DOUBLE STRAWBERRY MALT SHOP PIE

 

DOUBLE STRAWBERRY MALT SHOP PIE

 

 

I have some pretty fond childhood memories from growing up in the Midwest.  Of many of them, I've got to take you back to the kitchen of a ranch-style house on the North end of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Amongst them, is a pretty simple one to most, but one that still makes me smile.  One man.  Hudsonville ice cream and Hershey's chocolate syrup.  And a 1972 blender.  The challenge:  The Perfect Chocolate Milkshake.  The Contender:  My Father.

 

My dad is a pretty amazing guy, for many different reasons.  However, he wasn't - at his own admission - really very "kitchen friendly".  Don't get me wrong.  He could throw down a decent grilled cheese sandwich, a "Transfusion", and several other things, but he was much better with drywall mud than he was with pie pastry.  My dad inspired me to be good with my hands in my own way.  Where he could knock down, tear out, and rebuild the entire interior of your house with more ease and comfort than he could put together a soufflé or complicated and fussy recipe in the kitchen, I was the opposite.  You put a T-square in my hand and a toolbelt on my waist and I'm....well, I'm more than a little hopeless.  Put either of we Dykstra boys in our natural environment - jobsite or kitchen - we'll throw down with the best of 'em.  Why?  Because we're good at what we do, and we know how to get things done!

 

I may never be able to mitre corners well.  But I CAN tell you where you can get one of THE BEST milkshakes in town.  

 

When I stumbled on this recipe, courtesy of Christine Montalvo in America's Best Pies, the fantastic new cookbook of The American Pie Council, I fully understood that there was NO way I could encapsulate one of Dad's Chocolate Milkshakes into a pie.  No matter how much I doctored the recipe.  I was also reminded of his enjoyment of malt flavored things - particularly Whoppers candy.  Where I'm not exactly a big fan personally, I know a lot of people who are.  So, I gave this one a shot, and was MORE than happy I did.  This was definitely worth a try - even if it isn't exactly one of Dad's milkshakes. 

 

 

DOUBLE STRAWBERRY MALT SHOP PIE:

CRUST:

·         6 Tbs. Unsalted Butter, Softened

·         ¼ Cup Sugar

·         1 Cup Flour

·         2 Packages Shortbread Cookies, Finely Crushed

·         2 – 3 Tbs. Ice Water

 

FILLING:

·         5 Cups Sliced Fresh Strawberries, Divided

·         4 Oz. Bar of White Chocolate

·         1 ¾ tsp. Unflavored Gelatin

·         1 Tbs. Hot Water

·         8 Oz. Bar of Cream Cheese

·         1 tsp. Vanilla

·         1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar

·         ½ Cup Malted Milk Powder

·         2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream, Whipped

 

TOPPING:

·         2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

·         3 Tbs. Powdered Sugar

·         4 – 5 sliced strawberries

·         1 6 Oz. Bar of White Chocolate

DIRECTIONS:

FOR CRUST:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add flour and shortbread cookie crumbs, blending until completely incorporated.  Add enough of the water so the dough comes together.  Mix for 2-3 minutes until ball forms. 

In a baking sprayed pie plate, press the dough mixture to the sides and bottom of the pie plate.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

FOR FILLING:
Rinse thoroughly and cut all strawberries suggested.  Put 2 ½ Cups of strawberries into food processor and puree’.  Set aside mixture.  Put all of the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave – BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN!!  White Chocolate will melt faster than milk or dark chocolate.  Allow to cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and vanilla until smooth.  Add white chocolate.  In a small bowl, combine gelatin and hot water, stirring together, and let sit for 3 minutes.  Microwave for 15 seconds.  Beat gelatin mixture into cream cheese mixture until completely mixed in.

Beat in the powdered sugar and malted milk mixture until smooth.  Stir in the 2 ½ Cups of strawberry puree and remaining 2 ½ cups of sliced strawberries.

In a separate bowl, begin whipping your heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Carefully fold into strawberry mixture.  Pour into completely cooled pie crust.

