I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

pie

Easy Classic Thanksgiving Pecan Pie

This Easy Classic Thanksgiving Pecan Pie will be the hit of your dessert table. Everyone will love a slice, and you’ll love that it is no fuss baking!

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

What is your favorite pie for Thanksgiving? I LOVE pecan pie.

I am basically only looking forward to Thanksgiving this year so that I can enjoy a BIG slice. And some roasted brussels sprouts.

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Struesel Topped Ginger Pear Pie

Struesel Topped Ginger Pear Pie

Happy Monday!!

I’m not ready to embrace the work week, but I’m trying to talk myself into it! Like if I repeat it over and over again it will be true. I gotta Bettlejuice it. “Happy Monday! Happy Monday! Happy Monday!!!” And magically it will be a Happy Monday!! HA!

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We just had a great weekend so I don’t want to go back to the normal routine. Oh boo!

It was rainy on Saturday so I took Autumn to a local in-door trampoline park. Unless she is watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, she is on the go, preferably outside. And I couldn’t just park her in front of that all day, so we tried out Skyzone for her. Price and I had loved it when we had done it so I was hoping she would as well.

There was a small toddler area that was perfect and a handful of other kids there. She liked hoping around with the balls and noodles but most of all she liked the bigger kids jumping and making her bounce and fall and bounce and fall over again since she is so small. She was cracking up for that hour.

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And then on Sunday we met up with a friend of mine, his wife, and baby. Chris and I worked together a few years ago on a project and have stayed in touch going out to dinners with another guy from the team, so it was great meeting his wife and daughter. I wanted to steal Cora. And I don’t think Autumn would have minded as she kept kissing her. We met at the aquarium, where we have a membership, and then we went out for brunch. Autumn was so worn out by all the running around and action. Perfect day!

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Anyway, I haven’t made many pies this year and I wish I had. I missed it from my Year of Pies last year. I was missing it so I dove into the long list of pies that I wanted to make last year but hadn’t gotten around to it. Better late than never.

Pears are just a great fall and winter fruit when you are craving something other than an apple. I have my favorites like bartlett and anjou, but the top pear is the comise.

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I gave Price the first slice and he quickly dug in. He explained that he liked the combination of sweetness from the pears and the bite from the ginger. He did suggest that some vanilla ice cream would be a nice compliment to the ginger. And so he bought ice cream the next day for his next visit with the pie!

I hope you welcome the transition of summer to fall with this pie. Enjoy!

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Struesel Topped Ginger Pear Pie

Makes a 9″ pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

For the Filling

  • 8 pears (I used comise pears)
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup flour
  • 1/4 Cup Cornstarch
  • 1 ” fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon mace
  • zest of 1 lemon

For the Struesel Topping

  • 1 Cup Flour
  • 1/4 Cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon mace
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small piece
  1. To make your pie crust, cut the butter and shortening into small pieces. Return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture.
  2. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade and pulse a few times to mix.
  3. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas and the mixture is crumbly While the machine is running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Dump out on a floured surface. Quickly kneed together, divide into equal sized balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  5. Peel and slice the pears into 1/4″ thick slices. Place the pears in a large mixing bowl.
  6. Add the rest of the pie pilling ingredients. Gently mix to coat the pears.
  7. Remove 1 pie crust disc from the refrigerator (you only need 1 disk so use the other for another pie!). On a floured surface, roll out into a large circle until it is large enough to fit a 9″ pie plate. Place the crust in the pie plate. Fold over then crimp the edges.
  8. Pour the pear pie filling into the pie crust.
  9. Make the topping by combing the flour, sugar, ginger, mace, and kosher salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until fine crumbs form. Scatter the topping over the filling and gently pat down.
  10. Bake the pie 20 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until the topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling, about 40-45 more minutes (cover with foil if the topping is browning too quickly). Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Pie Crust from Ina Garten, Pie from I am a Honey Bee

No-Bake Chocolate Candy Cane Pie

No-Bake Chocolate Candy Cane Pie

Although we are only a few episodes in, I am so hooked on the new show State of Affairs. Have you seen it?

