Key Lime Pie

Are you looking for a dessert that is great any time of the year?Especially perfect for summer! Key Lime Pie is a classic dessert! This pie brings together sweet and tangy flavors in the creamy, citrusy filling. It's paired with rich graham cracker crust, creating a refreshing dessert.

Key lime pie is perfectly tart, creamy, and smooth and a dessert favorite! The texture is so lovely and rich. When serving pair the pie with a nice big dollop of whipped cream to complete the dessert!

A key lime pie starts with the graham cracker crust. You can always buy a premade crust, but crusts made from scratch are so much better! So I've included crust directions in the recipe. While the crust is baking, you can make the pie filling. Fill the baked pie crust, bake a little more, and then let the pie cool. Refrigerate overnight and then your pie is ready to enjoy!!

A key lime pie is called that for a reason. It calls for key limes, but sometimes they can be harder to find. But key lime juice can be found in the juice isle at the grocery store and always works great for that key lime refreshing flavor!

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients for Key Lime Pie

PRINTABLE RECIPE

For the crust: 
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tbsp butter, melted
5 Tbsp sugar

For the filling: 
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp Clabber Girl Cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups water
4 large egg yolks,
4 Tbsp key lime juice
2 tsp butter
1 tsp grated lime zest
whipped cream, additional lime zest, and thinly sliced key limes, optional for garnish

Directions for Key Lime Pie

Crust: 

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Mix until blended well. 

2. Press crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, then cool on a wire rack.

Pie Filling: 

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, Clabber Girl Cornstarch, and salt together. Gradually stir in the water.
2. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens.
3. Remove from heat and add egg yolks and stir in immediately.
4. Return to heat and stir constantly while bringing mixture to a gentle boil and cook for 2 minutes longer.
5. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, butter, and lime zest.
6. Pour into cooled crust. 

7. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees 

8. Remove from oven and let cool 

9. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours for a cool dessert or freeze overnight for a semi-frozen dessert

10. Top with whipped cream, lime zest, and lime slices when serving. Refrigerate leftovers 

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie, the traditional pie for the Thanksgiving season. All the spice flavors blended together with the sweet pumpkin flavor is just so delicious! Topped off with a dollop of cool whip makes the perfect dessert for the great feast!

Pumpkin pie is right up there as one of my favorite pies along with Apple Cream Pie. I love them any time of year, but especially in the fall season when you can use fresh produce!

Since we grow pumpkins, I always like to make pumpkin puree from some of the pie pumpkins at the end of the season! I love pumpkin flavor stuff, especially baked deliciousness!! AND why let good pumpkin go to waste!!

So even though pumpkin in most popular in the fall season of the year, pumpkin can really be made anytime if the year...another reason why I like to freeze pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned-15 oz. can)
1 can (12 oz. ) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie crust (or 2 regular crusts) - premade or homemade

whipped cream topping (optional)

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl add the sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, ground cloves and mix together until well blended. In a large mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, beaten eggs, and evaporated milk and mix together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients mix together with a hand blender until well blended. Place the pie crust dish on a cookie sheet to prevent any spill over while baking. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared/premade pie crust.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Knife check the center of the pie at the end. Cool. Serve with whipped topping.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Enjoy!!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie is a classic pie! If you love the lemon flavor it is definitely a pie for you! The lemon filling is so refreshing and delicious and I love it with the the fluffy, sweet meringue.

I learned how to make the lemon meringue pie from my mom. A recipe that was her great grandma's. She shared with me that she always remembers her great grandma having a lemon meringue pie baked every time they visited. It is one of her memories of her great grandma.

Fresh lemon zest using a zester

For the recipe...

Lemon Meringue Pie 

Crust:
1 baked pie crust. Either a homemade pie crust or a premade crust. (Tip: use a fork and the bottom and sides of the crust in the dish to prevent the crust from bubbling while baking). Lightly beat 1 egg white and brush the crust during the last five minutes of baking to seal it for the lemon filling. Be sure to do this step to prevent crust from getting soggy from the filling.

Filling:
1 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup Clabber Girl Corn Starch
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
4 large egg yolks
1 pinch of kosher salt

1 1/4 cups boiling water (that will be added in).