FOR TOPPING:

Whip 2 cups of heavy whipping cream with 3 Tablespoons of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.  With a pastry bag, pipe edges of pie with whipped cream, separating segments with a slice of fresh strawberry.  Take additional slices of strawberry and lay out in a star-shaped design in center of pie.  Pipe additional whipped cream in center of star.

Take a vegetable peeler with the white chocolate bar and peel shavings onto pie top to desired amount.

 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 

 



 



BACON CHEESEBURGER POT PIE

 

BACON CHEESEBURGER POT PIE

 

I started looking for new and interesting savory pies this week, and found an old favorite in Betty Crocker's Big Book of Pies & Tarts that is certainly one I think we'll be repeating for dinners around here.  It was a fantastic twist on a secret favorite of mine:  Bacon Cheeseburgers.  For those of you who are on specialty diets, you can very easily - and tastefully - swap out the ground beef and bacon for ground turkey & turkey bacon. 

 

 

BACON CHEESEBURGER POT PIE:

·         Pie Crusts for 2-Crust Pie

·         1 Rasher of Bacon

·         1 ½ Ground Beef

·         1 Small Onion, Chopped

·         ½ Cup Catsup

·         2 Tbs. Sweet Pickle Relish

·         1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

·         1 Cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

·         1 Egg, Beaten

·         1 Tbs. Milk

·         Sesame Seeds

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large skillet, cook your bacon over high heat until completely crisp, removing cooked strips to a paper towel covered plate to cool and drain.  Once all bacon has been cooked, drain all grease from skillet. 

 

Return skillet to stove, adding chopped onion and ground beef and cook together over a medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until beef is completely cooked.  Drain excess grease from skillet and return to stove top.

 

Reduce heat to medium.  Crumble bacon strips to smaller pieces, adding to the hamburger and onion mixture.  Stir in pepper, catsup, & pickle relish.  Cook for 2 -3 minutes until heated through.  Remove from heat and allow to sit for 1 minute.  Add bag of shredded cheese, stirring In to ensure all is combined.

 

Spray your pie plate with baking spray and carefully lay in bottom layer of pie crust pastry.  Do not trim edges.  Fill bottom crust with filling mixture.  Place top crust over filling, pressing down lightly on edges.  To seal crust edges, simply roll the edges together towards the center of the pie, creating a rolled edge finish.    Cut slits in center and around the pie to create vents.

 

Beat 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of milk together.  Brush over top crust of the pie with a pastry brush.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  Cover with foil for last 10 minutes, if necessary, to avoid burning the crust.

 



 



AMY MARCH KEY LIME PIE

 

AMY MARCH KEY LIME PIE

 

 

 

Alright.  I'll admit it.  Right here.  In black and white.  I'm a big fan of the book Little Women, by mid-nineteenth century author Louisa May Alcott.  I've inhaled and own an original copy of the book, I've seen several of the movie versions made, own the soundtracks from the 1997 film version and the Broadway musical.  I've named a fundraising pie venture "Orchard House Pie Company, after the Concord, Massachusetts home the March (Alcott) family shared.  Despite having never visited the home, I've always felt a strong connection to the story, its characters, and message the book offers regarding the importance of family and the process in finding yourself in life.

Admittedly, one of my favorite characters in Little Women is the youngest of the four March sisters, Amy.  In a particular passage of the book, Amy March is given some small amount of pocket money in which she spends on 24 limes to treat her friends at school.  The circumstance, pardon the expression, turns sour for her, and she ends up without any of them as she is found out by her teacher and the limes are put out into the snow.  I'll not spoil the book for those who haven't read it, and I'll simply encourage you to pick it up and enjoy it at your leisure.  Instead, let is suffice to say that my hope is that you'll enjoy this pie as much as Amy March enjoyed her limes!

