Pineapple Sour Cream Pie

1 pkg (5 ½ oz) vanilla instant pudding
1 (8 oz) crushed pineapple
2 cups sour cream
1 TBS sugar
1 baked 9 inch pastry or graham cracker crust

Combine pudding mix, pineapple with juice, sour cream and sugar. Beat 1 minute on lowest speed, pour into shell and chill for 3 hours. Serve with whipped cream and additional pineapple if desired.

Fast, easy and delish!

Best Ever Blueberry Pie

Pie crust - unbaked enough for pie and top crust

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1Tbs butter

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

4 cups fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 425 degrees, toss berries with dry ingredients, place into unbaked pie shell dot with pieces of the butter, sprinkle the juice over top and adjust a top crust and vent.

Bake until golden - about 45 minutes (for a fancier crust you can do a simple egg wash on top prior to baking.

Ice Box Key Lime Pie

Okay, you are expecting a heat wave and don't want to have the oven on for hours, yet you want to have a few friends over and need a tasty, refreshing dessert. This is the answer to you problem - cool, refreshing, simple to make and a crowd pleaser!

Even better - no innocent Key Limes need to be harmed - regular supermarket limes are just fine!! This is not a traditional Key Lime Pie - but a favorite everywhere I take it!

SERVES: 8-10

Crust:

8 whole graham crackers, 2 Tbs sugar, 5 Tbs melted unsalted butter and 1 Tbs lime zest

Filling: 1/4 sugar, 2 Tbs lime zest, 8 oz cream cheese-softened, 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/3 cup of instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 1/4 tsp unflavored gelatin. 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about7-9 limes), 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the crust - adjust oven rack to middle and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers, sugar and lime zest together until finely ground. Add melted butter and pulse until the crumbs resemble damp sand. Press into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate and bake until fragrant and brown around the edges - about 12-14 minutes. Cool completely!

Fro the filling - process sugar and zest in food processor until sugar turns bright green. Add cream cheese and mix until combined, scraping down sides as needed. Add condensed milk, pudding mix.

Set aside 2 Tbs of the lime juice, mix with the gelatin and heat in microwave for about 15 seconds - stir until dissolved and with machine running add to mixture in food processor. Add remaining juice and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour into cooled crust, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, let pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes prior to slicing - ENJOY!!

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

Makes 1 nine-inch pie.

All-purpose flour, for dusting
Pie Dough or pre-made pie crust
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 large whole eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons bourbon, or dark rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (5 1/4 ounces) pecan halves
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Whipped cream, (optional)

Directions:

Use a pre-made crust (and don't worry about the leaves) OR on a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie tin, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under evenly. Using a paring knife, carefully cut out leaves from scraps of dough. Gently score leaves with the back of the knife to create veins. Place leaves on a baking sheet. Transfer lined pie tin and leaves to refrigerator. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, 4 whole eggs, corn syrup, maple syrup, bourbon, and vanilla. Fold in half the pecan halves. Pour filling into pie shell; arrange remaining pecan halves on top of pie.

Score the outer rim of pie. Beat 1 egg yolk, and brush over hatch marks. Adhere the leaves to the dough in a decorative pattern. Chill the pie for 30 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons heavy cream with remaining egg yolk. Brush the egg glaze over the leaves, and transfer pie to the oven.

Bake 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake until a knife tip comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

We had this Thanksgiving of 2007 and it was a BIG HIT!!!!