Confession of March Pie

Yes, three months into my Year of Pies and I dropped the ball. March got away from me and I failed to deliver a March pie. However, I plan to make 2 pies in April to make up for it. I made the first one this weekend for Easter. This pie is crustless and almost custardy.

I was craving a Buttermilk Pie and found this from Paula Deen. This is a very easy pie and not too sweet.

Olivia's Buttermilk Pie
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup biscuit mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan.
Put all ingredients in a bowl and blend for 1 minute with a handheld electric mixer. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes.

February Pie - CHERRY

I chose cherry for two reasons: Valentine's Day and George Washington. I squeaked in the cherry pie on the last day of February and I'm pretty pleased. I'm becoming much better with the crust making, but the lattice could have been better. I found this recipe in Southern Living 1992 Annual Recipes book. ENJOY!

Lemony Cherry Pie

2 (16 oz) cans tart, red pitted cherries

1 c sugar

3 T cornstarch

2 T butter

1 T lemon juice

Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie

Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Set both aside.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan; stir in reserved cherry juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring contatnly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in cherries, butter, and lemon juice; cool.

Roll half of pastry to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place in a 9-inch pie plate; trim off excess pastry along edges. Pour cherry mixture into pastry shell.

Roll remaining pastry to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1/2 inch strips. Arrange in lattice design over cherries; trim strips even with edges. Moisten edge of piecrust with water, and gently press cutouts around edges. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

2009 The Year of PIES

I have declared 2009 the year of pie making. Each month I will attempt to make a pie, savory or sweet, and share with you all. January's pie slid in at the end of the month. It was Pecan Pie. I received this recipe from my friend, Ali. Now, because this is all new to me, I am making my own crust. However, a frozen crust would be just as good and much less work. Pastry is something I am trying to learn and no longer be intimidated by. Also, I used light corn syrup because it was in the pantry. It was still very yummy.

Mom's Pecan Pie from Southern Living
Prep: 10 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 5 min.
For a richer flavor, try using dark corn syrup. Both variations received high marks in our Test Kitchens.
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9-inch) deep-dish frozen unbaked pie shell

1. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
3. Stir together eggs and next 5 ingredients; stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie shell.
4. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until set, shielding pie with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Serve warm or cold.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Mrs. Smith's Deep Dish Frozen Pie Shell.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Southern Living, OCTOBER 2007

February's pie will be Cherry Pie. Stay tuned.

I HEART Avocado

This Christmas I received the niftiest kitchen gadget. I don't know about you, but sometimes I have a time getting the pit out of the avocado without demolishing the green flesh. If you destroy the green flesh, then the slices aren't right. Well, this handy avocado slicer does a number of things. First of all, it scrapes the avocado out of the skin all the while perfectly slicing the yummy goodness. To top it off, the end is sharp enough to pop the pit out without damaging the avocado. Isn't this the greatest thing you have ever heard?

Christmas Cookies - Chai Spice Cookie

I thought it would be appropriate to begin this food blog with Christmas Cookies! Tis the season to eat, eat, eat! I tried a new recipe that has quickly become a new favorite. I found it in the December issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Originally, these are called "Chai Spice Girls" because they are suppose to be cut with girl cookie cutters. I decided to use a round cookie cutter and after playing with the icing, I decided on the simple snowflake. These cookies are a huge hit! The downside? The recipe calls for a 3 hour chill for the dough. I only chilled for an hour and a half and it was fine.

Chai Spice Girls
Prep: 25 minutes Chill: 3 hours Bake: 12 minutes

Ingredients
2 spiced chai-flavored tea bags
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing

Directions
1. Remove tea bag contents (3 teaspoons); discard bags. In medium bowl combine tea, flour, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and molasses. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can; stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate about 3 hours or until easy to handle.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with 4-inch gingerbread girl cutters.
4. Bake 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Decorate with Powdered Sugar Icing. Makes 18 to 20 cookies.
5. Powdered Sugar Icing: In medium bowl combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 4 teaspoons milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until piping consistency.
6. To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper is covered airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 308,
Total Fat (g) 16,
Saturated Fat (g) 10,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 4,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1,
Cholesterol (mg) 64,
Sodium (mg) 112,
Carbohydrate (g) 39,
Total Sugar (g) 22,
Fiber (g) 1,
Protein (g) 3,