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I stayed up super late the other night trying to finish an episode. Well, I have a really bad cough now that rattles the whole house so I was also trying to let the Robotussin kick in and not wake up the baby. I just so happened to be glued to the TV while I hacked my head off. So bad that I had to keep rewinding what I had just seen so I could actually hear the actors. Classic.

Well, I love Kathrine Heigl in it. I’ve loved her since I first watched ‘My Father The Hero’. I loved her through all the Grey’s drama as well. I think Izzy was annoying but she played that well. (And I still cry when I watch the episodes when Denny and George die). Anyway, I love her as Charleston, a CIA anaylst who develops and reports to the president about national security threats every day, through the President’s Daily Brief. Of course there is your run of the mill national security drama, with a health dose of relationship and personal drama mixed in as well. Such a good mix of drama.

Anyway, I suggest that you should check out State of Affairs if you haven’t seen it. Just like you should try out this pie. Yum.

It’s the perfect wintery treat as it is packed full of candy cane goodness. Oh man, I love candy canes in the winter. Do you decorate your Christmas tree with candy canes? I used to when I was younger. Now I just eat them. I’d totally toss some on the tree but I’d be afraid the dog would knock the tree over trying to get one. Dumby.

The pie is super easy to make. Just some mixing and you’ll have it all together in a short while. The BIGGEST thing is to wait until the heated marshmallow and candy cane mixture is cool. like really really cool. I probably should have waited a few more minutes. It really seemed cool enough but things got a little melty when I folded in into the whipped cream. It worked out well but just be really, really sure that it is really, really cool.

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Also, isn’t Charleston a kick ass name?

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No-Bake Chocolate Candy Cane Pie

Makes 1 Deep Dish Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 8 ounces chocolate cookies (I used a ‘dutch chocolate cookie’)
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted plus a little extra for greasing the pie plate

For the Chocolate Layer

  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the Peppermint layer

  • 1/2 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candy (I used 8 candy canes)
  • 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Process

  1. Butter the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Set aside.
  2. In a food processor, finely process the cookies until you produce a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and mix to combine. Using your fingers, press this mixture into the pie plate and up the sides. Place in the fridge to harden.
  3. To make the chocolate layer, bring 3 tablespoons water to a boil. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the water and chocolate chips, stirring constantly until all the chips are melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature.
  4. In a large, chilled mixing bowl, whip the cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Spoon into the crust; chill.
  5. To make the peppermint layer, break the candy into chunks. In a blender, pulse the candy until you have a fine powder. Combine the marshmallows, milk , and candy cane powder in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows are melted. Cool to room temperature. (I suggest that you put the pot on a kitchen towel and into the fridge, stir every few minutes)
  6. Whip the remaining cream to stiff peaks. Fold in the marshmallow mixture. Spoon onto the chocolate mixture. Chill or freeze for at least 4 hours.

Inspired by The Houston Chronicle

Butterfinger Pie

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We are currently in Miami!!!

I extended a work trip and dragged Price and Autumn along with me. Totally dragged them along. So while I am working today they get to hang around the pool at the hotel. So tough!

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Deep Dish Apple Pie with a Cheddar Rosemary Crust

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I might have had this for breakfast. A slice. Not the whole pie.

And it was gooood. Dang good.

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I had such high hopes to whip this pie up last week after we got home from our trip to Raleigh on Tuesday night but it was not in the cards. I was just so zonked after work both Wednesday and Thursday nights from playing catch up and then I was dragging myself out of bed in the morning (as usual) and then it was Friday morning… crap!! So I missed posting a pie recipe last week, which really, really bums me out. But I have to admit that if it means I’ve posted 50 pies instead of 52, I’m still okay with that. 50 pies… wow.

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I used the apples from when we went apple picking last weekend with Price’s mom and sister in New Hampshire. It’s a fun activity but it meant more this year as it was Autumn’s first time. She certainly enjoyed herself as she bit right into her apple as it hung on the tree.

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If you are going apple picking soon, or just picking up some apples while going grocery shopping, then I strongly suggest that you make a pie. A big deep dish pie. And one with cheddar cheese in the crust definitely doesn’t hurt.

