Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie

Crust Ingredients:

14 graham crackers (about 7 oz)

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-3 teaspoons water

Filling ingredients:

1 small box instant banana pudding (3.4 oz)

1 cup cold milk

8 oz cream cheese

14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups whipped cream (1 tub Cool Whip)

~3 ripe bananas, sliced

Crust Directions:

Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until chopped to fine crumbs.  Add the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse to combine.  Add 1 teaspoon water and pulse a couple times.  If the crumbs are moist and pinch together, dump into a pie pan.  If not, add another teaspoon water and repeat.   

Press the crumbs against the bottom and sides of a deep dish pie pan.   Bake at 375º for 8 minutes.  Cool completely.

Filling Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding powder and 1 cup milk until well combined.  In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy.  With the mixer running, add the sweetened condensed milk and pudding mixture and beat until smooth.   Using a spatula, carefully fold in 1/3 to 1/2 of the Cool Whip.

Spread a thin layer of filling over the pie crust.  Press a layer of banana slices on the bottom and up the sides.  Spread another thin layer of filling followed by another layer of bananas.  Scoop the remaining filling mixture into the crust, smoothing it out with the spatula.   Top with the remaining whipped cream and chill for a few hours.

Cheesy Bacon-Tomato Pie

 

WOW!  This was soooo good!  I was flipping through cookbooks looking for recipes that used tomatoes and decided to try out this one.  So glad I did.  It was like deep dish pizza but better because the ingredients were fresh.   I was able to use green onions and basil from my garden.  Luckily, I had a spare homemade pie dough round in the freezer that I thawed and leftover bacon from earlier in the week so that saved me some time.   Of course, you could just buy a pie crust, but I think the homemade buttery crust made it taste extra delicious.  I didn't have any mayonnaise on hand (because I'm a Miracle Whip person), so I made my own easy mayo recipe to use for the pie.

Cheesy Bacon-Tomato Pie

From Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 single-crust pie pastry  (see recipe below)

1&3/4 lbs tomatoes, sliced and seeded

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 cup mayonnaise (see recipe below)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used both cheddar and mozzarella to use up fridge supply)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Roll dough to an 1/8"-thick circle.  Transfer to a pie plate and trim to 1/2 inch beyond rim.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, shredded cheese, basil, salt, and pepper.

Place half the tomatoes and half the onions in the crust.   Spread the cheese mixture over the top.  Top with remaining tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle the bacon and Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes.  Fold crust edge over filling, pleating as you go.

Bake at 400º for 30-40 minutes until crust is golden.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with additional basil if desired.

*****

Homemade Mayonnaise (Immersion Blender)

Makes ~1 cup

Ingredients:

1 egg, room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup vegetable oil or grapeseed oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a tall slender container.  Use an immersion blender that reaches the egg until the bottom thickens. Slowly pull the blender up to thicken the rest of the mixture.  Season with salt and pepper and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

*****

Buttery Pie Crust Recipe 

(Makes 2 Crusts-- you can freeze half the dough for another time if not needed)

Ingredients:
2&1/2 cups flour
1&1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/2 cup ice water

Directions:
Stir the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter and shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.   Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition.  Only add enough water until the dough begins to form large clumps (usually about 1/2 cup total).

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and fold the dough unto itself several times until flour is fully incorporated into the fats.  Form the dough into a ball and divide into 2 equal pieces.  Using your hands, flatten each piece into a 1-inch thick circular disc.  Wrap each disc in plastic wrap.   Refrigerate at least 2 hours (up to 5 days).  [If saving for the future, freeze disc for up to 3 months and thaw in fridge.]

Roll out dough starting from center and roll outward in all directions until it's about 12-inches in diameter.  Follow baking instructions per pie recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I saw fresh rhubarb in the grocery store so I scooped some up (cost me only 50 cents!) and also scored some strawberries that were on sale.  We don't eat dessert very often, so I decided it was time for a treat!  This pie was DELICIOUS.  I'm glad I made my own crust.  It tastes better than the store-bought ones.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:
1 pie crust (See recipe below)
3 cups rhubarb in 1/4"-thick slices (about 5-6 medium stalks, ~12-16oz)
2 cups sliced strawberries (~12 oz)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Streusel Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

Directions:
Roll out the pie dough to about a 12" diameter circle and place in a 9-inch pie plate, trimming and fluting the edges to make it pretty.

