BIG Batch Pie Crust (freezer ready)

5 lb bag of unbleached flour

2 T salt

3 lb can of Crisco (the whole can)

3 c ice cold water

Mix flour & salt in large bowl. Add Crisco. Use a potato masher & mix until big pieces remain. Then use your hands to press & crumble the flour into the Crisco. Mix until crumbly. Make a well in the center. Add all of the water. Mix until flour absorbs the water. Divide into 16 discs & wrap in plastic wrap. Place in a large zip bag. Freeze until ready to use. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 1-2 hours. Roll out while still cold. 

All Butter Pie Crust

1 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ lb (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup cold water

½ cup ice

2 T cider vinegar

In a large bowl, stir the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and coat with the flour mixture with a bench scraper or spatula.

Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay; be careful not to overblend).

In a large measuring cup or small bowl, combine the water, ice, and vinegar. Sprinkle 2 T of the ice water mixture over the flour mixture. Mix and cut it in with the bench scraper or spatula until fully incorporated.

Add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 T at a time, using the bench scraper or your hands (or both) to mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining.

Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all the dough together, sprinkling the dry bits with small drops of the ice water mixture, if

necessary, to combine.

Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to preferably overnight to give the crust time to mellow.

If making the double-crust version, divide the dough in half before shaping each portion into flat discs.

Do Ahead: The dough can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap tightly and keep chilled, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1¾ c graham cracker crumbs

5 T sugar

¾ tsp cinnamon

6 T butter, melted

Filling:

32 oz cream cheese, softened

1¼ c sugar

½ c sour cream

1 c pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla 

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon & melted butter. Press into spring form pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Turn oven down to 325⁰.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, pumpkin & eggs in mixer until smooth. Pour into pan. Rap the pan on thr counter 4 or 5 times to get the bubbles out. Bake for 40 minutes. Reduce temp to 250⁰ & bake another 45 minutes. Do NOT open the oven. There will be a slight giggle in the middle when done. Turn the oven off & leave in the oven for 30 minutes. Crack oven door & leave in the oven for 1 hour. 

Cool to room temperature for 2 or 3 hrs. Cover with a towel & refrigerate overnight. 

Top with toasted pecans & caramel sauce. 

Flakey Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup cold buttermilk

1-2 tablespoons cold water

1 large egg, beaten, for the egg wash

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat. Dump the mixture out onto a clean surface and use a rolling pin to roll the butter into thin sheets, combining it with the flour. Use a bench scraper to scrape the rolling pin and to bring the mixture back into a pile as necessary. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated into the flour. Mixture will be very flaky. Return mixture to the bowl and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the butter.

Remove from freezer and add the buttermilk. Use a spoon and then your hands to stir the mixture until it comes together into a ball. If mixture is too dry, add the water a tablespoon at a time. Divide the dough in two and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until ready to use. 

Banoffee Pie

1 (13.4 oz) can dulce de leche

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

⅓ cup white sugar

2 teaspoons ground ginger (Optional)

6 T butter, melted

3 bananas, sliced

1½ cups heavy cream

3 T powdered sugar

chocolate shavings (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 350⁰.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, white sugar, ginger (if using), and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Press mixture into an ungreased 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or 9-inch pie plate.

Bake crust in preheated oven until set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool crust on a wire rack for 15 minutes. 

Spread dulce de leche in the cooled crust; arrange bananas evenly on top.

Beat heavy cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream over bananas.

Refrigerate pie for at least 2 hours to overnight. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings & cocoa powder before serving.

Perfect Pie Crust

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com

• 3 c. flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) cold salted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large egg
• 4 Tbsp. ice water, plus more as needed
• 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar

Add flour & salt to food processor. Add butter & shortening & pulse till coarse crumbs form. Add egg & pulse. Drizzle ice water & vinegar in slowly & pulse until dough forms a ball. Little flecks of butter should be visible. Divide the dough into 2 parts, using 1/3 for top piece & 2/3 for the bottom piece. Flatten each piece into a disc & freeze 15 min. Roll out larger piece into 12" circle & press into bottom & sides of pie plate. Fill pie. Roll out second circle into a 10" circle & top pie. Crimp edges. Bake as directed in recipe.

