Aunt Mae's Boiling Water Pie Crust

I know the title is a mouthful, but this is a great crust recipe. It is no-fail. It supposedly makes a two crust pie, but it would be a very small two crust pie, so I normally 1 1/2 the recipe. But this is perfect for a single crust pie--like quiche.

1/2 c. shortening, butter, lard, or combination
1/2 c. boiling water
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour

Whip the shortening in the water until it has melted. (With shortening it creates a nice whipped look).) Add salt and flour. For the most tender, flaky crust, refrigerate for at least an hour (my mom rolls it out in the pan before chilling the crust). Roll out crust to desired size and place in pan. (I like rolling it out on my silpat.)

Key Lime Pie

Another favorite! This is the best summertime dessert!

1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use fat free)
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. key lime juice
Graham cracker crust

Combine milk, cream cheese and key lime juice in large bowl. Mix until smooth. Pour into crust (I love the little individual crusts) and freeze.

Makes 1 pie or 12 individual pies.

Black Bottom Chocolate Pie

Seems more complicated than it is. If I could get away with not sharing it, I would.



Chocolate Crumb Crust

* Nonstick vegetable oil spray
* 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
* 1 ounce bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use chocolate chips)
* 30 chocolate wafer cookies

Spray 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Stir butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add chocolate mixture. Process until crumbs are moistened. Press crumb mixture into prepared pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.


Filling

* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* Pinch of salt
* 6 large egg yolks
* 2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
* 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
* 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use chocolate chips)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Chocolate Crumb Crust


For Filling:
Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Whisk in egg yolks to form thick paste. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in rum and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Transfer filling to frozen crust. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Top with whipped cream and enjoy.

Jean Ballou's Pumpkin Pie Recipe

My mother in law makes a killer pumpkin pie with a praline layer at the bottom. The girls at park day were salivating and I've been getting death threats if I don't share it. She doesn't say this below, but you have to be careful that the nuts aren't too big or they will float to the top.

Praline Pumpkin Pie

Pastry
1 & 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C shorting
4-5 T cold water (Frieda says milk)

Praline Layer
1/3 C ground or finely chopped pecans – packed
1/3 C brown sugar
2T soft butter

Filling
2 eggs
1 C pumpkin (canned or fresh cooked)
(to cook a fresh pumpkin – slice in 1/2, scoop out strings and seeds, place unside down on a cookie sheet, cook at 350 for about 60-75 minutes. Once cooled, put in food processor, freeze in 1 to 1 and 1/2 Cups)
2/3 C brown sugar
1T flour
1/4 tsp Clove
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1C Cream (light)

Make pastry: sift flour and salt, cut in shorting until size of peas. Add 1T water/milk at a time, form a ball, flatten on lightly floured surface, roll out and put in pie pan.

1. 9” unbaked pie shell
2. Pre heat over 400 degrees
3. Make praline layer, blend all ingredients in a small bowl. Press gently into bottom of shell
4. Make filling: In medium bowl, with rotary beater, beat eggs til foamy. Add remaining ingredients in order. Beat only until well mixed.
5. Pour into pie shell, bake 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted in filling comes out clean.
6. Cool on wire rack. May be served with whipped cream

Banner Banana Cream Pie

Sweet Cookie Tart Crust (this crust will really shrink and needs to have pastry weights to hold it in place while it bakes):
8 T. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ c. sugar
1 ½ c. flour
1/8 t. salt
1 large egg yolk
2 T. heavy cream
White chocolate

Pastry Cream:
2 large eggs
3 T. cornstarch
2 c. half-and-half
½ c. sugar
2-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
pinch of salt
1 T.. unsalted butter

2 T. fresh orange juice
1 T. fresh lemon juice
6 ripe but firm medium bananas
2 c. heavy cream
2 T. sugar
2 t. vanilla
White chocolate, garnished into curls.
1 ½ c. pastry cream

For Sweet Cookie Tart Crust you can make this in a food processor):
Stir together sugar, flour, and salt. With a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter. Mix the yolk and the cream together. Mix into the flour mixture until the dough comes together and can be formed into a ball. Flatten it into a 6-inch disc. Wrap the dough well and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or freeze for 10) until firm enough to pat into the pan or roll. Roll out dough and place into pie pan. Cover with parchment and fill with baking weights (unbaked beans work well). Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. When the dough starts to puff in places, prick it lightly with a fork, then lower the heat to 375 and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until set. Lift out the weights with the parchment, prick lightly, and continue baking 10-15 minutes more. When crust has cooled, coat with a layer of melted white chocolate.

For Pastry Cream:
1) Have a strainer set over a small bowl near the range.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and cornstarch. Gradually add ¼ cup of the half-and-half, whisking until the mixture is smooth and the cornstarch is dissolved.
3) In a medium heavy non-reactive saucepan, place the sugar and vanilla bean and, using your fingers, rub the seeds into the sugar. Stir in the remaining 1 ¾ c. of the half-and-half and the salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Whisk 2 T of this hot mixture into the egg mixture. Pass the egg mixture through a strainer into a small bowl.
Bring the half-and-half mixture back to a boil over medium heat. Remove the vanilla pod. Quickly add all of the egg mixture, whisking rapidly. Continue whisking rapidly for about 20-30 seconds, being sure to go into the bottom edge of the pan. The mixture will become very tick. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the butter. (If not using the vanilla bean, whisk in 1 t vanilla at this point). Immediately pour the mixture into a bowl and place a piece of greased plastic wrap directly on top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until cold.

For the Pie:
1) In a medium bowl, place the orange and lemon juices. Peel and slice the bananas ½ inch thick. You will have almost 4 cups. Add them to the juices and toss lightly to coat them.
2) In a chilled bowl, combine the heavy cream, optional cobasan, and sugar and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Add the vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
Remove ¼ of the whipped cream and fold it into the cold pastry cream mixture. Add the bananas and scrape the mixture into the prepared pie shell.
3) Mound the remaining whipped cream on the surface of the pie. Gently place the chocolate curls on the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

from Pie and Pastry Bible