In a large bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch.  As you keep stirring, it will turn thick and syrupy.  Pour the strawberry mixture over the pie dough.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar.  Add the butter, using a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the pie.  Place pie plate on a baking sheet (just in case filling bubbles out), and bake at 375º for 50-55 minutes until streusel is golden.   Check on the pie halfway through cooking time and place foil around crust if it is getting too brown.

Let pie cool completely before slicing.

******

Buttery Pie Crust Recipe 

(Makes 2 Crusts-- you can freeze half the dough for another time if not needed)

Ingredients:
2&1/2 cups flour
1&1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/2 cup ice water

Directions:
Stir the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter and shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.   Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition.  Only add enough water until the dough begins to form large clumps (usually about 1/2 cup total).

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and fold the dough unto itself several times until flour is fully incorporated into the fats.  Form the dough into a ball and divide into 2 equal pieces.  Using your hands, flatten each piece into a 1-inch thick circular disc.  Wrap each disc in plastic wrap.   Refrigerate at least 2 hours (up to 5 days).  [If saving for the future, freeze disc for up to 3 months and thaw in fridge.]

Roll out dough starting from center and roll outward in all directions until it's about 12-inches in diameter.  Follow baking instructions per pie recipe.

Gluten-free Blueberry Pie with Almond-Oat Crust

Here is another dessert I brought to Christmas.  Blueberries were on sale at the store, so I wanted to make a blueberry dessert and also have a gluten-free option.  The blueberry filling was great, but the crust had way too much honey and made the crust a little too wet for my liking and also overpowered the flavor.  If I made this again, I'd cut back on the honey, probably to 1/4 cup or less.  Once again, I forgot to photograph the pie before we dug in.

Gluten-free Blueberry Pie with Almond-Oat Crust

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
zest of 1/2 lemon

Crust/Crisp:
1&1/4 cup ground almonds or almond flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup honey  (I would recommend cutting back to 1/4 cup or less)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted softened butter

Directions:
In a medium bowl, toss together the blueberries, sugar, corn starch, and zest.  Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the ground almonds, oats, honey, baking powder, and salt.  Add butter and use your fingers to combine until coarse crumbs form.  Reserve 1/2 cup of crumbs for topping.  Press the remaining crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan. 

Pour blueberries over the crust.  Sprinkle the reserved crumb topping over the top.  Bake at 350º for 20 minutes, then tent with foil to avoid over-browning, and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.   Cool completely before serving.

Peach Cobbler Pie

Recipe for the peach pie I made for Christmas.  I used a store-bought frozen pie crust to save time.  I forgot to take a photo before everyone started digging in.  It was delicious, in my opinion.

Peach Cobbler Pie

Ingredients:
Pie crust
5 cups fresh or thawed frozen peaches
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons cornstarch

Crumble Topping:
12 tablespoons cold butter, diced
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1&1/2 cups flour

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir together peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cornstarch.   Place store-bought or homemade pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and pour peach mixture over crust.

To make crumble topping, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour and sugar until it resembles coarse crumbs.   Sprinkle over the peach mixture.

Bake pie at 425º for 10 minutes, then at 350º for 30-40 minutes until crust is baked and golden.

Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie

I decided to try a new recipe for Easter.  It was good, but there was a little too much caramel which was too runny in the bottom layer, making a mess in the pie plate.  I was surprised that it never set because I had refrigerated the pie for a full 24 hours.  It still tasted good though, and it was really easy to prepare.  I much prefer my other Banana Cream Pie recipe which is more of a Banana Pudding Cream Pie and I'd stick with that next time.  Still, here is the recipe for all the caramel lovers.  The only changes I made to the original recipe were using a pre-made graham cracker crust and store-bought whipped cream to save time, and those changes are reflected in the directions.

Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie
Adapted from Food Network Channel website

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker crust
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 (8 oz) tub of Cool Whip
1 cup store-bought dulce de leche (Caramel Sweetened Condensed Milk)
3 medium bananas, sliced
1/2 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts (for garnish)

Directions:
Using a hand-held mixer, whip the cream and butter at medium speed until fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon, and whip at low speed until just combined.  Fold in the whipped cream.

Spread the dulce de leche over the crust and top with the sliced bananas, forming 2 layers of bananas if necessary.  Spread the whipped topping mixture over the top.  Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
To serve, top the pie with a border of chopped peanuts.  Warm some dulce de leche in the microwave until melted and drizzle over the pie.

Whiskey Pulled Pork Shepherd's Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Crust

Oh, yes.  For Pi Day, I wanted to make a savory pie.  As I was browsing the internet, I came across this recipe from TheKitchenWhisperer and thought it sounded like a delicious twist on Shepherd's Pie.  It has BBQ Pork instead of lamb.  Plus a cheddar biscuit crust.  Sounded like a winner to me.  Since I made the Whiskey BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches a couple days ago, I had the pork and sauce already made.  So I only had to make the homemade mashed potatoes and the crust, making the recipe much less daunting.  I thought it tasted fabulous.  Loved the crust, loved the BBQ pork.  Lots of work, but worth it.  The photos don't do it justice.  Tasted way better than it looks.

Whiskey Pulled Pork Shepherd's Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Crust
from TheKitchenWhisperer

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup cream
2 tablespoons chives
2&1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided
3 cups Pulled Pork  (see below)
1 cup Whiskey BBQ Sauce  (see below)
2 cups Mashed Potatoes  (see below)

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chives.  Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter (or a fork) until you have pea-sized chunks.  Pour in the cream and combine using a wooden spoon.  Pour the crumbly mixture onto a lightly floured surface.  Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese into the dough and gather the dough together until it can stick to itself without falling apart.  Try not to overwork it.  It should be tacky but not wet.

Pat the dough into a 9" pie plate coated with cooking spray. It should be an even 1/4-1/2" thick on the bottom and up the sides of the dish all the way to top of the pie dish.

Add the pulled pork.   Drizzle 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce on top of pork.  Sprinkle 2 cups shredded cheese over that.  Using a spatula, gently spread 2 cups of mashed potatoes on top.  Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes until the crust is slightly golden brown.   For crispy peaks on the potatoes, broil for a minute or two.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.   If desired, drizzle a little more warmed BBQ Sauce over top.

*****

Pulled Pork  
4 lb Pork Butt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup BBQ Spice Rub  (see recipe here)

Pat dry the pork.  Rub generously with Spice Rub.  Place, fat side up, in slow cooker. Add water so that it comes up an inch high.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Remove and shred using 2 forks.

Whiskey BBQ Sauce
5 cups original BBQ Sauce
1 cup whiskey
1 cup water
3 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk ingredients together in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Mashed Potatoes
5 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
6-7 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a deep pot and completely cover with water.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a boil and cook for 30-35 minutes until a fork can pierce without resistance.  Drain, return to the pot, and mash.  Add in the butter, milk, and cream and continue to mash until creamy.  Add salt and pepper and mix.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

It's the Ultimate Pi Day:  3/14/15.  Only happens once a century.   I made a Pulled Pork Shepherd's Pie for dinner which took a lot of steps, so I figured a nice easy no-cook dessert pie would be a good idea.   This was really quite delicious.  It was also very rich, so only a small slice was needed.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:
1 Oreo Crust
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8oz) package Cool Whip, thawed
shaved chocolate or fudge topping (optional)

Directions:
Beat together the peanut butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Add in the whipped topping and beat until smooth.  Pour the filling into the crust.  Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Fluffy Key Lime Pie

I chose to make this light version of Key Lime Pie because of its reduced calories and fast, easy preparation.  Despite its low-fat ingredients, it still tasted very good.   It wasn't classic Key Lime Pie, but it was still a nice lime dessert.

Fluffy Key Lime Pie
8 servings, 180 calories

Ingredients:
1 package (0.3 oz) sugar-free lime gelatin

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cartons (6 oz each) reduced-fat key lime yogurt

1 carton (8 oz) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (8")

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.  Whisk in yogurt.  Fold in whipped topping.  Pour into crust.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set.