Meringue:
4 large egg white at room temperature
1 Tbsp Clabber Girl Corn Starch 
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Directions for the filling:
In a medium sauce pan, combine the corn starch, sugar and salt together and whisk to get rid of all the chunks. Then add the remaining filling ingredients except the boiling water and mix until it is combined thoroughly.

Add the boiling water and whisk the mixture together. Bring it to a boil and continue stirring. Reduce heat and cook and continue to stir for about a minute more. The filling mixture will turn a glossy yellow. 

Immediately pour the filling mixture into the prepared pie crust. Allow the filling to cool completely then put in the refrigerator so it is nice and cool for the meringue. 

Directions for the meringue: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix the corn starch and water together in a pan on medium heat. Stir constantly until it thickens into a gel. This happens fast, about 2 minutes. Set the gel aside. In a mixing bowl, gently beat the egg whites and the cream of tarter to dissolve. Using a hand mixer, begin beating until foamy, then slowly sprinkle in the sugar while beating. Continue to beat until stiff glossy peaks form. Then add the gel that was set aside and continue to beat a little longer. 

Stiff glossy peaks forming

Immediately spread the meringue on the cooled pie and spread out using a spatula. Smooth it out or add peaks with the meringue. Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown for your liking. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. 

and Enjoy!!

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Tips for the meringue: 

Making the meringue for the pie can be a bit tricky! Here are some tips to help make a great meringue. 

Use fresh eggs for the meringue. Make sure they are at room temperature. Fresh eggs will give you more of a fluffy volume of meringue than older eggs. Room temperature eggs will beat faster than colder eggs right out of the refrigerator. 

Heat plays a major part in making meringue. The humidity in the air will cause your meringue to loose volume and flatten faster. 

Stainless steel or glass bowls work best for making meringues. Plastic bowls can carry traces of oils or grease that will effect the stiffness of your meringue. 

Use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites rather than beating them by hand. It can take a while and for the meringue to form constant whipping is needed. 

By cooling the lemon filling of the pie before adding the meringue will help the meringue to stay stiff and set during baking and afterwards. 

When serving the lemon meringue pie, use a knife dipped in cold water to help prevent your meringue from breaking down at serving. 

Lemon meringue pie only lasts generally a day, maybe 2 and then the meringue will start breaking down and weep. It is great to make as a pie that will be enjoyed in the day of baking. 

Enjoy this classic lemon meringue pie recipe. The wonderfully delicious tart flavor with the creamy meringue is a family favorite. 

 This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl Corn Starch but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

One of my favorite summer desserts is homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie! I am a big fan of fruit pies, so this is one I make every summer when we can harvest the ingredients right from my own garden. The combination tartness from the rhubarb and sweetness from the strawberries is just SO delicious. Paired with the crust from the pie making it truly a summer dessert must have!!

Our strawberries in the garden and producing so good! We have a decent size patch and the end of May/most of June we enjoy strawberries fresh from our own patch. This is the second year for our rhubarb plants and they are producing good stalks as well for us to harvest! What better way to use both the strawberries and rhubarb than in a pie!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients: 
Crust:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. Clabber Girl Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. butter, cold and cut into chunks
4 oz. cold water

Filling:
2 Tbsp. Clabber Girl Corn Starch
2 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Pie crust:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the chunks of cold butter and mix the butter into the flour using a pastry blender. Continue to do this until the mixture looks like bread crumbs or small pieces of butter. Add the cold water and stir it into the mixture so that it all sticks together. Clump the dough all together to form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You want the dough chilled and cold, but not hard.

Roll out the dough to a 13 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Save some dough for your top lattice strips.  Lay the circle of crust dough in your greased pie dish. Roll out the remaining dough and cut into 1 inch wide strips for the lattice top and leave aside until fruit in the pie crust.

Pie Filling:
Whisk Clabber Girl Corn Starch together with 1/4 cup water until well blended. Combine with the rhubarb and sugar in a medium pot and heat until thickened. Then add to strawberries. Add the vanilla and stir all together. Then let sit for about 30 minutes for your filling to thicken. Pour the fruit mixture into the pie crust. Add the butter chunks on top.

