French Coconut Pie

Does coconut pie make you swoon?  This is my first attempt at making one of the many varieties of coconut .  Paula Deen totally rocked this recipe!

So easy, so quick and very good, at least the itty-bitty piece I was able to score once my family descended on this pie one cold, snowy January afternoon.

1/2 stick of  butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1 cup milk

1 (9-inch, deep dish) unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, eggs, flour, sugar, coconut, and milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake until firm, about 45 to 60 minutes.

So easy, so amazingly delicious!

 

Nellie & Sal's Key Lime Pie

The Blonde Duck is celebrating Pie Week this week. Go pay her a visit, you will drool all over your keyboard looking at all of the pictures of pies!

I am submitting Nellie & Sal's Key Lime Pie for the Pie Week celebration. I like the subtle tartness of this pie. The taste is refreshing, the texture is light and just one bite will give you hope that Spring is just around the corner.

I don't know who Nellie & Sal are, I was told they are from Key West Florida or they were from Key West; I don't even know if they are real or fictional, dead or alive. This is the only way I know to make Key Lime Pie because I am a spaz and cannot bake.

Nellie and Sal's Key Lime Pie -

I used a store bought, reduced fat graham cracker pie crust. If you want to make your own graham cracker crust, mix together 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1.2 stick of melted butter in a bowl. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie dish and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes until brown.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together two 14oz. cans of condensed milk, 1 cup of key lime juice, and 2 eggs. Pour filling into prepared pie shell (if you made the pie shell, make sure it is COMPLETELY cooled before pouring filling). Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Cool pie on rack for 15 minutes then cover pie and move it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

Once chilled, it's time to make the topping. Whipped cream? I don't think so. Meringue? How prosaic. No, this is what puts Nellie and Sal's Key Lime Pie over the top! Are you ready for this? Combine 1 cup of low fat sour cream and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Spread over the top of the pie, sprinkle a teaspoon of lime zest as a garnish on top and serve chilled.

Happy Pie Week!!!

and Happy Mardi Gras!!!!

Pecan Pie - Any way You Like It

My Dad enjoyed baking and eating pecan pie. His pecan pie received rave reviews from anyone who sampled his confection. The only problem was, my Dad would not give us his recipe. Well guess what I finessed the recipe from my Mom. Not really finessed...she left it at my house.


My husband loves my Dad's pecan pie. My Dad would bring a pecan pie to my house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. A.J. collected the pie at the front door from my Dad like a bouncer collecting a cover charge at a nightclub. Just kidding.


Since my Dad died, my Mom has been making the pie and since my Mom has been with us the past three years for Thanksgiving and Christmas, she has brought the recipe with her to make at my house. The funny thing is, the recipe comes from the River Roads Recipes cookbook.

I've been toying around with pecan pie, since it doesn't go bad at our house. I'll give you the recipe straight from River Roads and some variations we have found to be very interesting and tasty!

Pecan Pie:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoons butter (slightly soft)1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup corn syrup (light) - variation 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup molasses
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans halves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cream butter and brown sugar, add corn syrup and eggs (one at a time). Mix until frothy. Fold in vanilla, salt and pecans. Pour into a 9-inch pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Start watching the pie after thirty minutes and check it every 10 minutes to make sure the pie does not bubble over the pie shell.

Variations:

Pecan Pie Tarts

3 extra large eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup corn syrup, dark or light
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Prepare using same methods as above. Create your own, or purchase packaged tart shells. Yield: 16 tarts.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Add one tablespoon bourbon whiskey to the filling before baking.



Chocolate Pecan Pie - After prebaking the pie or tart shells, sprinkle them with chocolate pieces. Then pour in pie filling.


Cream Cheese Pecan Pie - Soften eight ounces cream cheese. Mix with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and one egg or liquid-egg substitute. Spread over pie or tart shell, and pour in filling.

Almond Pie - Substitute sliced or slivered almonds for pecans. Use almond extract instead of vanilla.















Use some of those pecans and enjoy some pie!