“AMY MARCH” KEY LIME PIE:

CRUST:

·         5 Tbs. Butter, Melted

·         1 ½ Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

·         ½ Cup Chopped Pecans

FILLING:

·         1 14 Oz. Can Condensed Mil

·         1 Cup of Lime Juice

·         1 Tbs. Grated Lime Zest

·         2 Egg Yolks

·         1 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

 

TOPPING:

·         1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

·         2 Tbs. Powdered Sugar

 

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and chopped pecans.  Continue to mix until all is thoroughly coated.  Spray mixture into a baking sprayed pie plate and press to bottom and edges evenly.  Bake in oven for 7 – 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool thoroughly.

In a mixing bowl, combine milk, lime juice, and 1 Tbs. of lime zest.  Blend in beaten egg yolks.  Mix completely and set aside. 

In a separate bowl, take your heavy cream and whip to heavy peaks.  Begin blending your lime filling into the whipping cream a little at a time until all is combined.  Pour the filling into your crust and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

While pie sets, begin whipping your heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  With your whipped cream, either serve separately with your pie, spread over the top, or decorate with a pastry bag & tip.

Garnish with additional lime zest, thinly sliced pieces, or twists around the edge.



ZEIEN BANANA CREAM PIE

 

ZEIEN BANANA CREAM PIE

 

 

Special occasions call for truly special desserts!  What I love about baking pies is that the final result can, and inevitably gets shared with friends and loved ones.  This past weekend, I had the opportunity to share not only a fantastic pie, but for a fantastic occasion with two friends at their wedding.  As a special honor, I had the opportunity to share not one, but TWO of the Groom's favorite pies as a replacement of a "Groom's Cake."  I'm pleased report that I left the reception with both pie plates empty, which should say a little something about how good these pies were.



ZEIEN WEDDING BANANA CREAM PIE:

CRUST:

·         5 Tbs. Butter, Melted
·         1 ½ Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
·         ½ Cup Chopped Pecans
 

FILLING:

·         1 Cup Sugar
·         ¼ Cup Cornstarch
·         ½ tsp. Salt
·         3 Cups 2% Milk
·         2 Eggs, Slightly Beaten
·         3 Tbs. Butter
·         1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
·         6 large Bananas
·         2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and chopped pecans.  Continue to mix until all is thoroughly coated.  Spray mixture into a baking sprayed pie plate and press to bottom and edges evenly.  Bake in oven for 7 – 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool thoroughly.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk until smooth.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and slightly bubbly.  Reduce heat  and cook for and additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir a small amount of the hot filling into your beaten eggs, stirring quickly to prevent eggs from cooking completely.  Pour egg mixture back into sauce pan and mix.  Bring to a gentle boil, and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Remove pan from heat.  Carefully stir in butter and vanilla.  While the mixture is still hot, cover with plastic wrap over custard and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While custard is cooling, slice 6 larges bananas and set aside.  With a mixer, begin whipping your heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Set half of the mixture aside for covering the pie, the other half will be used for piping or decoration. 

**NOTE:  If you are content with simply a single top covering of cream, only use 1 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream.

Alternating layers, fill your pie crust with custard, followed by a layer with bananas.  Repeat the process until custard mixture has been completely used, reserving some banana slices for the topping.  Return to refrigerator for 45 minutes to completely cool. 

Once completely cooled, spread whipped cream over top in a smooth and even layer directly to pie crust edges.  With a pastry bag and piping tip, alternate in a circle around the pie of circles of whipped cream and banana slices.  Return to refrigerator for 6 hours to overnight.

THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS POT PIE

THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS PIE

Once the dust has settled from your family Thanksgiving Holiday Feast, the dishes have been washed and put away, the kitchen cleaned, and everyone running off to their own pursuits of time - Black Friday shopping, football games, incredible post-meal naps, etc. - there's always that one lingering thought that most all cooks face:  "What Do I Do With All These Leftovers?!?"

