Banana Cream Pie

 Banana Cream Pie

1 (9-inch) pie crust
3 mieium bananas
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups milk
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
(whipped topping optional) 

Bake pie crust according to package directions; let cool. Slice 2 bananas; toss with lemon juice. Layer in bottom of pie crust.

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Combine milk and egg yolks; slowly add to dry mixture. Add to medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pour into pie shell. Immediately cover with waxed paper. Cool. Just before serving, remove waxed paper and slice remaining banana. Garnish pie with banana and whipped topping or cinnamon and powdered sugar if desired. 

Makes 8 servings.

Mini Pecan Pie - Lexie's

Total Time: 1 hr 55 min

Prep: 20 min

Inactive: 1 hr 10 min

Cook: 25 min

Yield: 24

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon butter, melted

One 3-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

Nonstick cooking spray

1 large egg

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of fine salt

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Directions

With an electric mixer, beat the 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese until smooth. Add the flour and beat until fully combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray or canola oil.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Set aside.

Shape the chilled dough into 24 balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Press each ball into a cup of the muffin pan, spreading evenly and up the sides, then spoon 1 teaspoon of the pecans into each muffin cup. Fill each cup with the egg mixture until evenly distributed, about 1 teaspoon in each. Bake until the filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then remove from the muffin pan.

Pear Crumble Pie

6 medium bartlett pears, pared

3 Tbls lemon juice

½ cup sugar

2 Tbls flour

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 – 9 in unbaked pastry shell

Crumble Topping (recipe below)

3 slices sharp sheese (optional)

Bake at 400 F.

Slice pears. Sprinkle pears with lemon juice. Mix sugar, flour, and peel; stir into sliced pears. Spoon into pastry shell. Sprinkle with Crumble Topping. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 mins or till pears are tender. Remove from oven. Arrange cheese slices on pie. Serve warm.

Crumble Topping :

Mix 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup oatmeal (uncooked), ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, and ¼ tsp ground mace. Cut in 1/3 cup butter till crumbly. 

Peanut Butter Silk Pie

Graham cracker crust for 9-inch pie

Fudge layer:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 Tbls corn syrup

1 heaping Tbls peanut butter

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese

½ cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups whipped topping

Purchase a large graham cracker crust or make your own:

Mix 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs with ¼ cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter; pat into 9 inch pie plate and chill for about 30 minutes before filling. If a crispier crust is desired, bake at 375 for about 7 minutes before filling.

In a medium saucepan, cook sugar, chocolate, milk, corn syrup together, stirring occasionally, to the soft ball stage (see below) or about 234 to 240 on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter. Beat lightly for a few minutes; pour into bottom of piecrust. Chill thoroughly before filling.

To test for soft ball stage:

Use fresh cold water each time you test the candy. In about 1 cup of cold water, spoon about ½ teaspoon of hot candy. Put your hand into the water and push the candy to form a ball. Gently pick the formed ball up (if it will not form a ball, it is not done) – the soft ball will flatten slightly when removed from water.