Chocolate Pecan Pie

from Allrecipes

This is one of my all time favorite pies. It is sweet and nutty with just a hint of chocolate. My only complaint is that there are never any leftovers.

makes one shallow 9" pie

1 pie crust

1/3 cup butter

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

3 eggs

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 375 (190 C). Heat butter and chocolate over low heat, stiffing constantly, until chocolate is melted; cool slightly. Beat eggs, sugar, salt, chocolate mixture and corn syrup. Stir in pecans and pour mixture into pie shell.

Bake until set, 40-50 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve with whipped topping.

Meat and Potato Pie

Adapted from Have Spork Will Travel

This is serious comfort food. Like a chicken pot pie made for a mountain man. I would love to try it with chunks of beef rather than mincemeat, but for the time being it will have to do.

1 lb beef

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups carrots

1 cup peas

1 cup corn

1 can mushrooms

1 can cream mushroom soup + 1 can of water

1/2 cup milk

pie crust (two, for top and bottom)

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). Saute beef onion, garlic, spices, carrots in a large pot until soft. Drain excess fat. Then add potatoes, soup, peas, corn, mushrooms and milk. Simmer on low for 30 min until the liquid is reduced. Then spoon the mixture into the crust, seal edges and bake 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

Pork and Apple Pies

Adapted from Robbing Peter

I love meat pies! These savory and sweet little babies were great and had a very interesting mingle of flavors. They are great for freezing and reheating later for lunch or light dinner.

Makes about 12 small pies (serves 3-4)

Pastry Dough

3 cups flour

1 egg

1/2 cup butter (112 grams)

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

Pork and Apple Filling

1/2 lb pork

1 apple, grated

1 onion, roughly chopped

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (we used Edam)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

Sweet Onion Gravy

1-2 Tbsp butter

1/2 onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp thyme

1 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups stock

1/2 cup applesauce (or 1 grated apple)

salt and pepper to taste

Start by making the dough. Mix flour and salt, cut in butter. Add the yolk of the egg (set the white aside) along with milk a little at a time until mixed well. Knead until soft on a floured surface and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 (190 C). While the dough is resting, cook pork with spices in a frying pan until brown; drain grease and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion until soft and golden, then add grated apple and cook for 3-4 minutes. Combine pork with the onion/apple mixture and mix well. Add in the cheese, mix again and set aside.

Roll out the dough very thin (1/8 of an inch) and cut out circles using a small bowl. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the pork mixture onto one side of the dough circle, trying to avoid the edges. Gently wet the edge of the pie circle with a few drops of water and fold the pies into half moon shapes, keeping the filling inside. Press the edges together to seal and crimp with a fork.

Bake on a baking sheet for 40 minutes at 375 (190 C). While the pies are baking, prepare the gravy. Saute the garlic and onion in the butter. After a few minutes, add in the spices and flour, stirring constantly. Slowly add in the stock and heat until boiling before adding the apples. Let the sauce simmer on low for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

Serve pies warm with gravy

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

I love pie. Really love it. And strawberry rhubarb happens to be one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately, fresh rhubarb is only available in early spring (cooler climates), so you have to act quickly to get a piece of the action. Because this sour stalk waits for no one. And she is so worth it.


2 (9 inch) pie crusts *top and bottom
3 1/2 cups of sliced rhubarb
3 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg + 1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 400. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Toss gently to combine.

This is a very juicy pie, so you may have to take some precautions so your bottom crust doesn't get soggy. I would recommend a "blind bake" where you press the crust into the pan, line it with parchment paper or a coffee filter and fill it with hard beans or rice to help it hold it's shape. Bake the crust for 20 minutes with the weights, then remove them and bake an additional 10 minutes. You can also brush egg white on the bottom before adding the filling to better seal it from the juice. Another tip is to bake the pie (when the filling is inside) on the lowest possible position to transfer more heat to the bottom crust and help dry it out before it absorbs too much liquid.

After preparing the bottom pie crust, pour the filling in the pie and place the other crust on top. Carve out a hole to release steam and brush on the egg wash and sprinkle the top with a little sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil and bake for about 25 minutes on 400, then remove foil, reduce the heat and bake an additional 25 minutes at 350.

Biscuit Crust

A healthier alternative to the All Butter Pie Crust

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup milk

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and form the dough into a ball, adding a bit more flour if too sticky. Roll out the dough to the size where it will fit the top of your baking dish.

Chicken Pot Pie

adapted from my mom

My mom used to make the best chicken pot pies, and they were always so good that there were never any leftovers. The secret, she would always say, is the homemade pie crust. I was all ready to roll out the dough when I looked up the calories in a pot pie with homemade crust. It was a little disheartening. So this time I did an experiment with one pot pie with the double pie crust, and one with a low fat biscuit crust (topping only).

I can't lie, the pie crust is better. It is sinfully good. But the biscuit crust wasn't bad at all, and I would have to admit that it is less time consuming than the flaky butter crust.

This is, sadly, the best picture I could get of our wonderful dinner.

