Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

I found this recipe on Jamie Cooks It Up. It was an experiment for a church ladies' social, and it went over so well, I was barely able to save a piece to bring home to my husband (who really deserved it, because he helped make it).

Ingredients:

1 pre-baked 9" pie crust

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 C powdered sugar

3/4 C sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped

dash salt

Topping:

3/4 C sugar

1/4 C cornstarch

10 Tbl water

2 Tbl fresh lemon juice

3 C fresh or frozen blueberries

dash salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbl butter

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well. Add the sour cream, whipped cream, and dash of salt. Mix until well combined, and set the mixture aside.

In a medium sized saucepan mix the cornstarch and sugar together.

Add the water and lemon juice and stir until smooth.

Bring to a slow boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the blueberries.

Note: If you are using frozen blueberries, heat them in the microwave for a couple minutes so they aren't ice cold when you add them to the saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. It should thicken up after a couple of minutes. You want it to be the consistency of canned pie filling.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the dash salt, vanilla and butter. Set it aside to cool.

Pour the cream filling into the pie crust. When the blueberry topping is cooled to room temperature spread it over the filling. Chill for at least 2 hours.

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Fresh Peach Pie

Fresh peach pie is my husband's favorite pie. I've made him two so far this summer, so I thought I'd better add it to the blog.

Ingredients:

5 C sliced peaches

3/4 C sugar

3 Tbl flour

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Dash of salt

2 Tbl butter
Mom's No-Fail Pie Crust

Peel and slice peaches.

Add sugar, flour, spice and salt.

Mix lightly.

Pour into the unbaked pie shell and dot with butter.

Top the pie with top crust. Crimp edges. Decorate top of pie with shapes and slits.

Bake in 400 degrees oven for 40-45 minutes or until brown.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipping cream.

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Fresh Apple Pie

We decided to experiment with apple pie. For March 15 (pi day), I made two apple pies. One had canned filling that I spiced up a bit with extra cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice. (I know, I know, please stop shuddering). For the second one, I only had one can of filling (it needed two), so I borrowed some home-bottled apples from my neighbor and used that with the canned filling. Guess which pie tasted the best?

So, we decided to buy gala apples and do it all from fresh. Of course, this means that I have no amounts, just guesstamites. Sorry about that.

Ingredients:

6-8 Granny Smith apples

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 C sugar

1-2 Tbl. flour (for thickening)

Pie crust
Butter

First, peel and cut up your apples. We compost, so the picture isn't pretty, but our garden sure will be.

Combine apples and sugar.

Add cinnamon and nutmeg.

We love fresh-ground nutmeg.

Stir until blended. Set aside and roll out your crust. This will allow the sugar to work it's magic and create a nice juice.

Add flour.

Fill crust and dot with butter.

Top with crust as you want.

I learned this trick. If you don't have crust guards, take a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover your pie, cut out the center, and place over the pie.

Bake at 425 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes to allow edges of the pie to brown without burning. Pie is done when you can see bubbles coming through the crust.

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Mom's No-Fail Pie Crust

My mom makes the best pie crust. The secret? Lard. I know, I know. Lard is evil. Not really. It's just gotten a bad rap from the shortening people.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 C flour
-1 C lard (full cup if using shortening)
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 C milk
1 Tbl vinegar

Combine flour and salt. With a pastry cutter, cut in lard/shortening.

In a small bowl, beat egg, milk, and vinegar.

Add to flour mixture all at once.

Mix with a fork. Form into a ball. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

When you are ready to roll out the crust, cover the surface lightly with flour. Be sure to put flour on your rolling pin as well. Divide your crust in half for deep-dish or thirds for standard size. Form portion into a ball and place on surface. Carefully roll from center of ball out at all angles until about 1/4 inch thick.

Carefully place in pie dish and press gently into place. Add filling.

Place dabs of butter on top of filling.

If using a double crust, roll out and place top crust on pie, crimp edges, and put several small slits in top.

You can use the remaining crust for turnovers or small pies. We went with blueberry turnovers.

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Easy Pie Crust