Chocolate Candy Pie

Oh my goodness Oh my goodness!

I can't believe in all the recipes I have posted that this one has been neglected!  It is the best and it was my dad's favorite until he became allergic to milk!  I still think it tortures him when we make it!  Sorry dad!

It is sooo good and sooo easy and loved, loved, loved by everyone!  In fact this year my family said they made 2 so everyone would be able to get another piece when Thanksgiving 2 happened!

Delicious chocolate goodness is all I can say!

Chocolate Candy Pie

(from my mom ~ circa 1968)

• 1 pie crust or graham cracker crust
• 20 regular sized marshmallows (fresh ones)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 bars (3 3/4 oz) milk chocolate with almonds candy bars
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whip cream

Prepare your crust first.  If doing a regular pie crust, make it and cook it in your pie tin and have cooled before you make the pie.

In a medium saucepan, combine the marshmallows and milk.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until marshmallows are melted.

Add the candy bars.  Break them into small pieces so easier to melt.  Continue cooking on low heat until chocolate is melted stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and pour into another pan to cool.  Place in freezer to cool quickly for about 10 minutes.

While its cooling, whip 1 cup of the heavy whipping cream.  Fold into cooled chocolate mixture and pour into your pie shell.

Place in your refrigerator to set up for at least 3 hours.  If you need it to be done quickly, place in freezer for about 40 minutes to speed it up!

Whip the rest of your cream (with added sugar and vanilla) and decorate the top of your pie or serve with it on top.

Enjoy a yummy yummy pie!

Easy Key Lime Pie

I received key limes in my Bountiful Basket this last week or so and decided to try key lime pie. When Todd and I traveled more, we went to Key West and had key lime pie and really liked it. So a try I did and this one was easy as it described and good! I found this on Real Mom kitchen, she always has simple recipes and lots of good finds!

Thanks!

Easy Key Lime Pie

(www.realmomkitchen.com)

• 1 9-inch prepared graham cracker shell (I made my own crust, recipe to follow)
• 1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (or use 1/2 cup hot water + 1 cup sugar + 1 cup dry powdered milk + 1 tbsp butter, mixed thoroughly in blender)
• 4 large egg yolks
• zest from 1 lime (can use a regular lime)
• 1/2 cup key lime juice (you can buy bottled juice too!)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 heaping tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Whisk until will combined. Whisk in lime juice.

Allow filling to sit while you zest the lime. Add lime zest and whisk just until combined.

Pour the lime filling into the pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour.

The filling will become set as it cools. When cool, place the pie in the refrigerator. Chill for at least one hour before serving, but it is best if you can chill for 12 hours.

Combine whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Pipe or spread whipping cream over pie and serve. makes 8 servings.

Graham Cracker Crust (Better Homes and Garden cookbook)

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 18)

Melt butter and then stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers; toss to mix well. Spread evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Press into bottom and sides to form a firm, even crust. Chill about 1 hour or till firm. (Or, bake in a 375 degree oven for 4-5 minutes or till edge is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before filling.)

Flat Apple Pie

This is another wonderful Pioneer Woman recipe. She says her family likes this because you can grab it on the go! It has more crust than a normal apple pie and next time I think I would add more apples and less filling. I used my canned apple pie filling and it was super good! We also just used the basic pie crust recipe from the betty crocker cook book! It was easy--you didn't even have to form it in a pie plate!

Flat Apple Pie

(from the Pioneer Woman cook book)

• 5 peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples
• 2 tblsp flour
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 recipe pie crust
• 6 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the apples, flour, lemon juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt. Set aside.

Roll out 2 pie crusts into large circles. Place the circles on large baking sheets. (She made 2 pies, we made one pie with 2 crusts) Place half the apple mixture on one crust and the other half on the other crust.

Fold over the edge of each crust so that it covers 2-3 inches of the apple mixture. Dot the tops of the pies with chunks of butter. (we didn't do this)

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the filling is golden and bubbly. If the crust appears to brown too quickly, cover the edges with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time. Allow to cool slightly and then cut into wedges!

