Peanut Butter & Chocolate Fudge Cream Pie

Time for pie!  Every once in a while it’s nice to have a piece of pie, splurge, indulge, and enjoy!

                         

                         

Single Prebaked Pie Crust:
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter flavor shortening
3 Tbl ice water

Stir together flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in the shortening.  Add 1 Tbl of water at a time, mixing with fork until dough holds together.  Make into a disc (handle as little as possible), wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1/2 hour.  Preheat oven to 425°.  Roll out dough to about 12″ diameter circle, line 9″ deep dish pie plate, crimp edge, and prick bottom and sides with fork.  Gently line with sheet of foil, pour in pie weights (or beans) to keep crust from shrinking.  Bake at 425° for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, gently pull out foil with weights, reduce heat to 350°, put back in oven and bake 10 minutes more.  Cool completely.

Peanut Butter Cream Pie Filling:
1/2 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
4 cups milk (whole is best)
5 Tbl corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
2 tsp vanilla

Sprinkle chopped nuts over bottom of crust.  Combine milk, cornstarch, salt, and sugar in saucepan over medium heat.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Add a small amount of hot milk mixture to egg yolks to warm, and then add egg yolks to milk mixture.  Boil 1 minute stirring constantly until thick and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, and vanilla.  Beat several times while cooling.  Pour into crust over chopped peanuts while slightly warm.  Cool in refrigerator until set, approx. 4 hours.

Chocolate Fudge Layer:
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, or dark)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Place chocolate chips in glass bowl.  Heat cream in small saucepan, bring to boil.  Pour hot cream over chocolate, let sit a minute, then stir until chocolate melts and mixture is combined and smooth.  Set aside 2 Tbl of ganache for garnish.  Let remaining ganache cool slightly, then pour over the peanut butter cream filling and refrigerate until firm.

Whipped Cream Layer & Garnish:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbl powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
reserved 2 Tbl ganache, softened (in microwave, not too hot)
1/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts

Whip cream in medium bowl to stiff peaks.  Fold in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Spread or pipe whipped cream on top of cold pie, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and drizzle with ganache.

One Year Ago Today:  Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware & kitchen tools such as the Roul’Pat & Beechwood Rolling Pin please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

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Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie

I love making pie, each one seems to be it’s own work of art.  This is a rich chocolate pie with the lovely crunch of pecans.  When you look at the ingredients I think you will agree that a small sliver should be enough to appease any sweet tooth.  Calorie laden, but one taste, totally worth the indulgence!

Single Pie Pastry:
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening, cold
3 Tbl ice water

Combine flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut shortening into flour mixture.  Add water 1 Tbl at a time, stirring with a fork.  When dough comes together, shape into a disk and refrigerate while putting together filling.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Filling:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1¼ cups brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1½ cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350°.  In small bowl, melt butter and dark chocolate together in microwave.  In large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, dark corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, and salt.  Whisk chocolate mixture into syrup mixture.  Stir in chopped pecans, set aside.  Roll out pastry, line 9″ pie plate, and crimp edge.  Pour filling mixture into pastry, arrange pecan halves on top.  Bake for 60-65 minutes or until center is set and knife comes out clean.  Cover with foil partway through to prevent overbrowning.  Cool on wire rack, then refrigerate.  Refrigerate leftovers.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

 

Individual Toasted Coconut White Chocolate Cream Pies

I have had this recipe on my “To Make” list for awhile, so today was the day.  This is an adaptation of a recipe on thelunacafe.com.  A beautiful pie with toasted coconut crust and white chocolate melted in the cream filling.  Oh so good!

                         

Toasted Coconut Crust:
3 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (reserve some for garnish if desired)
1 Tbl sugar
1/4   tsp salt
6 Tbl butter, melted
Chop toasted coconut.  Mix together coconut, sugar, salt, and melted butter.  Press 1/3 cup coconut mixture into each round of Demarle round tray to make six crusts (or a 9” pie plate).  Bake at 350 for 6-7 minutes for individual pie crusts (or 15 minutes for large pie), watch closely so as not to get too brown.  Cool completely.

