Recipe: Pumpkin Pie (No-Bake)

another pumpkin recipe Grandma used to make for us as kids, and taught us how to make:

Pumpkin Pie (Unbaked)
by Catherine Dean, 1980

1 6-oz jello pudding and pie filling (NOT instant)
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 13-oz can evaporated milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 baked pie shell

Combine pie filling, sugar, spice, milk, egg and pumpkin in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until the mixture boils. (It will thicken after it boils.) Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Pour into pie shell and chill for at least 4 hours.

Top with whipped cream.

Recipe: Flaky Pastry

From Southern Farmers Cookbook, a really old cookbook Mom used to use a lot.
Before the times of pre-packaged roll-out style crusts, you were forced to make your own. So...I tried many different recipes, and found this one to be the easiest AND the flakiest! Now that the Pillsbury roll-out is available, I don't usually make pie crust from scratch. However, if you want to make one that is gluten-free or one without solid shortening, use this one, substituting the flour for gluten free, and using butter instead of solid shortening. It may brown faster, but will be good.

Flaky Pastry

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup solid shortening
4 tbsp COLD water

Measure flour and sift with salt. Add shortening (at room temperature) and blend with pastry blender or forks. Add COLD water and mix until dough is soft and pliable. Roll to 1/8 inch thick and line pie plates. Prick pastry and bake, or use in favorite pie recipes fresh.

Recipe: Favorite Apple Pie

From Southern Farmer's Cookbook, circa 1943-ish

Favorite Apple Pie

6 cups sliced tart apples
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp flour or tapioca
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup butter
pastry for 9-inch pie crust

Combine dry ingredients and pour over apple slices in large bowl. Add lemon juice. Toss mixture together until slices are well coated. Turn apple mixture into pastry-lined pie pan, heaping in center. Dot with butter. If using a top crust, cut gashes for steam to escape and seal top of pastry together around edges.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes (to set crust).
Then, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake 40-50 minutes longer.

For crust: use Flaky Pastry recipe, or one of the refrigerated types that you can roll out, I think it's Pillsbury brand that works best.

Recipes updates: if you want your apples to "settle down" faster, you can pre-cook them for a few minutes with a sliced up pear. Then, add in the sugar and spices and continue as indicated above. You can almost expect this pie to drip out of the edges, good luck getting it not to, it's very rich and full, but so tasty and worth it!

Recipe: Famous Pumpkin Pie

This is the one from Libby's Pumpkin. It is best with fresh or frozen pumpkin pulp, but also good with canned pulp. I never used the prepared "pumpkin pie" mix.

Famous Pumpkin Pie

1 deep dish pie crust
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 16-oz can solid pumpkin, or 2 cups fresh pulp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 12-oz can evaporated milk

Pre-heat oven and baking sheet to 375 degrees F. Beat together ingredients, in given order. Place pie crust on pre-heated baking sheet and pour filling into pie crust. Cover edges of pie crust with a strip of aluminum foil (to keep from browning too much). Bake in center of oven.

Bake 70 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Garnish with coconut (add on top of pie around edge and on center about 10 minutes before pie is finished baking).

Serve with freshly whipped whipping cream.

Recipe: Impossible Coconut Pie

If you like coconut and cream pies, you will love this one!

Impossible Coconut Pie

2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 bisquick mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup shredded coconut

Put all ingredients (except coconut) into a blender and blend on low speed for 3 minutes.
Pour into a 9-inch, greased pie pan.
Let stand for 5 minutes, then sprinkle the coconut on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Recipe: Cherry Breeze Pie

a sweet and creamy pie we had a lot as kids, from Mom

Cherry Breeze Pie

Crust:

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup corn flake crumbs

Melt butter over low/medium heat, then add in sugar and stir constantly until it boils. Add in corn flake crumbs and remove from heat. Blend together, then pour into pie pan and shape pie crust. Put pie crust into the refrigerator until it is setup, about 1 hour.

Pie:

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 can condensed cream
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Cream the cheese until fluffy, then add in condensed cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Let it setup for about 2 hours in refrigerator until cold. Then, spread pie filling on top of crust and serve.