Arrange the crust strips in a lattice pattern over the fruit mixture and press the strip ends into the crust. Brush the egg whites onto the top of the crust strips and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 35 minutes or golden in color. Let cool for filling to settle and thicken.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

 This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl Corn Starch but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Last year I added rhubarb to my garden. My aunt was thinning out her plants and gave me starts for my garden. My mom has always had rhubarb growing in her garden and she often gave me some to enjoy. Our customers at the farmers market also ask for rhubarb often. So I was excited to add 10 starts to my garden for ourselves to enjoy and also offer to our customers/CSA members.

I haven't made much with rhubarb before. I have enjoyed strawberry rhubarb preserves and strawberry rhubarb turnovers. 

But I wanted to try out a new recipe, so I searched through my mom's recipe box and found this one. 

Rhubarb Custard Pie. Sounds yummy! 

Ingredients: 

1 box pie crust mix

3 eggs

3 tbsp milk

4 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups rhubarb - cut 1/2 -1 inch length 

2 tbsp butter (melted)

additional milk and sugar

Directions: 

-Make up your crust according to box instructions...or you can make your own crust. I made up the whole box, divided in half and used, half the dough for the pie crust and the other half for the lattice top. 

-Combine eggs, milk, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until well blended.

-Stir in fresh rhubarb

- Place the lattice top crust on the pie

-Combine melted butter, some additional milk and sugar and brush mixture on lattice top crust of the pie

-Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. 

I couldn't wait for the pie to cool and so I could taste it. I loved it!!! It's mildly tangy, not too sweet, not too tart. The custard part is soft and the crust it the perfect amount of crust for the pie. It has an old fashioned feel and a great deliciously different recipe to do with the rhubarb in your garden. I know I will be making it again! Enjoy!!

Apple Cream Pie....my most favorite pie

I love pie, especially fruit pies! Today I am sharing my MOST favorite pie of all pies. Flavors of apple and cinnamon with a creamy texture all in one with this Apple Cream Pie. Definitely one of my favorite flavors of Fall.

When I tell people I'm making an apple cream pie, most say they have never heard of it.

This is my Grandma's recipe. It is a recipe that has been passed down and made for several generations and I have always enjoyed it. I remember the day I asked her to teach me the recipe and she was so happy to show me. We got the ingredients and I learned how to make my most favorite pie of all! I even asked her for permission to share the recipe on my blog. It is super easy and DELICIOUS!! Plus I am so happy that I have learned one of my Grandma's recipes (along with a few others).

I especially like this pie during the holidays and in the fall when apples are in season. You can use any variety of apple, although there are specific apples that are better for baking. My favorite apple to use is Cortland or Gala. I prefer more of a tart apple.

So here is the recipe:

Apple Cream Pie
makes 2 pies

Ingredients:
3 lbs of apples
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
Deep Dish pie crust - package of 2
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
Cinnamon

Homemade pie crust rather than premade crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all- purpose flour
1/4 tsp. Clabber Girl Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. butter, cold and cut into chunks
4 oz. cold water

Directions for homemade pie crust:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the chunks of cold butter and mix the butter into the flour using a pastry blender. Continue to do this until the mixture looks like bread crumbs or small pieces of butter. Add the cold water and stir into the mixture so that it all sticks together. Clump the dough all together to form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You want the dough chilled and cool, but not hard. This will make it easier to work. Roll out the dough to a circle on a lightly floured surface. Lay the circle of crust dough in your greased pie pan. Then do the directions below to fill your pie crust.

Directions:
-Place your pie crusts on a cookie sheet, one that has a rim (Do this before filling your pie crusts, to prevent spillage once you pour in the cream)
-Peel, core, and slice your apples into thin slices
-Mix 2 cups flour and 2 cups sugar together in bowl

Filling the pie crusts is simply an alternating and layering process.
This is how I do mine.

-Sprinkle flour/sugar mixture on bottom - just enough to cover the bottom
-Layer of apples
-Flour/sugar mixture
-Sprinkle cinnamon - more or less for your taste
-Layer of Apples
-Flour/sugar mixture
-Sprinkle cinnamon
-Layer of Apples
-Flour/sugar mixture
-Sprinkle cinnamon

Once your pie crusts are filled, divide the 1 pint of whipping cream between the two pies, half pint on each. Pour it all around the top of each pie. Be sure to not get too close to the brim of the pie crust. When baking, the cream will rise up and may spill over (hence the cookie sheet underneath for baking).

Place in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Let cool until pie is slightly warm before serving.

PRINT RECIPE HERE

Enjoy!!!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl Baking Powder but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own.