Side note: I used to dread making crusts but now I really enjoy it. I’ve enjoyed all the pies I’ve made this year but my deminished fear related to crusts has been the best part of this whole thing. yay!

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We all know that apples and cheddar are a great combination when we are snacking. BUT just because we want dessert we shouldn’t have to miss that combo. So I decided to make a pie using apples and cheddar. I know of some diners that will put a slice of cheddar on top of the slice of pie prior to warming it up when they serve it to you. That’s a fine way to get cheddar to snuggle up to your apple pie, but cheddar IN the crust is so much better than just being on it.

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And since we have a rosemary bush on our itty bitty back deck I grabbed some of that to kick up the savory flavors. Kinda like a cheddar rosemary cracker. I think it adds a nice little elements to the crust and pie.

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Deep Dish Apple Pie with a Cheddar Rosemary Crust

Makes 1 deep dish pie

Ingredients

For The Crust

  • 2 1/2 Cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
  • 1/3- 1/2 cup ice water

For the Pie

  • 4 1/2 pounds of granny smith apples
  • 1/2 Cup sugar
  • 1/2 Cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 Cup flour
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Process

  1. To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, sugar, and the rosemary. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. Add the grated cheese and pulse to combine.
  2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process for more than 30 seconds.
  3. On a floured surface, gently work the dough together. Divide the dough into two equal balls. Flatten the balls and  wrap them with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
  4. While the dough is chilling, combine the sugars, flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl, set aside.
  5. Peel the apples in about 1 pound batches. Cut the apples into 4 pieces around the core, then slice each piece into 1/4″ thick slices. Add the slices to a large bowl and add some of the sugar mixture, mix well to coat all the pieces. Repeat with all of the apples.
  6. Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with wax paper.
  7. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a floured work surface, roll out one of the disks to be large enough to fit your deep dish pie dish. Place the pie dough in the dish and trim so there is an extra 1/2″ beyond the edge of the dish.
  8. Scoop the apple pie filling into the pie plate. Leave any juices behind in the bowl. Top off the apples with a few small pieces of butter.
  9. Roll out second pie crust to be large enough to cover the pie. Carefully lay the crust over the apples. Fold the top layer edge under the bottom edge, then pinch together around the pie. Cut 4 small slits around the pie and make a tiny cross slit at the top.
  10. Place the pie on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for for 75-90 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are tender.
  11. Place the pie on a cooking rack and allow to cool before slicing and serving. Store any remaining pie in an airtight container for up to several days.

Crust is adapted from Martha Stewart, Pie from I am a Honey Bee

 

Reese’s Cup Marshmallow Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

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I’ve been in a cooking funk.

I’m currently in a ‘nope don’t wanna cook anything’ phase. Basically, all I make anymore is pies. And that is just to have something to post on Fridays. I guess I could post about making Bacon Egg and Cheese sandwiches since I’m a rock star at at making them. But I should be since that is about all I’ve been making lately- breakfast sandwiches, bowls of cereal, and making calls for take out.

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Shouldn’t I be super inspired to make some great meals now since some much is in season and we love summer time grilling? It be great for some BBQ chicken breasts with some grilled veggies. Or some of these pork kabobs? What about a juicy steak? Or skip the grill and at least make a great fresh salad, no?

But truthfully, we’re beat. Autumn hasn’t been sleeping that well. Thanks teething. And whatever else is going on. Blah.

And I recently got a Fitbit Flex so I’m all about walking while it’s still nice (I shudder thinking about winter already) and before Autumn’s bedtime so getting out of the house for a 2 1/2- 3 1/2 mile walk at night it my top priority. It’s sooo nice to be able to get out to stretch our legs. But it just means something has to give and that has been making a real dinner.

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At least all that walking has helped balance things out when I shovel mouthfuls of warm ooey gooey pie into my mouth. RIGHT?!? That’s what I figure when I walk over 15,000-18,000 steps in a day.

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When I was taking photos of this pie in front of our house (best lighting) my neighbor started to say hi and ask what I was doing. He doesn’t know English that well, so instead of trying to explain what blogging is to him I told him to go back inside and get a plate. He then came over with this plate and I slapped a piece of warm pie right on it. I think his eyes bugged out of his head a bit when he really saw this baby.