Well, my cooking friends?  We've all been there as we clean up the turkey carcass and start putting away the leftovers from the BIG MEAL.  Good and enterprising cooks will immediately start to think of the opportunities for Turkey Noodle Soup or Turkey Tetrazini options.  However, here's a new and different option for you to incorportate not just your turkey leftovers, but hopefully give a different option to your stuffing or dressing left overs as well!

THANKSGIVING TURKEY POT PIE RECIPE:

CRUST:

**USE 2 CUPS OF YOUR LEFTOVER THANKSGIVING STUFFING OR USE THIS OPTION AS WELL:

·         1 Tbs. Butter

·         1 ¼ Cups Chicken Stock or Broth

·         2 Cups Stuffing Mix

FILLING:

·         2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

·         2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

·         3 Cups Shreaded or Chopped Turkey, Pre-Cooked

·         1 Red Onion

·         3 Carrots, Peeled and Diced

·         1/2 Cup Peas

·         1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock

·         1 tsp. Oregano

·         1 tsp. Salt

·         1 tsp. Black Pepper

·         2 Tbs.  Butter

·         1/4 Cup Flour

·         Dash of Milk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.  Spray your pie plate with baking spray.

In a medium sauce pan, bring your chicken stock to a boil.  Add 2 cups of stuffing mix, stirring until mixture is completely covered.  Remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Add butter, and stir until completely melted.  Allow mixture to cool completely.

Spoon cooled stuffing mixture into your baking sprayed pie plate.  Press stuffing mixture firmly to edges and bottom as you would with a crumb-style crust.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a mixing bowl, salt and pepper your turkey pieces. 

In a separate pan on medium heat sautee you garlic and onions until onions are clear.  Transfer mixture into bowl with turkey.  Stir together and return to pan to cook for a few minutes on medium heat.  Stir in carrots and oregano.

 
Add  chicken stock and bring temperature up to medium high, to a slow boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir as needed.

In a separate saucepan, combine 2 Tbs. butter to about 1/4 cup of flour.  Heat the butter on a low heat and gradually whisk in flour, keeping on low heat until well mixed.  Add mixture to the turkey and stir until well combined and sauce begins to thicken.  Increase heat if needed.  Once thickened, add a good splash of milk and stir.

 
Add your peas and season with a pinch of extra salt, pepper, herbs etc. if desired.  If not thick enough you can add a bit more roux, if too thick add a bit more chicken stock.

Remove pie crust from refrigerator and fill with turkey filling. 

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until filling is bubbly on top and stuffing is browned on top edges.

 

WHITE CHOCOLATE, CRANBERRY, & PORT CHEESECAKE PIE

WHITE CHOCOLATE, CRANBERRY, & PORT CHEESECAKE PIE

Thanksgiving is one of those fantastic holidays to pause an reflect on the wonderful blessings we've received throughout the year.  Be they opportunities, lessons to learn, time to enjoy things we love, or people who enrich our lives, there's always something to be grateful for.  In my life, I'm blessed to have many people that share my love of many things - particularly FOOD!  So, as this holiday season begins, I wanted to say particular thanks to my wonderful friend Deanna Roberts of Indiana who shared this amazing recipe with me that is a sure-fire hit for your Thanksgiving and Holidays-to-Come table!



White Chocolate, Cranberry & Port Cheesecake Pie:

(From Deanna Roberts – Originally from Susan Cleveland of Ontario, Canada)

CRUST:
*  2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
*  1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
*  4 Tbs. Unsalted Butter, Melted

COMPOTE:
*  1/2 Medium Seedless Orange With Peel, Coarsely Chopped
*  2 Cups Fresh (or Frozen & Thawed) Cranberries
*  1 Cup Sugar
*  1/3 Cup Port Wine (or cranberry juice)
*  1 Tbs. Raisins (or Currants)
*  1 Tbs. Walnuts, Chopped

PIE:
*  1 8-Oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese, Softened
*  1/2 Cup White Chocolate Shavings
*  1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
*  1/4 Cup Sugar
*  2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Using a food processor, reduce your graham crackers to crumbs.  Pour crumbs into a large mixing bowl and combine with your brown sugar and melted butter.  Stir until all crumbs are moistened.  Press crumb mixture into pie plate and refrigerate until ready to fill.

