Corn, Tomato and Cheddar Pie

As I mentioned, we have been overwhelmed with tomatoes and this was another one of the recipes I made to use up more of them. My garden is really slowing down now with the cooler nights we've been having. My cucumbers are done and I'll only have four cucumbers left to make one last batch of cucumber salad. I had a couple ears of corn left over from dinner and stumbled across this recipe while killing time on Pinterest one night.

It was the perfect thing to make for a Sunday night dinner. The recipe is a little time consuming, especially since the crust is made from scratch and you need to seed the tomato slices (but easy to make). It was really good and gobbled it down...except for Cooper. He's on a bit of an eating strike right now, it's been exhausting just sitting down at the table for dinner. Our dinners usually end with a plate being thrown and him not eating anything. I won't bore you with any more details, but I'm sure the other moms out there, know what I'm going through.

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks

3/4 cup whole milk

1 3/4 lbs tomatoes

1 1/2 cups corn (preferably fresh off the cob)

3 Tbsp chives, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

7 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp butter, melted

To make the dough, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt together. Using a pastry knife, cut in the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture becomes crumbly. Stir in the milk with a fork and stir to combine until a dough is formed. Form in a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inc thick slices. Seed the tomatoes to reduce the chance for your crust becoming soggy. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo and lemon juice. Set aside. 

Divide the dough in half and roll half of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12 inch circle and transfer to a 9 inch deep dish pie pan. Layer half the tomatoes, half the corn and half the chives. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Layer half the cheese on top. Repeat the remaining layers of tomatoes, corn and chives. Season with salt and pepper and then drizzle the lemon mayo on top of the last layer. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. 

Roll the other half of the crust out into a 12 inch circle. Cut out the center with a cookie cutter or use a knife to cut slits for the steam to vent. Place on top of the pie and crimp the edges together. Brush the top with the melted butter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before slicing. The pie can be served warm or at room temperature. It great both ways!

Source: Clock Work Lemon

Double Berry Ice Cream Pie

This month is national ice cream month and I knew I had to make ice cream. I love ice cream, but it doesn't love me back. I know...it's not fair! I was browsing through the July/August Eating Well Magazine and came across this easy recipe for ice cream pie. It gave a master recipe and then five different flavor combinations. I would recommend making it only a day before you need the pie and not letting it sit in the freezer for an extended amount of time. I found that a couple days after, it started turning icy.

2 cups coarsely crumbled graham crackers
3 Tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
2 cups blueberries and raspberries, pureed

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Process the graham cracker crumbs in a food processor until they are finely crushed. Add the oil and then process until the oil is combined. Lightly coat a pie pan with nonstick cooking spray and then press down the crumbs with the back of a spoon onto the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and then allow to cool completely before adding the filling.

Using a handheld mixer, whip the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add in the sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold in the yogurt and pureed berries. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust and then cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for at least 5 hours. Allow the pie to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes until it has slightly softened before slicing.

Source : Eating Well Magazine, July/August 2014

Orange Ricotta Tart

This is my first time making a tart and I'd say it was successful. It almost didn't go work out though. I thought I had a tart pan but instead they were torte pans. Hmm...so I had to improvise and I just used an 8" round cake pan. It all worked out and the tart came out perfectly. I loved the tang of the ricotta and the chocolate graham crust was the perfect compliment to the orange. It's the perfect dessert for any holiday event!

Crust:

1 cup finely ground chocolate graham crackers

2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

15 oz whole-milk ricotta

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

3 large egg yolks

1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest

1 Tbsp orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center of your oven. 

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Drizzle with the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are moist. Press the mixture into the bottom and half way up the sides of a 10" tart pan. Press firmly, creating a even layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the ricotta cheese and cream cheese until smooth and no lumps remain. Add in the sugar, flour and salt. Beat to combine and then add in the yolks, orange zest and orange juice. Beat just until all the ingredients are incorporated. 

Scrape the filling into the baked crust and spread evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the center is just set and barely jiggles. Cool completely on a wire rack and then chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours until firm.

Slice and enjoy! 