And then a guy driving by in a truck slowed down and stopped saying “You taking a picture of a pie?” I shouted back “Yep!” He still looked a bit confused but went with it “Okay…” and then drove on.

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That’s right, this pie is attention getting!!

How could anyone ignore this Reese’s Cup Marshmallow Peanut Butter Cookie Pie?!?! I mean, come on, a peanut butter cookie crust, chocolate chips, Reese’s Cups, and mini marshmallows. Ridiculous.

The crust is easy to make but if you find a roll of refrigerated peanut butter cookies at your grocery store then feel free to give that a try. Then it’s all about raiding the candy aisle and dumping that into this pie. The candy make the filling ooey gooey so just accept some sloppy slices, but it’s worth the mess. I swear.

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Reese’s Cup Marshmallow Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

Make a 9″ deep dish pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup smooth creamy butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups self rising flour

For the Filling

  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 12 Reese’s peanut butter cups
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups of mini marshmallows

Process

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a deep dish pie plate by spraying with non stick cooking spray.
  2. To make the crust, cream together the butter and brown sugar together. Add the peanut butter, egg, and flour and mix to thoroughly combined. Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom and up sides of the pie plate. Place the remaining dough into the refrigerator. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until it’s just starting to set up.
  3. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the semi-cooked bottom. Place the peanut butter cups over the chocolate chips. Lastly, sprinkle the marshmallows over the top.
  4. Roll out chunks of dough to create 1″ round balls of remaining dough into the palm of your hand, press to create a 1/4″ thick disk. Create the top crust by placing the pieces on top of the marshmallows (pieces can overlap).
  5. Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. The center of the pie will still be very jiggly as the filling should be very gooey.
  6. Cool for at least 30 minutes for the perfect piece to come out. Serve warm.

Crust adapted from I am a Honey Bee, filling from Oh Sweet Basil

No-Bake Snickers Pie

No-Bake Snickers Pie – A rich creamy peanut butter pie with Snickers candy bar dessert and caramel topping. Perfect for warm Summer nights!

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We’re going camping tomorrow. Wish us luck!

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Yeah, we might be a bit crazy to tackle that with a dog and a 7 month old but we are up for the challenge. Plus we are approaching it cautiously by only going 1 night and going to Pillsbury State Park, a campsite that we have already been to so we know exactly what to expect there.

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One of the things that I am really looking forward to is being able to walk all around the camp grounds with Autumn and get to show her the lake, streams, and a waterfall too. We did a hike there last year when I was 6 months pregnant so it will be fun to do it now with Autumn. Hoping to be much faster this time!

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While we’re roughing it this weekend, you should be cutting yourself a slice of this pie. You can easily whip it up while not turning your oven on in this summer heat! Isn’t that just the best thing ever? Pie and you don’t even need to get your kitchen hot!!

Plus, it’s LOADED up with pieces of Snickers. SNICKERS!!!

When I was at summer sleep away camp we could buy treats in the afternoon at the general store. Occasionally Every day I would get a Snickers bar to take out to the four square court. As I waited in line I’d eat my melting Snickers and right before it was my turn I’d shove that wrapper into my shorts pocket before I dominated played the game.

Since then I’ve loved Snickers. I can’t keep them in the house because they call to me from the refrigerator. Which is exactly why after Price and I each enjoyed a slice of this pie I emailed our dog walker telling her that there was a pie in our freezer for her to take. I had to hit send on that email quickly before I thought twice and considered eating it all myself.  I hope her family enjoys it just as much as we did. And I hope you do too!

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No Bake Snickers Pie

Make 1 9″ Pie Ingredients

For the crust

  •  8 ounces chocolate cookies (I used a ‘dutch chocolate cookie‘)
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted plus a little extra for greasing the pie plate

For the filling

  • 8 ounces light cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 Cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 Cup sugar
  • 2/3 Cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 Cup caramel sauce

For the ganache topping

  • 6 ounces milk chocolate, broken into small pieces (a mixture of milk and semi-sweet is fine as well)
  • 1/4- 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 12 Fun Size Snickers bars, chopped up
  • Caramel Sauce

Process

  1. Butter the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Set aside.
  2. In a food processor, finely process the cookies until you produce a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and mix to combine. Using your fingers, press this mixture into the pie plate and up the sides. Place in the fridge to harden.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream until it forms firm peaks. Transfer to a large bowl, and set aside.
  4. Using mixing bowl you had perviously whipped the cream in, beat the cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until it becomes smooth and creamy.
  5. Scoop out dollops of the peanut butter mixture onto the bowl with the whipped cream. Gently fold together until there are no more streaks, but be careful not to over mix deflating the filling.
  6. Remove the pie plate from the fridge and pour a thin, even layer of the caramel over the crust. Scoop the filling onto the caramel and evenly smooth out the top. Return to the freezer .
  7. In the bowl of a double boiler, add the broken pieces of chocolate and heat over low heat until almost melted through. Add 1/4 Cup of the cream and continue to heat until the mixture to fuly melted and smooth. (If the chocolate ‘breaks’ then add a bit more cream until it is smooth again.)
  8. Remove the pie from the freezer and pour the ganache over the top. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Spinkle the chopped up pieces of Snickers bars on top, then gently press into the warm ganache. Drizzle the caramel sauce on top and return to the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
  9. Prior to serving, place the pie into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to make cutting and serving easier.

Insprired from Not Quiet Nigella

Brown Sugar Chess Pie

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Oh, I am so glad it’s Friday!!!

It has been such a busy week, but such a great week.

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On Monday I went to dinner with my friend Allie, who also had a baby last year. On Christmas to be exact! It was such a good night with dinner, drinks, and lots of catching up. It’s always so good to be able to share news, ideas, and funny stories to the point where you have tears in your eyes.

Allie is the kind of person who you feel you’ve known for decades but have only know each other a short period of time. She is wrapping up her degree to be in social work. I think she’ll he really successful as she has this great charm about her, which will help her communicate with her clients.

We’re both heading back to our guys’ hometown for the 4th of July so I’m sure we’ll get to hang there. And probably have some wine. And laugh until we cry again.

Oh, how is it already the end of June?!?! The month has breezed by! This just means that this is  the last of my chess pies for the month of June!

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So every week Price asked me what Chess Pie was and I’d say “I dunno, but it sure is sugary!” Super helpful, no?

Well, a little wiki later and ta-da! I know what a Chess Pie is! It’s a sugary custard pie that has it’s roots in England but has now become a Southern thing. And when you read the recipe and think ‘cornmeal, really?’ you’ll now know that it’s no mistake, there is cornmeal in the filling. But I swear you wouldn’t even know it.

All of the Chess Pies that I made were sweet but this was swaaaa-eeeaaattt! Got it? I’d say that you should skip the 8 slice cutting, and just go to 12-16 slices. Because gang, sugar. But it’s so good that you can get over the cavity you’ll have after eating it.

The brown sugar gives it a nice caramel flavor that isn’t over the top. It’s subtle so you know it’s there but it’s not all up in your face. I think it’s nice that it sets it apart from the other pies for that reason.

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Brown Sugar Chess Pie

Makes a 9″ pie

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup of butter
  • 1 tablespoon cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 unbaked pie shell

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar.
  3. Melt the butter and add it to the sugars. Beat well until light and fluffy.
  4. Stir in the eggs, cornmeal, vinegar, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
  5. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes or until set. If edges are browning too quickly, cover with foil. Remove from oven, place on wire rack to cool.

Sourced from Twirl and Taste

Lemon Chess Pie

Lemon Chess Pie

Yesterday was such a great busy day.

I worked from home in the morning. Then Autumn had a Physical Therapy follow-up appointment at Children’s Hospital for her Torticollis that flares up when she is not feeling great (a cold, teething, etc.) Then we drove out to Newton to do a big drop off at Mother’s Milk Bank Northeast. (I’ve now donated just over 1,300 oz (10+gallon) to help out premies!) A quick trip to the grocery store and then we head off to watch The Big G’s softball game. While I don’t play, Price plays along with my office as his office doesn’t have a team.