Coconut White Chocolate Custard:
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tbl cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups (13.5 oz) canned coconut milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1 tsp vanilla paste
6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
2 oz chopped white chocolate

In medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch.  Add milk, coconut milk, and vanilla bean or vanilla paste, whisk to mix well.  Turn on heat to medium-high and stir constantly until thickens and begins to boil.  Remove from heat.  Ladle small amounts of hot milk mixture into egg yolks to warm gradually.  Pour egg yolk mixture into milk mixture in saucepan, stir to combine.  Place saucepan back on medium-high and bring custard back to boil stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in salt, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and white chocolate, stir until chocolate melts.  Let custard cool to warm, stirring occasionally.  Fill each coconut crust with about 1/2 cup custard.  Cover with Silpat, put in refrigerator to cool completely.  To serve, put each pie on plate, dollop with whipped cream and garnish with toasted coconut and white chocolate shavings.

Whipped Cream Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbl powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whip cream with electric mixer to soft peaks, add powdered sugar and vanilla and whip to desired stiffness.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools like the Round Trays and Perforated Sheets please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

 

Ginger Snap Walnut Pumpkin Pie

Another favorite pumpkin pie.  Don’t get me wrong, I will happily eat a good old recipe pumpkin pie, but it is fun to add a twist.  This has a crumb crust made from ginger snaps, delicious smooth pumpkin center with a crunchy walnut topping.  I was very controlled, I only had two bites, I must save the rest for Turkey Day.

Ginger Snap Crumb Crust:
2 cups finely crushed ginger snap cookie crumbs
5-7 Tbl butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425°.  Mix cookie crumbs and butter and press in 9″ deep dish pie plate.  Bake for 8 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Filling:
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Combine pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, egg, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt, mix well. Pour into pie crust.  Bake 15 minutes.  While baking mix topping.

Walnut Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbl flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbl butter, softened
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon, cut in butter until crumbly.  Remove pie after the 15 minutes baking at 425°.  Reduce oven temperature to 350°.  Sprinkle walnut mixture evenly over pie.  Bake 40 minutes at 350° or until knife inserted comes out clean.  Cool.  Watch, you may have to cover with foil if getting too brown.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Pumpkin Eggnog Pie

In our family we love eggnog, and this is my favorite way to make pumpkin pie…with eggnog.  I believe it adds great flavor, I think you will love this pie!

1 (9”) unbaked pie shell
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1½ cups eggnog
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 425°.  Beat together pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until smooth.  Slowly whisk in eggnog.  Pour into crust.  Bake 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350°, and bake 45-50 minutes longer or until knife in center comes out clean.  Cool.

For deep dish pie:  use 3 eggs and 2 cups eggnog.  Bake about 10-15 minutes longer or until knife in center comes out clean.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Triple Chocolate Hazelnut Pie

I wanted a rich, creamy chocolate pie with all the elements that I love wrapped together in one beautiful slice.  Asking a lot I know, but this is my creation.  I love a chocolate cookie crust and also wanted a little crunch so I added nuts.  I love smooth, thick, rich feel and taste of ganache so the truffle layer goes next.  Then, I wanted the creamy, smooth, fluffy mousse and finish off with cool, sweet cream.  This is, in my mind and mouth, the perfect chocolate pie.  Oh, no it’s not.  Perfect chocolate pie would have zero calories!

Chocolate Cookie Crust:
2 cups fine cookie crumbs, Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
8 Tbl butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375.  Stir together chocolate crumbs and butter.  Press into bottom  and 1” up sides of sprayed 9” springform pan (would work well in a large deep dish pie plate).  Bake for 8 minutes.  Cool.

Truffle Layer:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
Put chocolate pieces in heatproof bowl.  In small microwave safe measuring cup, heat heavy cream hot, almost boiling.  Pour hot cream over chocolate pieces, let sit for 1 minute.  Gently stir to melt chocolate.  Pour over crust, sprinkle chopped nuts over and refrigerate.

Chocolate Mousse:
3/4 cup Nutella
1 ( 4.4 oz) Lindt Hazelnut Milk Chocolate bar, broken into small pieces
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups whipping cream
Warm Nutella and pieces of milk chocolate slowly in microwave, just until melted.  Stir in sweetened condensed milk.  Chill in fridge for 10 minutes.  Whip cream to stiff peaks.  Gently fold cooled chocolate mixture into whipped cream.  Spoon in and spread over nuts.  Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight to set up as much as possible.

Whipped Cream:
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
With electric mixer, whip cream to stiff peaks and add powdered sugar and vanilla.  Spread on pie or add a big dollop when serving each slice.  Sprinkled with chocolate curls and chopped toasted hazelnuts.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

My Favorite Apple Pie

Sometimes I get into a funk and make something over and over again trying to perfect it.  When I say perfect it, that is, make it exactly to my liking…and my family’s.  After all, baking is a work of art and each masterpiece’s beauty or taste is in the mouth of the beholder, or something like that.  So, for quite some time a few years ago, I was on a quest for the “perfect” apple pie.  I made so many apple pies, I wasn’t sure if my family would ever again want to eat pie.  Pie would sit in the refrigerator and I would have to throw it out (they tell me it was them being tired of it, and not that it was awful???).  This recipe is a compilation of many recipes, then pinched, pulled, twisted, and tweaked and then tweaked again.  And, well, I love it, and my family eats it, and enjoys it!