So I suppose you can try out both and see what you think. Maybe use the calorie laden crust for special occasions, and the lower calorie one for more frequent use?
Either way, this dinner is a keeper.

4 pie crusts to make 2 pies (top and bottom)
* or you can try out the biscuit crust for lower calories

1 lb chicken chunks
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup peas
1 cup corn
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup potatoes, diced
1/3 cup butter
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp parsley
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup milk

In a large pot, combine chicken, carrots, peas, celery, potatoes, and corn. Add enough water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat cook onions and garlic in butter until soft. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and parsley. Then slowly add the chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium/low heat until thick. Remove from heat and add in the chicken/vegetable mixture.

Pour the chicken mixture in the bottom pie crust. Cover with top crust and seal edges. Make several small slits in the top to allow the steam to escape.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving - the insides will be very hot!

*Tips: Prebake the bottom pie crust to keep it from getting soggy. To do this, place a piece of parchment paper on top of the bottom crust and fill it with beans or rice so it will keep its shape. Bake for about five minutes.

All Butter Pie Crust

adapted from Simply Recipes

This creates one pie crust. If you need a top and a bottom, double the recipe. This crust is great and flaky, so much better than store bought.

1 1/4 cup Flour

1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Sugar (increase to 1 1/2 tsp for a sweet recipe)

2-4 Tbsp Ice Water

1. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes, and place into the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until thoroughly chilled

2. Combine flour, salt and sugar until mixed. Then add butter, and mix roughly, until just combined and clumpy. Then add the ice water one Tbsp at a time until the dough begins to stick together. Take care not to over mix. You want to have small irregular chunks of butter scattered about the crust because that is what makes it flaky. Then gently form it into a ball (or multiple balls if you have doubled the recipe) sprinkle it with flour, wrap it with plastic, and put it in the fridge for at least one hour.

3. Pull it out and roll it to on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 of an inch thick. Carefully place it into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it down so that it lines the bottom and sides, and trim around the edges.

**If you want to prebake your crust (a good idea for fruit or juicy pies), put pie weights on the bottom of the crust and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 (176 C)

4. Add pie filling, add the other crust on top (if needed) and pinch the two together around the edges using your fingers or a fork. Pierce the top pie crust several times so the steam can escape.

Blueberry Pie

adapted from Simply Recipes

1 double Pie Crust

6 cups Blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2 Tbsp Butter

Egg Wash:

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Milk

Prepare crust, roll it out to two 1/8 inch thick circles and drape dough over a 9" pie pan.  Put in the fridge to chill while you prepare the blueberries.  Preheat oven to 425 F.  

Combine berries, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar in a bowl.  Take the pie crusts out and press one into place at the bottom of the tin.  Then place the berries in the pie crust and dot the top with butter chunks.  Then cover the pie with the second dough circle and trim around the edges. Crimp the ends with a fork or your finger to seal shut.  Place in the fridge to chill.

Create the egg wash by whisking egg and milk together.  Take the pie and brush the top with the egg wash to give it a glossy finish.  Then make small cuts in the crust to release steam while cooking.  Bake with tin foil on the edges for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F, remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes.  

Apple Pie

from Dee Smith

This is such an easy recipe and so delicious.  It never lasts long at our house, so I usually make two and freeze one for later.  

One 9" double Pie Crust 

8 Apples (Granny Smith or other tart apples are best)

2/3 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Flour

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Cloves

1/4 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Peel and core the apples and cut them into little chunks.  In a small bowl, stir together sugar, flour, and spices.  Mix the apples and dry mixture together and place into a prepared pie crust.  Cover apples with the tip curst, press edges with your fingers or fork tines to seal, and then pierce holes in the top crust to allow the steam to escape.  

Paint the top of the crust with an egg wash and place foil around the edges of the pie.  Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.    

Sweet Potato Pie

from the Perfect Pantry

Finland does not sell pumpkin puree (or pumpkins for that matter...) and at first I was really disappointed that we wouldn't have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.  Then I did some investigating and learned that sweet potato pie is very similar in taste and texture, so I gave it a whirl.  

The only thing I would do differently is cover the crust edge with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking.  As you can see, my crust got a little burnt...  

One 9-inch Pie Crust

3 large Sweet Potatoes

3 Eggs

11 Tbsp Butter (about 1/3 lb)

2 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Ginger

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1.  Preheat oven to 425 F.  Press the prepared pie crust into a pie tin and crimp the edges.  Next you will "blind bake" the crust, which means to pre-bake it for a short time so it will be semi firm before putting the filling in.  To do so, cover it with tin foil and pour rice or beans inside so the crust won't bubble up.  Bake for about 10 minutes, and remove.

2.  Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into large chunks.  Place them in a pot filled water until they are totally submerged.  Boil until potatoes are soft, then drain the water and mash them.  Add baking powder, spices, brown sugar, honey and condensed milk and whip together until smooth.    

3.  Then raise the heat to 405 F, and pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie shells.  Cover just the edges with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil to bake the final 15 minutes.  Before removing, check to make sure the pies are firm and not soupy, if they need a little more time, just keep it in until firm.  Serve with whipped cream.