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Autumn loved hanging out on our picnic blanket with a fresh juicy peach for a snack while everyone fawned over her blue eyes. And overall cuteness. 🙂

The game was a success! The team forged a comeback and ended up winning 16-17! We all went a little nuts as everyone was proud of the come back win. Plus, our team has had a bit of a history with the other team. They beat us pretty much beat us every time, but the worst is that they beat us 2 years ago in the championship game so this was such a sweet win!

Ah, it all makes me just love summer so much.

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Perfect for summer is this Lemon Chess Pie!

The color and flavor is jsut to bright and happy to me. I would love to serve this at a BBQ or picnic with some fresh berries and whipped cream.

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The pie is very light and very lemony. While it’s tart it’s still pretty sweet so there is a nice balance there. The whole thing takes about 5-10 minutes to mix up and then just 40ish minutes to bake. I do suggest that you give it several hours to cool and set up. I know it’s hard to resist the wait but you’ll get a perfectly set, creamy pie then.

Enjoy!

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Lemon Chess Pie

Make 1 9″ Pie, 12-16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 unbaked pie crust
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice (preferably use Meyer Lemon)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Process

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place the crust in a pie pan and the crimp edges. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, and vanilla extract until blended. Once combined, gently fold in the egg whites until there are no more white streaks.
  5. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean and is browned on top.

Slightly Adapted from The Spiffy Cookie

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie

ZOMG!

Price and I are getting married a year from today! Woo hoo!

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9 years (10 yrs by then). 2 apartments together. 1 house purchase. 1 new car. 5ish years of college together. countless vacations and adventures. 13 miles in NYC 1 day. 1 super bowl parade. 2 NASCAR races. 1 sunrise on top of Mt Washington. 2 rabbits. 1 dog. 1 delicious baby.

I saved the best for last.

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We have the place picked out but that’s about it. Well, we know colors. But still might change our minds. I picked up a dress for Autumn to wear. It’s super cute! I called like 7 stores to find and then reserve the sizes (I got 2 sizes since I’m not sure what she’ll actually be). I thought I knew what I’d wear but now I’m not too sure. I think we’re gonna make jam for the favor. Music should be fun. Yeah… smart. ugh.

There is plenty to plan but we’re not that stressed since there is plenty of time. We like the DIY approach so I’m sure we’ll do a lot ourselves too. So that will mean I’ll have some cool stuff to share on the blog too. Fun.

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Anyway, this pie is just de-lite-ful. That’s how you spell that right?

This Chocolate Chess Pie is really rich but because the crust is pretty neutral in flavor it’s a nice balance. The chocolate is sweet but not too sweet. It’s a nice intense flavor as the filling uses unsweetened cocoa powder as opposed to a semi sweet chocolate, like I’ve used in other recipes.

The top of the pie has a crisp texture so expect some cracking but that just gives it some style. Right?!? Once you crack through it you’ll get to experience the ooziest, creamest, dreamiest chocolate filling. It’s like experiencing creme brulee. There is just the tiniest hint of coffee flavor from the espresso powder you use in the filling. It goes so well with the chocolate.

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This crust was so good. I think it’s the shortening. It gives it great texture without that much flavor, unlike butter. If you like a sweet crust then add a tablespoon to the dough. This is pretty neutral so it would be great to even use for a quiche.

The original instructions called for the crust to be made by hand by cutting the butter and shortening into the flour and then using a wooden spoon to bring the rest together when adding the water. I opted to just use my food processor instead to mix the dough together, but if you don’t have one then use a pastry cutter or 2 forks. Either way, you’ll end up with a great flaky crust.

While this Chocolate Chess Pie is rich it is not as rich and BUTTERY like the Buttermilk Chess Pie that I shared last week. I commented on how I’d expect to get 12-16 slices out of that pie (I cut 16), but I’d plan on 8 slices with this bub.