Source: Food Babbles 

Black Bottom Pie - The Secret Recipe Club

I was in Denver last week for a convention for work and had a great time! I got to caught up with old coworkers, business associates and meet a few friends for dinner and drinks. I had a great time and wish I would have been able to explore the city a little more. Since I was away, things have been a little quiet around here. We're starting the process of packing up our house to move into our new one in less than 2 weeks. Crazy how quickly everything is happening. I'm excited to show of my new kitchen and can't wait to make our first family dinner in it! Plus it's probably THREE times the size of my current kitchen.

Today is the reveal day for August's Secret Recipe Club! My assignment was Cheese Curd in Paradise. As usual, I had a hard time narrowing down my choice but ultimately chose Ashley's recipe for Black Bottom Pie. I make Black Bottom Cupcakes but this was definitely a different version of that. I whipped it up yesterday (I know, nothing like waiting last minute to make this month's recipe) and it was the perfect thing to indulge in after a day of laundry, packing and snuggles with my kids. The chocolate layer is so rich and creamy. I loved the way the top layer was light and fluffy and helped balanced out the chocolate. It's a great pie to take to a dinner party!

graham cracker crust
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Unwrap the graham cracker crust and set aside. In a small bowl, add in the 8 ounces of chocolate chips. Over medium heat, simmer the 1/2 pint of cream. Once warmed, pour the cream over the chocolate chips and mix until smooth. Pour into the crust, cover and place in the freezer for two hours.

To make the filling, whip together the pint of cream and pudding mix in the bowl of a stand mixer on high. Once stiff peaks form, spread the cream over the frozen chocolate layer. Cover and place back in the freezer for at least an hour. Cut into 8 slices and serve. Garnish with cocoa powder if desired.

Strawberries and Cream Pie

I made this pie for July 4th and I know I will make it several more times this summer. It's amazing, light and fluffy and not too sweet. We loved the graham cracker crust and after dinner there was only one piece left! I'd say that's a success!

12 full graham crackers, crushed
1 stick of unsalted butter

16 oz low fat cream cheese, softened
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
splash of milk
2 cups fresh cut strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter. Combine the melted butter with the crushed graham crackers to form the crust. Press into the bottom and sides of a deep dish pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the heavy cream on high speed until firm peaks form. In a separate bowl. cream together the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar. Fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream just until blended.

Spread the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust. Add the strawberries to the top.

In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips. Add a splash of milk to thin and mix until smooth. Put the melted chocolate into a small plastic bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the strawberries.

Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Cut into 8 pieces and serve!

Source: Scissors and Spatulas 

Pumpkin Chocolate Torte

Are you looking for a different dessert for Thanksgiving this year? Well...here it is! It's a perfect combination of pumpkin and chocolate. This torte is very rich and you only need a small slice. It's the ideal ending to your Thanksgiving meal.

This was my first time making a torte and it was so simple! I was worried I was going to over bake it but it came out perfectly. Just keep an eye on it and do the wiggle test before you take it out of the oven to make sure it's set.

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp canola oil

3 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 inch spring-form pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper. Set aside. Make sure your oven rack is in the middle of the oven. 

In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup chocolate chips, butter and oil over medium heat. Stir frequently with a spatula until completely melted. 

Add the eggs, egg whites, pumpkin puree, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the ingredients on medium speed for 5 minutes until well combined. Add in the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared spring-form pan. 

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The edges will be set and the middle of the torte barely jiggles when the pan is gently shaken. Cool on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hour or until it's at room temperature. 

Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and drizzle over the top of the cooled torte. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

Cut into 10 slices and serve with whipped cream. 

Source: Eating Well Magazine, December 2012

Nutter Butter Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

I hope everyone had a great new year! These last two weeks haven't been so great for my little family. We've all had issues with health and I'm seriously ready to hit the restart button on 2012. My daughter spiked a fever of over 104 last week and after 2 days, we were able to finally to get it down to a more normal level. Then I was hit with a DREADED stomach bug! OMG the worst thing when you're pregnant.

Speaking of my pregnancy, things are going well. I'm back to being able to eat things other than ramen noodles and potato chips. I'm just about 18 weeks and can't wait until we find out if we're adding another daughter to our family or a son. YEAH!!!

Now on to this amazing, simple pie. I made it for Christmas dinner at my in-laws (I'm just a little behind in blogging). It went over great and there was only one small piece last after everyone indulged!