No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
24 Oreo Cookies
5 tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
24 oz Cream Cheese, softened 
8 oz Whipped Topping (like Cool Whip)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 ½ cup Peanut Butter
30 peanut butter cups, cut in quarters

Crush Oreos in food processor and add melted butter.
Press mixture into bottom and partway up sides of springform pan.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm.
Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and peanut butter until well mixed.
Fold in whipped topping until uniformly blended.
Fold in half of peanut butter cups

Spread on top of crust and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm.

Remove from springform pan and top with remaining peanut butter cups. Drizzle with chocolate syrup & melted peanut butter, if desired.

Serve topped with whipped cream.

Crustless Quiche (frittata)

6 eggs
1/2 c. cream or sour cream
1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
3/4 c. diced ham or 1/2 c bacon crumbles
2 c. veggies (asparagus, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, peppers etc)
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs & add remaining ingredients. Spray pie plate with cooking spray. Pour into pie plate. Bake for 40 min. The middle will be jiggly, but the rest should be firm. Remove from oven & let cool. It will set up as it cools.

Can double it in a 9X13 pan & cook 45-50 min.

Shredded, squeezed dry zucchini or spinach works good.

*You can also add a pie crust or crescent roll crust to this. Just press it in the pan & pour egg mixture in. No need to prebake it.

All American Apple Pie

Pastry Dough:
2 1/4 C flour
1/2 C. chilled shortening
1/2 C. chilled unsalted butter
3/4 t. salt
1/2 C. ice water

Apple Filling:
6 medium Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored & sliced into 1/4" slices) about 7 cups
3/4 C. sugar
3 T. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
2 T. butter

Topping:
1 t. sugar
1/8 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Prepare dough by adding flour & salt to food processor. Add butter & shortening & pulse till coarse crumbs form. Drizzle ice water in slowly & pulse until dough forms a ball. Little flecks of butter should be visible. Divide the dough into 2 parts, using 1/3 for 1 piece & 2/3 for the other. Flatten each piece into a disc & freeze 15 min. Roll out larger piece into 12" circle & press into bottom & sides of pie plate.

Place sliced apples in large zip bag. Mix flour & dry seasonings & sprinkle over apples in bag. Shake to coat apples. Carefully arrange apples on the bottom crust, sprinkle with vanilla. Cut butter into small pieces & dot them over the top.
Roll the smaller piece into a 10" circle & place on top of pie filling & form decorative edge. Make several slashes in top to vent. Combine sugar & cinnamon & sprinkle over the top crust.

Place pie on a cookie sheet & bake for 15 min. Reduce oven to 425 degrees & bake an additional 40-45 min until golden. Let cool 1 1/2 hrs before serving.

Lawry's Coconut Cream Pie

Adapted from
www.jancooks.blogspot.com/

COCONUT PIE SHELL

1/2 c butter, plus more for pie plate
3 c sweetened flake coconut

Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Melt the 1/2 c butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the coconut flakes, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. They should be golden brown. Press the coconut firmly and evenly in the pan to form a shell. Chill the crust 30 minutes before filling.

PIE FILLING

4 egg yolks
3/4 c sugar, divided
3 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1/4 c flour
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 c half-and-half
2 t vanilla

WHIPPED CREAM:
1 c whipping cream
1 T powdered sugar
1 T nonfat dry milk
1/2 t vanilla

Combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, salt and flour in a small bowl. Gradually add the coconut milk & stir.

Combine the half-and-half and 1/2 c of the sugar in a 3-quart saucepan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook and stir until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool.

Pour the filling into the pie shell

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar, dry milk & vanilla until stiff. Spoon in dollops or pipe with a pastry bag around the edge of the pie. Chill 2 hours before slicing.

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

 (Yield: 2 pies)

I made this a few years ago for our annual ward Labor Day picnic & won 1st prize. Just beware of all the other bakers who will be mad at you for winning. LOL

INGREDIENTS:
1 small pkg. instant choc. pudding mix
1 C. whipped topping
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened 
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 oz) whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts or chocolate crumb crust

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix chocolate pudding according to package for pie filling. Fold in 1 C. whipped topping. Spread half into each pie pan.
2. Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
3. Spoon half of mixture into each pie. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Top with chocolate curls, small peanut butter cups (chopped) and chocolate sauce, if desired.