Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie

from Megan

makes 2 pies

Ingredients:

2 frozen crust (9inch) or homemade dough crust

4 eggs beaten

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups pecans (halves or crushed)

Instructions:

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Then add vanilla extract to the eggs. Mix white sugar, brown sugar, and flour in a separate mixing bowl and thoroughly whisk through. 

3. Pour room temperature butter into dry ingredients and mix, then mix in the egg mixture. Add the pecans and corn syrup and mix again thoroughly. Once completely mixed, put the 2 pie crust on a cookie sheet and pour filling into each pie crust evenly.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet and repeat another 20 minutes. Pull out pies and let rest at room temperature.

Chocolate Wine Pie

 

This is one of those viral recipes I had to see to believe. It's actually quite nice! A rich chocolate flavor with the red wine backbone. not overly sweet, and texture is like a cross between pudding and mousse. It's fun to serve alongside a glass of the same wine just to compare flavor profiles, so pick-up 2 bottles of the same! I used a bottle of Trader Joe's Chianti and I think that was a perfect pick for this recipe.

Note: this recipe makes about 2 cups more filling than can actually go into the pie, so try to get a deep crust pie if you can, a mini pie crust, or be prepares to save/throw out the extra.

Chocolate Wine Pie

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

1 chocolate pie crust (cookie, wafer, or graham)

1-750 mL bottle good dry red wine

1/2 cup corn starch

1.25 cup sugar

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate bars, chopped small (optional: save off a few chocolate curls to top the pie)

2 Tbs. butter

pinch of salt 

Whipped topping:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbs. sugar

Instructions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the cornstarch and 1.25 cups sugar. Over medium heat, slowly whisk in wine to prevent lumps from forming. Cook until mixture has come to a simmer and is very thick, about 8 minutes, whisking constantly. 

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, butter and pinch of salt until smooth.

3. Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 4 hours and up to overnight.  

4. For the whipped topping, beat together cream and remaining 1 Tbs. of sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over cooled and set pie, and top with chocolate curls if desired.

Mulberry Pie

Mulberries are one of my favorite fruits found on local trees (alongside pawpaws!) I grew up with a few of them in the yard. I would always pick a few as I passed under them on the riding lawn mower! I had a lot of time to invent little games to keep the 4+ hour mowing job that that was semi-interesting for myself.

Luckily, my neighbor here in Marlborough (East Waldo) has a  mulberry tree on our shared property line! So in the summer when the berries are ripe and dropping, I lay out a tarp under the tree and collect only the perfectly black, ripe ones in the morning and toss the rest to reset the tarp. Although you do not have to, I like to remove the green stems by pinching them off between my fingernails. It's great to use the berries fresh, but I get a lot so I freeze what I can't practically use for a later taste of summer. To do this, lay the berries single-layer across a cookie sheet freeze. I do NOT recommend washing before freezing to help prevent clumping and to preserve the berries in as perfect condition as possible. After the berries are frozen on the cookie sheet, scrape them into a freezer container (or bag) and keep until needed, remembering to rinse them after they're pulled out.

Mulberry Pie
from Yummly

Ingredients:
4 cups (1 qt.) mulberries, rinsed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
double crust pastry

Optional:
- 1 Tbsp. demerara sugar for dusting top of pie lattice

Instructions:
1. In a bowl, combine berries, sugar, and flour until berries are evenly coated. Set aside while crust is blind-baking.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
3. Pour in berry mixture into prepared crust. With second crust, arrange a lattice top to the pie.
4. In a small bowl, whisk well the egg and 1 Tbsp. water. Brush egg wash across top of pie. Sprinkle demerara sugar on top, if using.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 350 F and bake for 45 more minutes.
6. Cool pie completely before slicing.