Banana Cream Pie

Banana cream pie is a classic. One of the comfort foods you remember from your childhood. Martha Stewart had this recipe we decided to try. The pie crust is The Perfect Pie Crust.
I have added this recipe to Sweet As Sugar Cookies Blog, Sweets for a Saturday #8.

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

Follow the pie crust recipe and blind bake shell.

Filling ingredients:

1 package vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups whipped cream
1/3 cup toasted coconut, plus more for garnish
3 small or 2 large bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

Directions:

Make the filling:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together pudding mix and milk.
Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.
Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Transfer to refrigerator and let chill.

Fold 1/4 cup whipped cream, coconut and bananas into pudding.
Pour filling into cooled pie crust, spreading evenly with a spatula.
Add remaining 1 cup whipped cream over the top of the pie.
Sprinkle with remaining toasted coconut.
Keep pie refrigerated until ready to serve; pie is best served the day it is made.

Blueberry Rhubarb Pie

We decided to try blueberries with rhubarb for this pie. Well, what can I say.....YES!!! It is a wonderful combination.
The pie dough recipe is the one we use regularly. It is really the best dough I have ever had. It is light and flaky.

Blueberry Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries
10 stalks rhubarb, cut up
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup corn starch

Strussel topping:

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter

Prepare the pie dough of your choice: We use The Perfect Pie Dough.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
Cut up rhubarb into bit size pieces and place into medium sized bowl, add blueberries.
Toss gentle to combine.
Add sugar, cinnamon and corn starch and mix to coat.
Pour into prepared pie shell.

In a medium size bowl combine the topping ingredients and combine until forms little pea size pieces.
Place the topping on the pie and bake.

Bake at 350º for 40 to 50 minutes.

Serve warm or cool.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

With the new season of fruit on a pie was on the list. We used the Perfect Pie Crust. The filling was very good. I have not made a pie with both strawberries and Rhubarb not really sure why I haven't but it is a nice combination.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients: Filling

1 quart strawberrys

10 stocks rhubarb stems

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cornstarch (use 1/4 cup if berries are frozen)

Ingredients: Strussel topping:

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter

Directions:

Prepare the pie dough of your choice: We use The Perfect Pie Dough.

Cut up your strawberries and rhubarb into bit size pieces and place into medium sized bowl. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and corn starch and mix to coat. Pour into prepared pie shell.

In a medium size bowl combine the topping ingredients and combine until forms little pea size pieces. Place the topping on the pie and bake.

Bake at 350º for 40 to 50 minutes.

Serve warm or cool.

Best Blue Berry Pie

We were watching America Test Kitchen and they made this Blueberry Pie. We used our pie dough. The pie was amazing. I think this was the first Blueberry Pie we have made. I would say it is worth a try. The recipe called for a dough that uses Vodka. When we try it I will post it. It does sound interesting.

Blueberry Filling:

6 cups fresh blueberries (used frozen)
1 granny smith apple or 2 small; peeled and grated on large holes of box grater
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. quick cooking tapicoa, ground ( used 2 tbsp. corn starch)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" pieces

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions:

Put rack in lowest position in oven and place a rimmed baking sheet on rack and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place 3 cups berries in medium saucepan over medium heat. Using potato masher, mash berries several times to release juices. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and mashing occasionally. Half of the berries should be broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, takes about 8 minutes. Let cool.

Place the grated apple on towel and wring to dry. Transfer apple to large bowl. Add the cooked berries and the 3 cups uncooked berries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, corn starch (tapioca) and salt; combine. Pour mixture to dough lined pie plate and place cut up butter on top.

Add the top crust with venting cut into it and brush top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar.

Place pie in oven and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees and continue to bake
until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool pie for at least 4 hours.

Mile High Coconut Cream Pie

Dan decided he wanted to make coconut cream pie. But he did not whip cream on the top or normal meringue. The pie was absolutely amazing. I told him he could make money with this pie.

He used the Perfect Pie Crust that was previously posted at the following link:
Perfect Pie Crust
Or substitute a store bought 10" crust

Coconut Filling:

2/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 cups coconut milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup unsweetened coconut

Directions:

Stir sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk in coconut milk, heavy cream and egg yolks. Heat custard on low heat, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and continue whisking until custard thickens and becomes glossy, about 5 more minutes.

Remove from heat and strain into a large bowl.

Stir in vanilla, butter and coconut and stir until butter has melted.


Pour immediately into chilled pie shell. Let cool in the fridge for 4 hours, Placing plastic wrap on the pie to prevent skin forming on top.

Italian Meringue:

6 large egg whites
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut

Directions:

Once the pie filling has cooled you can proceed to prepare the Italian Meringue.
Place egg whites in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form, set aside.

Combine 1 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238°.



Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.



Spread meringue over chilled pie, and sprinkle with coconut. Broil for 1 minute or until meringue is lightly browned; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Pie with Perfect Pie Crust

This recipe came from Cityline, a tv show here in Canada. Jason Parsons a chef at Peller Estates in the Niagara Area. The pie crust was amazing.

Ingredients:

2 cups pumpkin purée

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
6 whole eggs
1/2 cup 10% cream
1/2 cup 35% cream

1 round pie dough (approximately 14 inches and 1/8-inch thick when rolled out)

Directions:

1. Line a 10-inch pie pan with one round of pie dough and chill in the fridge.
2. In a large mixing bowl add the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, sugar, spices and eggs.
3. Mix well then slowly add the 10% cream, followed by the 35% cream.
4. Chill mixture for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Pour into the lined pie pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Allow to cool for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

Makes a 10-inch pie.

The Perfect Pie Crust Follows

Crumb Top Sour Cherry Pie

We bought a pail of cherries because my son (Dan) wanted to make cherry jam. But, the renovations have been keeping him busy so he has of yet not made the jam. He did decide to make a pie. He wanted it to have a crumb top; so I went looking for one he could use. I just found a few older cookbooks which I posted about already and found a crumb topping for him. He found the recipe on Martha Stewart's page. You can find the recipe here.

Crumb Top Sour Cherry Pie

4 cups Sour Cherries
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Corn Starch
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup chilled cut up butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 tsp. cinnamon

Prepare pie crust: Put flour, salt, sugar in bowl. Add butter and use pastry blender to blend mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add water a little at a time until mixture comes together. Divide dough in half and make into a discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in frig for 1 hour.

Pie Filling: Combine Cherries, sugar, corn starch and cinnamon in bowl. Set aside.

Crumb Topping: Crumble chilled butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.

On a slightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough into a 12" round about 1/8" thick. Line your pie shell with dough. Pour in Cherry filling. Then add Crumb topping.

Bake Pie 350 F for 20 minutes then turned down oven to 320 F for 25 to 30 minutes. We have a very hot oven, this is why a lower temp. Cool. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.