Pastry for double crust pie
Apple Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
dash salt
6 baking apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced, cut into pieces
8 oz unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbl butter, cut into small pieces

Pie Topping:
2 Tbl flour
2 Tbl sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash salt
1 Tbl butter, softened

Preheat oven to 425°.  Line 9″ deep dish pie plate with bottom crust.  In small bowl mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.  In large bowl, combine prepared apples, applesauce, and lemon juice.  Gently stir in dry ingredients until well mixed.  Spoon apple filling into crust lined pie plate.  Dot with pieces of butter.  Cover pie with top crust and crimp edges.  Mix topping ingredients, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and softened butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over top crust and make a few vents with knife to allow steam to vent.

Bake for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 350° and bake for about 45-55 minutes more.  Cover with foil if starts to get too brown.

Hint:  The best way I have found to get a nice clean slice, is to make pie early enough so it can cool and set up (refrigerate if necessary).  Then, if you want to eat warm pie, cut a nice clean piece, heat in microwave just to warm and serve.  If you serve a fruit pie right from the oven, delicious but most of the time doesn’t hold its shape.

I had to add this picture, this is how my husband dishes up his pie.  Happy man.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Caramel Apple Pie Bites

It’s fun to have people over for dessert.  I wanted to have different small bite-sized goodies with a bowl of French vanilla ice cream.  We had Mini Oreo Brownies, mini raspberry cream cheese pastries, and Caramel Apple Pie Bites.  When making the Caramel Apple Pie Bites I used a couple shortcuts, saved some time.

Double Crust Pie Pastry
1 can apple pie filling
1 jar caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 375°.  Roll out pastry dough, cut out circles about 3″ diameter.  Process apple pie filling in food processor until small chunks.  Mix in cinnamon and nutmeg if desired.  Drop 1 tsp filling onto half of each circle of dough.  Drizzle 1/4 tsp of caramel topping on top of apple filling, keeping away from edge.

Drizzle Caramel over Apple Filling

Gently fold pastry over filling and press edges together with a fork.  Place on Silpat lined tray.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Ready for the Oven

Bake for 15 minutes or until barely golden brown.

 The leftover caramel sauce and apple pie filling are great warmed in the microwave and poured over ice cream!

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Roul’Pat & Beechwood Rolling Pin or Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Fresh Peach Blueberry Pie

My niece Ashley is so fun, she is 11 yrs. old and loves to watch Food Network and cook.  She stayed with us recently and brought a cookbook she had checked out from the library with bookmarks of things she wanted to make.  It was her idea to make a peach blueberry pie.  These two flavors compliment each other so well.  Thanks Ashley for a great idea!

1 recipe for a 9 inch double crust pie pastry
1 tsp. flour

Filling:
5 to 5 1/2 cups sliced, peeled fresh peaches
1½ cups fresh blueberries
1 Tbl lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 Tbl quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbl butter
sugar for top of pie
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired

Prepare pie crust, line deep dish pie plate with half pastry, sprinkle with the 1 tsp flour , set aside.  Heat oven to 425°.

In large bowl, combine peaches, blueberries and lemon juice.  Add sugar, tapioca, and salt; toss gently.  Spoon fruit mixture into pie crust lined pan.  Dot with butter.  Cover with top crust, cut slits in several places. Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake at 425° for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown.  Cover edge of pie crust during last 10 to 15 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.

♦Frozen peaches and blueberries, thawed and drained, can be substituted for fresh.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

More strawberries!  Ok, maybe we are getting a little tired of strawberries, but have a piece of pie!  Many fresh strawberry pie recipes call for drops of red food coloring…this is au naturel.  No coloring needed, beautiful right from nature, and tastes good too.

1 deep-dish pie crust, baked
6-7 cups cut up fresh strawberries (halves, quarters, I do equal size small chunks)
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3½ Tbl cornstarch

Puree 2 cups of the strawberries.  In saucepan, mix together strawberry puree, water, sugar and cornstarch.  Bring to boil, cook until thickened.  Cool until slightly warm, fold in remaining 4-5 cups of strawberries.  Pour into baked pie crust and refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream.