Pecan Pie

My Dad's most favorite dessert in the world is Pecan Pie. After making this for him, I told him that if I knew how easy Pecan Pie was to make, I would've made it a long time ago for him! Even if this Pecan Pie didn't turn out as well as it did, he still would've loved it because he loves Pecan Pie just that much. Also, he is my dad so I believe that I can do no wrong in his eyes? Or something like that...

Adapted from Epicurious

Oh and please excuse me as I use store bought crusts. Apparently, my grandma did it and she was a boss, so I will follow suit and do it too. HUMPH.

Ingredients

Crusts

3/4 stick unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

2 cups pecan halves (1/2 pound)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350degrees with baking sheet on middle rack
2) Place crust on baking sheet for 8-10 minutes until slightly browned
3) Meanwhile, melt butter in a small pan over medium heat and add brown sugar while whisking until smooth.
4) Remove from heat and whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, orange zest and salt.
5) Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl and then whisk in the corn syrup mixture thing.
6) Place pecans in a pie shell and pour corn syrup mixture evenly over them.
7) Bake on hot baking sheet until filling is set, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
8) Cool. For real. Cool.
9) Share and Enjoy! (oh and throw some ice cream on that bad boy!)

My dad loved it which was to be expected. However, I also had a slice and enjoyed it and I am not the hugest proponent of pecan pie, so I think that is saying something?!? If you have a pecan lover in your life, just make it for them because they will be greatly appreciative...and it is easy!

Made: 11/24/10
"Posted": 12/05/10
Posted: 06/01/11

Sweet Potato Pie andddd CRUST!

As you will be able to tell soon, if you already were not able to, I really enjoy Joy the Baker's Blog. She is super legit, funny and her recipes are very easy to follow.

Sweet Potato Pie is a family thanggg where I come from, but I knew that if I had any intention of making Sweet Potato Pie for the upcoming holidays, I needed to start working on perfecting it now. I took to the Joy the Baker to find a basic recipe for Sweet Potato Pie, and then I proceeded to call my aunts to find out if this is essentially what they do...it was.

However, to be super ambitious, I decided to make the crust too. I had never made the bottom to a pie, so I thought that I would give it a go and although it is much more of a time consuming process, at least you know the ingredients are real and not all of that processed mumbo jumbo.

Ingredients for the Crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) frozen butter that has been grated on a cheese grater

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature

2 Tablespoons cold milk

Directions for CRUST

1) Whisk together (in a medium sized bowl) flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.

2) Add frozen butter that has been grated on a cheese grater and tablespoon of cream cheese.

3) Time to get "dirty"- work the cream cheese and butter into the flour mixture, breaking the butter and cream cheese up until they’re in well incorporated into the flour. A little crumbly...

4) Combine the milk and oil.]and add to the flour/butter mixture. With a fork, begin to combine the ingredients, making sure that all of the flour mixture is introduced to the liquid.

5) Once mixed (doesn't have to be perfect) and place it into a clean 9-inch pie plate. With your fingers, press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pie plate and up the sides. Molt to the pie plate as evenly as possible but don't worry about your finger indentations.

6) Place the prepared crust in the freezer while you preheat the oven and prepare your filling.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Pie Filling

2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon of cloves ( I switched this up from the coriander in the original recipe)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

2- 5oz cans evaporated milk (1 1/4 cups evaporated milk)

3 large eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Directions for Sweet Potato Pie Filling

1) Boil two medium sweet potatoes in their jackets in a covered pot over moderate flame, until sweet potatoes are very soft and tender. Make sure a knife can go through a potato very quick and smooth.

2) Drain your potatoes and let them cool.

4) When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes, cut into chunks and place in a large bowl. Mash potatoes thoroughly with a potato masher. NO lumpssss.

5) Measure 2 cups and put in a medium sized pot with the packed brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves , salt, the 1/2 stick butter, and one 5 oz can of evaporated milk.

6) Cook on low flame for about 5 minutes, whipping with a wire whisk until butter and brown sugar are melted down and mixture is well blended, smooth and starts to bubble. Remove from fire and let cool in pot.

7) In a medium sized bowl, beat the three eggs with a fork. Add the second 5oz can of evaporated milk, granulated sugar and vanilla to the eggs and continue beating until creamy.

8) Pour the cooled sweet potato mixture from pot into a large bowl. Stir in the egg mixture. Blend thoroughly with a whisk and pour into your crust.

9) Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a cookie sheet inside.

10) After the crust is heated, pour the filling into the pie shell and place it onto the cookie sheet.

11) Bake at 450 for ten minutes and then turn your oven down to 325 and bake for 50minutes-1hr. The edges and the center will be slightly raised but shake to make sure the center is set.

12) Remove from oven. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving.

13) SHARE and ENJOYYY

Things I have learned: the first time takes the greatest amount of time. As I continued to make this recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas, my speed of preparation increased greatly (I guess that is true for every recipe). Additionally, this is super delicious and completely worth the time. I will admit that I started using the pre-made crusts for the holiday season which obviously cut down on the time and was just as delicious. Sorry, the pre-made crusts win out this battle for me. I heavily recommend the "Oronoque Orchards" brand of pie crust. Gah, I want some pie like now...OH and this can be gluten-free using a gluten free pie crust!

MADE: 10/28/10, 11/24/10, 12/24/10
Posted: 01/12/11

Apple Plum Pie

it's no secret. i really do look up to deb @ smitten kitchen, heidi@ 101 cookbooks and joy @ joythebaker, an enormous amount. I love when I check my email in the morning and i have something delicious to potentially create awaiting me in my inbox. oh the little pleasures of life.

i had some plums that i needed to use up and i always have some apples around...so when this gem popped into my inbox, i knew I would be in business. I also undertook this adventure because i had never made a pie before! Although this is a single crust pie, so it's kinda cheating...it is still a pie in a form!

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Single Crust aka "The Lid"
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plus 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse or flaky salt (or less of table salt)
Milk or cream, for brushing crust
Coarse or fine sugar, for sprinkling crust ( I actually used some brown sugar)

Filling
1 pound ripe plums of your liking (i.e. quartered and pitted)
1 pound apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Squeeze or two of orange or lemon juice

Special Addition: 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

Directions

Make

the lid:

1) In a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy.

2) Mix in the lightly beaten egg and scrape down sides.

3) Slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined.

4) Scrape dough into a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and stick in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until firmed up.

Meanwhile...Assemble the pie:

5) Preheat oven to 350°F

6) Butter a pie or baking dish....gotta love that pyrex!

7) Add the fruit and spinkle it with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange or lemon juice.

8) Gently toss the ingredients together once or twice

9) Roll out the firmed-up lid dough on a very well floured counter and gently lift it onto the pie and trim the overhang. It will most likely tear (use those little torn pieces to patch up your holes :-) )

10) Brush the crust with milk (and melted butter), sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for 40 minutes, until lightly golden on top.

11) If you would like, serve with ice cream or whipped cream BUT this beauty stands alone just as well.

12) Share and Enjoy!

Notes: I may or may not have eaten this pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the following two days. be prepared for that. so good. make this. share this. I would also potentially just try the same thing with a (god forbid) pre-frozen deep dish crust just to give the entire whole pie appeal. but this is delicious, quick and easy.

POSTED: 12/28
Made: 10/15