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Chocolate Chess Pie

Makes a 9″ Pie

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 4-6 tablespoons ice water

Filling

  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder or 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder (optional)
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Process

To make the crust

  1. Butter a 9-inch pie plate or skillet and set aside.
  2. Cut the shortening and butter into 1/4″ cubes. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. In a food processor fitted with the dough blade, add the flour and the salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
  4. Add the shortening and butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly, with pea-sized crumbles.
  5. Gradually add enough ice water to the mixture while pulsing until a ball of dough is about formed.
  6. Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form a dough ball and begin to press it out. Then start the process of rolling out the dough out. Roll the dough from the center and after every few passes pick the dough up and rotate it or flip it over. Add more flour to the work surface, as needed.
  7. Once the dough is 1/8″ inch thick, press the pie dough lightly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges as needed. Cover the pie plate with a piece of the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to overnight.

To make the pie

  1. Preheat your oven to 350º F.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, and espresso powder.
  3. Pour the butter into the cocoa mixture and beat on high-speed.
  4. Then add the vanilla extract and eggs. With the mixer speed on high-speed, mix for approximately 2-3 minutes.
  5. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell and bake for 35-40 minutes. The center of the pie will still be a bit soft. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. The pie will continue to set as it cools.

Crust sourced from Add a Pinch, filling slightly adapted from Add a Pinch

Buttermilk Chess Pie

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Florida here we come!

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Autumn and I are heading down to Florida today to visit my mom and grandmother. This will be Autumn’s first flight. I’m up for the challenge but I’m really hoping that it goes well. She typically takes a nap mid morning and that is when we are flying so I’m hoping she will get snuggily and sleep. But you never know how it goes until you’re just stuck at 35,000 ft with a screaming baby. She is teething now (her 2nd tooth broken through yesterday morning) so she had a fever last night. At least now I can really drug her for the flight and it would be legitimate! ha!

This will also be my grandmother’s first time meeting Autumn. It will be a lot of fun for them to meet. I’ll be sure to get a lot of photos of them together. Plus have someone take a picture of all 4 generations. awww!

Since I’m heading to thee South I’ve made a Southern Classic to share today!

I’ve always wanted to try a Chess Pie so I’ve decided this is going to be a month of Chess Pies. I picked Buttermilk Chess Pie to kick things off. It was a good decision!

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been lazy about making pie crust dough (with the exception of graham cracker/cookie crusts) but this was so easy that I’ve become a convert. Soo easy. and it felt so satisfying to make the whole thing myself. Believe them I am all about convenience but this didn’t take much effort so I will be making more pie crusts from now on.

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This pie is super rich! I typically cut 8 slices in a pie but I think 12-16 slices would be fine since it’s so sweet and buttery. Oh the butter!! There are 2 sticks of butter in this pie between the crust and filling. So yeah, this is Southern!

I hope you enjoy a slice this weekend while I soak up the sun. Oh, I can’t wait!!

Buttermilk Chess Pie

Buttermilk Chess Pie

Makes a 9″ Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1 Cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) COLD unsalted butter
  • 3-4 Tablespoon ice water

For the Filling

  • 1 1/2 Cups sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2/3 Cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 Cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Process

To make the crust

  1. Cut the butter into small pieces. Put back the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse the mixture couple times. Add the butter to the mixture and pulse until the butter is cut into the size of peas. Add 3 tablespoons of ice cold water and pulse until the mixture looks like tiny pebbles. If needed add 1 more tablespoon of water.
  3. Pour out the crumbly dough out onto a well floured work surface and press into a disk. Roll flat until 1/2″ thick, then fold the dough into thirds, towards the center. Roll flat again and fold into thirds again toward the center. Roll out again and then fold in thirds, then in thirds in the other direction, so the dough looks like a little cube. Press into a disk and wrap in plastic.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the pie

  1. While the crust is chilling, preheat oven to 350.
  2. Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk and light mix to combine.
  3. Add the sugar and flour and mix again until combined.
  4. Stir in melted butter and vanilla extract until combined.
  5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a well floured surface, evenly roll out the disk until it is large enough to fit into a 9″ pie plate. Transfer into the pie plate, and then trim and crimp the edges as needed.
  6. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes or until just set. Cool the pie on a wire rack at least an hour prior to serving. Store leftovers, well-wrapped in the refrigerator.

Crust sourced from A Spicy Perspective, Filling Sourced from A Cook and Her Books