1 pkg Nutter Butter cookie sandwiches

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

8 oz whipped topping, thawed

In a plastic bag or food processor, crush the cookies. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. Place into the refrigerator to chill.

In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon into the crust.

Freeze for 4 hours or overnight until firm. Let stand 30 minutes or until the pie can be easily cut. Garnish with remaining whipped topping if desired.

Source: Kraft foods

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Well it's the day after Christmas and I feel like Toys R Us threw up in our living room! I'm overwhelmed with all the toys Madeline got for Christmas...she's spoiled to say the least!

This was the first time I had made pecan pie. I didn't want to make a traditional pecan pie and wanted to add another flavor - chocolate. I mean who can really go wrong when chocolate is added! . I made this for Christmas dessert at my in-laws and found out that my father-in-law loves pecan pie...great. I was worried it was a little too wet in the middle and cooked it longer until it was set. BUT it was perfect! It was gooey but not too gooey or sweet. I had lots of compliments and my father-in-law told me that if I wanted to practice making more pecan pies, he'd be happy to be my taste-tester.

I have to thank my friend Megan for sending me fresh pecans. They are amazing!

1 whole unbaked pie shell
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey (or corn syrup)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
24 whole pecan halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together eggs, sugar, salt, honey (or corn syrup), butter and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Place the pecan halves on top in any arrangement that your little heart desires. :) I just went around the outside.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Cut a ring of foil to fit over the rim of the pie pan and place over the edges of the crust to prevent browing. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until top is lightly browned for about 30 minutes.

Source: A Cozy Kitchen

Pumpkin Cream Pie

I love pumpkin pie, but I also love cheesecake. This pie is the best of both worlds - just like my mom's potato filling (mashed potatoes & stuffing). It's creamy like cheesecake but not as rich and has the pumpkin of a pumpkin pie. It's also great when your relatives just say MMMM when they eat it.

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Filling
1 box (3 oz) cook and serve vanilla pudding
1 cup half and half
1/2 cups heavy cream
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of ground clove
1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Add the melted butter and combine well. Press into the bottom of a pie pan until firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until warm and set. Remove from oven and crust to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix the pudding mix and half-and-half and cream. Add the spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat. Add the pumpkin and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot an set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, place the pot in the refrigerator to completely cool. When the pumpkin pudding is cool, remove from the refrigerator.

In a mixing bowl, add the additional 1/2 cup of heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat with a hand mixture until light and fluffy. Fold in the pumpkin pudding mixure until combined. Pour into the cooled crust.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Coconut Lover's Pie

My in-laws had us over to celebrate the 4th of July and also grandmom's birthday. I said I would make something for dessert and was instructed it had to be something with coconut. Hmm..that's a toughy as I don't do much baking with coconut. The only thing that I could think of was German Chocolate cake, but with crazy hot temperatures here, I decided against that. I found this recipe on Allrecipes and it sounded really good and perfect for a hot summer's day!

1- 9 inch graham cracker crust

8 oz lowfat cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp sugar

6 oz container of lowfat pina colada yogurt

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

8 oz fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed

toasted coconut for garnish

Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in yogurt and coconut. Gently fold in whipped topping until combined.

Spoon into crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with toasted coconut before serving.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Cheescake Pie

Happy Thanksgiving! I made this pie for dinner at my in-laws and it was a hit - to say the least. :)

9 inch graham cracker crust

2 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix by hand until well blended.

Pour mixture into crust and bake for 30 minutes or until top looks dry with only a small damp spot remaining in the center.

Cool completely before serving by refrigerating.

If using a hand mixer, take care not to beat too much air into the batter. Air will cause the batter to rise during baking and then crack when cooling.

Peach Pie ....and I need some suggestions

I had bought some peaches over the weekend at the Farmer's Market and was worried they would go bad before I got to use them, so I decided I would make my first ever peach pie. I found a really simple recipe from Allrecipes. I followed the directions to a T, but it's really runny. I'm thinking the amount of sugar is too much, but I'm hoping some readers could give me some advice on how to make it thicker.


3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
6 fresh peaches, pitted, skinned and sliced
1 - 9 in single pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cream sugar and butter together. Add flour and nutmed, mix until mealy. Spread 1/2 mixture in the pie crust. Arrange peaches on top of crumb mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top of peaches.

Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes or until brown.