LEMONADE MERINGUE PIE

Call in the Lemon Meringue Pie police because this pie will definitely set your taste buds to tingling!

3 eggs, separated
1 pkg. cook & serve vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup thawed lemonade concentrate
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
1 (9-inch) pie crust-baked

Allow egg whites to stand in small bowl at room temperature for 30 minutes.
In a large saucepan, combine pudding mix, milk, and sour cream until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk 1 cup hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan. Bring to gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes, remove from heat and gently stir in lemonade concentrate, keep warm.
Add lemon juice and cream of tartar to egg whites; beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time on high until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Pour warm filling into pastry shell. Spread meringue over filling, sealing edges to pastry. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown; watch closely.
Cool on wire rack for 1 hour and refrigerate for at least for 3 hours before serving.
8 servings

"I never met a lemon pie of any kind that I did not like."~Adele Forbes

OLD-FASHIONED DOUBLE-CRUST APPLE PIE

For some odd reason visions of apple pie have been meandering through my poor ol' brain this entire day. I kept trying to slap them away but one by one they marched right through my brain and into my subconscious, so I finely decided that the best way to beat them was to join them. So here it is....Enjoy!

Pastry for double crust 9-inch pie
8 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Fill pastry-lined pie shell with sliced apples. Mound them up high. Sprinkle with lemon juice and zest, sugar and cinnamon. Dot with butter. Cover top with second pastry, use knife to make vents, seal and crimp rim. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cool well before serving.
Yield: 8 slices

PEACH PECAN PIE

Fresh peaches and pecans in a pie...say "my my".
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups diced fresh peaches
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

 Cream butter, sugar and flour together. Add syrup and salt, mixing well. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended in. Add peaches and pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with  Pecan Topping.

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour and brown sugar. Work in butter with a fork until crumbly, add pecans. Sprinkle over top of pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until set in center of pie.

"When the moon hits your eye like a peach pecan pie that's amore."~me

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHIFFON PIE

Slice into this pie, take a bite, and savor the rich, warm flavors of fall.....

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups cooked mashed butternut squash
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 baked 9-inch pastry shell
Whipped Cream

Soften gelatin in water; set aside. Beat egg yolks. Combine squash, gelatin, egg yolks, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and milk in top of a double boiler. Cook over boiling water, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated. Chill until mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon.
Beat egg whites (at room temp) until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into squash mixture, spoon into pastry shell. Chill several hours until firm. Garnish with whipped cream.
1 9-inch pie

EASY KEY LIME PIE

Not my recipe but a quick, easy and delicious version.
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 (14o). sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 (8oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
1 graham cracker crust (may use chocolate crust if you like)

Whisk together lime juice, milk, and zest. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into crust. Refrigerate.

FROZEN STRAWBERRY MARGARITA PIE

This little number is always a hit in any kind of weather. It tastes of freshness....

1 large graham cracker crust
3 1/2 cups halved strawberries
1 tablespoon of freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream

Puree the strawberries in a blender with everything but the heavy cream until smooth, pour into a large bowl. Beat cream in bowl of electric mixer and beat just until it holds stiff peaks. Fold 1/3 of cream into strawberry mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in remainder in 2 batches. Pour into crust, mounding slightly, and freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 4 hours. Remove from freezer and let soften in refrigerator about 40 minutes before serving (should be semisoft.) Garnish with strawberries to serve.
Serves: 8 to 10

"One reason I don't drink is that I want to know when I am having a good time." ~Lady Astor

NUTTY BUDDY PIE

Everybody is going to love this pie. The recipe actually makes 3 pies. Keep in freezer and remove as you need them.

Mix 1 (8oz.) softened cream cheese with 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter. Fold in 16oz. Cool Whip-thawed. Pour into 3 pie crusts (graham cracker or chocolate) and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Top with pecans. Freeze. Thaw 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

PRALINE PIE

If you like pralines you will love this pie. Easy, makes two pies, just keep them in the freezer and take out when you need them.

1 (16oz.) Cool Whip-thawed
1 (8oz.) cream cheese-softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk (like Eagle Brand)
1 jar caramel topping
7 oz. coconut-toasted
1 cup chopped pecans-toasted
1 stick butter-melted
2 graham cracker crusts

Cream Cool Whip, cream cheese, and sweetened condensed milk together in bowl. Put 1/4 mixture into each pie shell. Mix coconut, pecans, and butter together in a separate bowl. Use this mixture as the next layer on the 2 pies. Drizzle caramel topping over this layer. Repeat layers ending with caramel topping. Freeze.
Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving.
1 pie will serve 8 to 10

"I can't imagine a world without pralines."~Nathalie Dupree

COCONUT-PECAN CHESS PIE

One theory of how chess pie came by it's name is that a creative Southern housewife came up with a pie recipe that her husband dearly loved. After partaking of a slice of the heavenly concoction he asked, "Sweet darlin', what kind of pie is this?" The wife just shrugged her shoulders and proclaimed, "It's ches' pie."

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

Beat eggs with a wire whisk; add next five ingredients, mixing well. Stir in coconut and pecans. Sprinkle nutmeg over the bottom of the pie crust. Pour pie filling into shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 more minutes.
Yield: 1 9-inch pie

“Sometimes it's like you're a big pie settin' on the table, and everybody runs up and gets their piece of you. When it's over, the plate's empty.”~Loretta Lynn

BLACKBERRY CREAM PIE

“Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes - The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

1 cup sugar
1 (8-oz.) carton sour cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups fresh blackberries
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Combine first 4 ingredients; stir well.
Place blackberries in pastry shell; sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over berries. Combine breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until center of pie is firm.
Yield: 1 9-inch pie

MAMA JOE'S BUTTERMILK LEMON PIE

It seems like my Mama Joe put buttermilk in everything. Pies, biscuits, cornbread... dipped fish and chicken in it....and it was all good!

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell

Beat eggs; add next 6 ingredients, mix well. Pour into pastry shell.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes; place foil over edges of crust, and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until set. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Yield: 1 9-inch pie (8 slices)

"Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!"~Anon

PEACHES-AND-CREAM PIE

This is for my good friend Jo Carpenter who put a bug-in-my-ear that today was National Pie Day. She is going to be happy as a peach in cream to see this recipe! Love you Ms. Jo....best friends 4-ever.

6 fresh peaches
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell
1/2 sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup commercial sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Peel peaches and cut in half; place in pastry shell, cut side up. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small mixing bowl; sprinkle evenly over peaches. Spread sour cream over top. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over sour cream. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; lower heat to 350, and continue baking 30 minutes.
Yield: 1 9-inch pie (8 slices)

COOKS NOTE: You can use canned peaches for this pie, but fresh ones are always best. So be sure and file this recipe away for summertime baking.

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie."~anon