Key Lime Pie

 Recipe featured on Cook. Eat. Love.

What you need:

Crust

3/4 lb graham cracker crumbs

4 TBsp sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (melted)

1/4 tsp salt

Filling

4 egg yolks (room temperature)

1 can (14oz) condensed milk

2/3 cup fresh Key Lime juice

1 lime grated zest

Topping

1 cup heavy cream (chilled)

2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 325˚F.

Break up the graham crackers by placing in a food processor and process into crumbs.

Add the melted butter, sugar, and salt, then pulse until combined.

Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan, forming an even layer on the bottom, sides and edge.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.

While the crust is resting, in a bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to whip until thick, about 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 15 minutes or until the filing has set.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Then refrigerate for 20 minutes or over night.

In a clean bowl of an electric mixer with a clean whisk attachment, whip the cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla until nearly stiff peaks.

Put whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with star tip.

Pipe the whipped topping onto the cooled pie around the edges and in the center.

Garnish the pie with a slice of lime.

Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes prior to serving.

Then ENJOY!!

Stars & Stripes Apple Pie

Pie crust from Barefoot Contessa and Pie filling from My Sister's Cafe

What you need:

Pie Crust (need 1 double pie crust)

12 Tbsp very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 TBsp sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

6-8 Tbsp ice water (about 1/2 cup)

Pie Filling

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon juice

6 cups Granny Smith apples (peeled and sliced)

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

How to make it:

Pie crust

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture.

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix.

Add the butter and shortening.

Pulse 8-12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.

With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball.

Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half.

Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board.

Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to the fit the pan.

Roll out the second half of the dough then using a star cookie cutter, cut out some stars, set aside.

Then cut some strips to make the stripes, set aside.

Filling

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Pour the lemon juice over the sliced apples.

In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon.

Coat the apples with the sugar mixture.

Put the apples in the unbaked pie shell.

In a separate bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour, cut with a pastry blender or rub with fingers.

Sprinkle over the apples.

Cover the apples with the stars and stripes dough pieces.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Serve warm or with ice cream then ENJOY!

Cinnamon Custard Pie

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Here's what you need:

1 medium dish Pate Brisee (or pie dough)

All purpose flour (for surface)

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

1 vanilla bean (split, scraped, pod reserved)

2 whole cinnamon sticks

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon (plus more for dusting)

12 large egg yolks (room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Turn out pate brisee onto a lightly floured surface.

Roll down to a 1/8 inch thickness.

Transfer and press dough into a 9inch pie dish and flute edges.

Line dough with parchment paper, leaving 1 inch overhang.

Fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake until edge just begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Remove parchment and pie weights.

Bake until crust is golden about 15 minutes more.

Transfer dish to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Bring cream, milk, vanilla seeds and pod, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.

Remove vanilla pod and cinnamon sticks, discard.

Whisk together the yolks and sugar with mixer on medium speed until pale and thick, about 2 minutes.

Add hot cream mixture and arrowroot, whisk until mixture is smooth.

Pour through a fine sieve into the cooled piecrust.

Skim any foam from surface of filling.

Bake until pie is just set but center is still slightly wobbly, about 50 minutes.

Transfer dish to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Lightly dust top of pie with ground cinnamon then ENJOY!

Pecan Pie

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Here's what you need:

1 refrigerated already made pie dough (rolled out to fit a 9 inch pie plate)

4 large eggs (room temperature)

1 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 TBsp unsalted butter (melted)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups pecan halves

Whipped cream (for serving)

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375˚F, with rack set at lowest position.

Using kitchen shears or paring knife, trim dough to a 1 inch overhang.

With floured fingers, fold overhand under itself to form a rim; pinch between thumb and forefinger to form a uniform edge around rim of pie plate.

Crimp with fingertips.

Transfer dough-lined pie plate to refrigerator.

Make filling, In a large bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, sugars, butters, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

Mix in pecans.

Pour mixture into chilled pie crust, place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until filling jiggles slightly in the center when gently shaken, 50-60minutes.

Cool pie completely in plate, 5 to 6 hours.

Serve with whipped cream if desired and ENJOY!