Grandmother’s Pies

She who masters
a flaky pie crust
is insured a place
in our hearts.

My grandmother’s
pies: pecan, lemon, coconut cream
apple, mincemeat, cherry
are still fresh in my mind,
Her kitchen a haven for all
cup of coffee, hunk of pie
cures what ails you.

Grandmother’s love
filled her pies
and last even today
as I remember
those happy times.

via: Grandmother’s Pies — Source of Inspiration

Cheesecake

 

From my Grandmother’s hand-written files.

 

Ingredients For filling:

• 3 or 4 eggs
• 2 packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (or similar)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 TSP. vanilla

Ingredients For Crust:

• crushed graham crackers

Ingredients for Topping:

• 1/2 pint sour cream (8 oz.)
• 2 TSP. sugar
• 1 TSP. vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Put the eggs, cream cheese, sugar & vanilla in large mixing bowl.
• Beat ingredients with egg beater until smooth.
• Make the crust by lining a greased pie pan with crushed graham crackers.
• Pour in mixture and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Increase oven to 400°.
• Mix together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla for the topping and spread on top of baked filling.
• Return pie to the oven and bake 5 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

posted by Mountain Republic                              recipe by Amy Chenevert

Ohio Shaker Lemon Pie

I found this recipe when I was looking for a post for my personal blog.  I received a few requests for the recipe, so here it is.    Doesn’t it look delicious?  I can’t vouch for it personally … yet.  Give me time though!  If you decide to make it, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Here’s where I found the recipe and picture:
Bounteous bites: Ohio Shaker lemon pie: A whole lot of lemon and a little bit more.

Ohio Shaker lemon pie
(adapted from Epicurious)
300-400 g pâte brisée (a fancy way of saying pie dough; the Epicurious link above has a recipe for that)
2 lemons
4 dl sugar (1 ¾ cups)
4 big eggs
1/4 tsp salt

1. Blanch the lemons for 30 seconds in a large saucepan of boiling water, then drain them and rinse under cold water.
2. Cut off the ends of the lemons, discarding them and then cut the lemons cross-wise into paper-thin slices (I used an electrical slicer, but a lot of patience and a sharp knife can complete the mission, too). Remove the seeds.
3. Put the lemon slices into a bowl, trying to collect all the juice that has flown out of them. Cover with sugar and let the mixture stand for one whole day, stirring after the 1st hour.
4. Next day roll out half the dough on a lightly floured surface and fit it into a 22-24 cm (8-9 in) pie plate, leaving an overhang.
5. Remove the lemon slices from the liquid that has formed to the bowl and arrange them in the pie shell.
6. Add the eggs and salt to the sugar, whisk until combined well and pour the mixture over the lemon slices.
7. Roll out the remaining dough so that it would also leave an overhang. Cover the pie with it and fold the overhang under the bottom crust, pressing the edge to seal it.
8. Cut slits in the crust with a sharp knife, forming steam vents, and bake for 35 minutes in the middle of the oven at 220C (425°F).
9. Reduce temperature to 175C (350°F) and bake for 20-25 minutes more, or until the crust is golden.
10. Let the pie cool and serve it at room temperature. I’d definitely say a heap of ice cream is a must!

The Best of a Pumpkin Pie Within Reach of a Diet for My Dog and Me

Nap in the afternoon sun.

Yes, my dog, Impulse (Imp) and I are on diets.  We are of course both cheating.  She wakes me up in the middle of the night for a treat and I give her one to put her back to sleep.  Then I have a snack myself, lie guilty and awake in bed and finally drift back to sleep. As you know, sleep deprivation contributes to over eating and etc.

Imp’s vet told me to give her canned pumpkin (plain) in addition to her food to help her feel full but without the calories of her regular food.  Well, thought I, what’s good for the JRT must be good for me.

I remembered my late cousin Cathrine, a delightful soul who hailed from Alabama and, as a grandmother herself, passed along many fine old southern recipes.  Her big, secret ingredient for just about everything was peanut butter.  She put it in squash and in eggplant casserole.  For her husband, my cousin, it was garlic, garlic, garlic (no peanut butter).  Cathy taught me how to tame Pumpkin Pie.  You make it as a pudding not a pie.

So I got some canned pumpkin for both Imp and me!  But for me, I also bought skimmed condensed milk and a bag of 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda.  I did not make a pie crust.  Instead, I put the “revised” filling mix in a deep circular Pyrex dish I have (I also use an old plum pudding basin) and baked it per pie instructions. [Also check cooking instructions for other puddings such as chocolate!]  As in a pie or other pudding, a knife inserted into the middle should come out fairly clean.

The result?  Well because it is just as good but fewer calories, I can of course eat more, right?  Wrong.  But for those of you who can control compulsive eating, this is a holiday blessing.

See that raging red frontal lobe? That's me on a diet! Rats, they won't sedate me until it's over. I don't mind a year heavily sedated so I can't make a move toward the kitchen. I don't want my stomach stapled, thanks. Each trip past that office supply store would remind me of it.

©At Grandma’s Table.  Registration Pending

The Cake Without a Name

I got this recipe when I turned 13 and it has been a favorite of mine ever since.  It’s very rich, and since it’s a chilled dessert, it’s wonderful on those warm summer nights.

Of course, it’s also wonderful on those winter nights too, with a cup of hot coffee or chocolate.  🙂

Begin the day before as this needs to chill overnight and you’ll need time to cool the crust also.

You will need:

• 13×9 glass pan

Layer 1:

• 1 c. flour
  ½c margarine or butter
  1 c. chopped pecans – or any nuts but walnuts aren’t very good in this recipe, and neither are peanuts.  An almond/pecan mix is pretty good, and my husband thinks hazelnuts might be good too.

Layer 2:

• 1 c. sugar
  8 oz. cream cheese
  (half of) 1 lg container of Cool Whip (12 or 16 oz)

Layer 3:

• 1 lg pkg Jell-o instant chocolate pudding
  1 lg pkg Jell-o instant vanilla pudding
  3 c. milk

Layer 4:

• remaining half of Cool Whip
  Hershey chocolate bar, plain

To begin:

Layer 1

• Preheat your over to 350° – this is the only baking you will do for this recipe.
• If you have a food processor you can use that, or a hand mixer will work great too.  Mix the nuts, butter, and flour to a paste.  It will be lumpy because of the nuts, you’re not looking for nut dust or anything.  Press this mix evenly into the bottom of the cake pan and bake for 20 min.  Allow to cool completely before adding the other layers.

Layer 2

• Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and half of the Cool Whip.  Pour onto the cooled crust and spread evenly.

Layer 3

• Don’t begin this step until you are ready.  If you make it too far in advance, the pudding will set and be very difficult to spread over the previous layer.
• Combine the pudding mixes with the milk and mix.  Don’t follow the box directions, just pour the dry mixes into a lg bowl, add the milk and mix together.  Before it sets, pour it over the cream cheese layer, and smooth it out evenly.  Allow to set.  Since it’s instant pudding, this will only take a few minutes.  When it’s chilled, go on to the next step.

Layer 4

• Spread the remaining half of the Cool Whip over the pudding layer.
• Chill overnight in the fridge.  Just before serving, you can grate (part of) a plain Hershey bar over the top to make little chocolate curls for decoration, or you can add sprinkles of some type but keep in mind they will probably bleed into the topping after a while.  If that is important to you.
• Now, eat and gain weight. 

If you can think of a name for this, let me know!  I was thinking Chocolate Snow Pie, but I’m no good with such things. 

 

posted by DarcsFalcon