Pumpkin Pie Bites

I stole this picture from my sister, who has actually tried this recipe. I have been wanting to and was planning on doing it for Christmas, but plans got changed and so I swiped her picture in order to share! Her husband gave these a thumbs up and I just have really like doing things mini these days! Maybe because it feels less guilty when they are little, or the fact you can try a little bit of everything when things come in small sizes! (side note--my little 3 year old nephew helped with the creations on the side!)

The pies on the left are from the pumpkin cutter, the right the circle!

Pumpkin Pie Bites

(found on Bakerella)

• 2 refrigerated ready to roll pie crusts (or brave your own!!)
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temp.
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter (my sister used a round one, she thought they looke better)

• Optional, 1/2 cup chocolate morsels, vegetable oil and re-sealable plasic bags

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkins (or circles) from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.

Press dough shapes into a 24 mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don't overlap each other.)

Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.

Spoon mixture into each pumpkin (or round) shaped pie crust.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use.

Makes 24 pies, keep refrigerated!

To decorate:

Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave on medium. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Add a little vegetable oil to make the chocolate more fluid. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle or draw faces on pies.

(You can view a great step by step on http://www.bakerella.com/)

Pecan Tassies

My sister rescued me the other day. We had Todd's work Christmas party at our house and I was trying to find some simple desserts to make. She had just made these and I had all the ingredients and had to give them a try. I have made these before I think, but not for a long time! They are just like mini pecan pies, and super simple because you don't have to stress about making the perfect crust! This recipe says it makes 24, but I only got about 16-20 because I ran out of filling. Next time I may need to put a little less filling or use more crust per mini pie!

Pecan Tassies

(I don't know where she found this!)

• 1/2 cup butter, soft
• 1, 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325. Make pastry--In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until combined. Stir in flour. Press 1 rounded teaspoon of pastry evenly into the bottoms and sides of a mini muffin pan. (Use a really rounded tsp.)

For the filling--In a small bowl combine the egg, brown sugar and butter. Stir in pecans. Spoon about 1 heaping tsp into each pastry cup.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is puffed. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Carefully remove from muffin cups, cool completely on wire rack. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar!

Apple Pie Filling

This is a recipe Sally Wilson gave me that she said was FABULOUS! I canned some this weekend and I am excited to try it! We did 2 batches and got 14 quart jars! Next time I do know that we will use an apple corer peeler!!

Preserved Apple Pie Filling

• 4 1/2-5 cups sugar
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 1/2-6 lbs peeled, cored and seeded tart apples

Put first 5 ingredients in heavy kettle and stir in 10 cups of water in slowly. Cook until thick and bubbly.

Add lemon juice. Put sliced apples in clean, hot jars. Pour cooked mixture over apples (or alternate in layers). Seal and process 20 minutes in a hot water bath.

Use 1 quart jar per pie!

Perfect Pie Crust

I didn't use this recipe, but it was given to me a few years back by Desiree from her mom!

I am sure that this is a great recipe!

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Perfect Pie Crust

5 cups of flour

1 egg

2 tsp salt

2 TBSP vinegar

2 cups shortening

Water

Blend together well the shortening, flour and salt to a nice crumble texture.

Put the egg in a one cup measuring cup and beat it with a fork. Add the vinegar, then add enough cold water to make 1 full cup.

Add the liquid to the flour mixture to make a soft dough.

The recipe says this makes 5 pie crusts, but she has gotten at least 6 out of it.

You can roll it out and put it in your pie tins and freeze until you need it!

Super Simple Banana Cream Pie

Well the filling is super simple, but I have yet to say making a crust is super simple! But you can always buy one at the store or keep practicing as I am doing! I found this in my recipe box, one my mom gave me, but not sure where it originated before that! It turned out super yummy and a good way to use bananas if you ask me!

Banana Cream Pie

1 8oz pkg. cream cheese

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

2 cups milk

2-3 bananas, sliced

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Bake a pie crust. (I used the recipe in the Betty Crocker cook book)

Cream together the 1/2 cup milk and cream cheese (better to leave the cream cheese out of the fridge for a while too).

In separate container, mix together the pudding and 2 cups of milk.

Fold the cream cheese mixture into the pudding/milk mixture. Add vanilla.

Place bananas on bottom of pie shell--enough banans slices to completely layer bottom.

Add pie filling on top of bananas and refrigerate until set up!