butter in a food processor until mixture
resembles coarse meal. Add 1 egg yolk; pulse to combine. Drizzle in 1/4 cup ice water, and
pulse until dough just comes together. (If dough is still crumbly, add up to 1/4 cup more
water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Form dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate or
freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Make the filling:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium. Add shallot; cook, stirring
occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until
light golden and liquid has been released, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Halve one-third of the tomatoes. Stir halved and whole tomatoes, both cheeses, basil and
flour into shallot-zucchini mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Make
seven 3-inch-long cuts around edge of dough, evenly spaced. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
Drizzle shell with remaining tablespoon oil. Transfer filling to shell. Fold in flaps of dough,
slightly overlapping. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Whisk cream and remaining egg yolk in a small bowl, and brush over crust. Bake pie on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 70 to 80 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Serve warm.

Spicy Pumpkin Pie

When I was little and stressed out, my mom would bring me small presents. One of these gifts was the "365 Ways with Pies" cookbook. I think I made every one of them, but this one is an annual favorite on Thanksgiving. Its tasty and most importantly, easy!

Spicy Pumpkin Pie

2 eggs, beaten
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons molasses (or maple syrup, if you must)
1 tall can (1 2/3 cup) evaporated milk
1 unbaked pie shell

Combine eggs, sugar, spices, salt, pumpkin, and molasses. Add evaporated milk; stir until mixture is smooth. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.