Place orange with peel in food processor (or chop by hand).  Pulse until finely chopped.  Place orange mixture in medium saucepan.  Add cranberries, 1 cup sugar, port and raisins; cook over medium heat 15 to 18 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop and mixture starts to thicken.  Remove from heat; stir in walnuts. Pour into medium bowl; refrigerate until cool.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, white chocolate shavings, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until creamy and blended.  Gradually beat in cream until soft peaks form.  Fold in 1/2 cup of the cooled cranberry mixture. Pour into pie crust.  Spoon remaining cranberry mixture over top, if desired.

 Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.



ACORN SQUASH PIE WITH MARSHMALLOW MERINGUE

ACORN SQUASH PIE WITH MARSHMALLOW MERINGUE

There's really something almost indescribable about the taste of freshly baked acorn squash.  The rich, velvety texture of fully cooked squash as it peels away from the shell with your fork.  The delicious, almost sinful taste of the brown sugar and butter you fill the scraped out center with.  The smile of satisfaction once you've enjoyed it on its own or as an accompaniment to your favorite meal.  I can still remember the smell of my mother's kitchen when she would make these, usually accompanying pork chops for a Sunday dinner.  You never quite lose that sensory memory.  And once you have that first bite, you're hooked.

Acorn squash is one of those wonderful treats of fall that truly not only makes a meal, but allows you to enjoy it without as much hastle as some of its root vegetable and gourd family members require.  There are some that even claim that acorn squash is in many ways better for baking and cooking than pumpkins are.  Where this recipe is concerned, I would tend to agree.  So, put on a fresh pot of coffee and some music you enjoy, and give this one a shot!  It's a great treat, and a unique twist on an old familiar favorite!

ACORN SQUASH PIE WITH MARSHMALLOW MERINGUE:

CRUST:

·         1 ½ Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

·         1/3 Cup Sugar

·         6 Tbs. Butter, Melted

FILLING:

·         2 Eggs

·         ¾ Cup Brown Sugar

·         1 12 Oz. Can of Evaporated Milk

·         ½ tsp. Salt

·         ½ tsp. Ground Ginger

·         1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

·         ¼ tsp. Ground Cloves

MERINGUE:

·         6 Egg Whites, Room Temperature

·         3 ½ Cups of Marshmallow Crème

Instructions:

For Crust:

Preheat your oven to 350*.  Spray your pie plate with baking spray.

In a large bowl, mix your graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until all crumbs are thoroughly coated.  Pour into your pie plate and press firmly against the bottom and edges.  Bake crust for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

For Filling:

Cut your acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place acorn squash face down on a baking sheet.  Cook in oven for 60 minutes or until it is soft when poked with a fork.  Remove from oven and allow it to cool.

Once cooled completely, scoop out squash with a spoon until squash shell is completely clean.  Measure 2 cups of cooked squash into a mixing bowl.  Add eggs, brown sugar, evaporated milk, salt and spices.  Mix all ingredients  until fully combined.  Pour mixture into pie shell.

Bake in oven for 60 minutes.  Center may still be a bit jiggly, but will solidify as cools.  Allow to cool fully before topping meringue.

For Meringue:

Beat room temperature egg whites (you can do this and have it ready while pie is baking) with a mixer in a clean metal or glass bowl until soft peaks form.  Gradually add marshmallow creme and continue beating until stiff peaks form, 5-7 minutes more.

Spread meringue over pie all the way to edges so the meringue doesn’t shrink. (Beads of liquid often form on meringue.  To avoid “weeping” spread the meringue on the pie while the filling is hot, then brown it.) 

Using the back of a spoon, form peaks from the meringue.  Return pie to the oven and bake 7- 10 minutes or until topping is golden, rotating for even browning.  Watch the pie carefully at this point, as the meringue can burn easily.

Cool pie to room temperature and place in the fridge over night before serving.