failproof double pie crust

this recipe really is fail proof. it's perfectly flaky and flavorful and easy to work with. from ohsweetbasil.com

ingredients

3 C flour

1 t salt

1 1/4 C butter flavored shortening, chilled

1 egg

1 T vinegar

1/2 C ice-cold water

directions

put flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple times to combine. add shortening and pulse until there are pea-sized pieces. dump into a mixing bowl. in a separate bowl combine liquid ingredients and then pour over dry ingredients. gently fold with a spatula and dump onto parchment paper. squeeze into a ball and divide in two. place one half in fridge while you roll out the other between parchment paper pieces and place inside a pie dish and chill. roll out the other half and chill until you've made your filling.

blondie's "moonshine" (salad dressing)

this is another one of my husband's grandma's super recipes! she served salad every dinner. 

ingredients

1/2 C olive oil

1 T worcestershire 

3/4 C - 1 C white wine vinegar

1/4 - 1/2 C red wine vinegar

1 t msg

1/2 t salt

1 t onion powder

1 t garlic powder

2 t italian seasoning

3 T blue cheese

1 t grey poupon

1/4 C water

1 t mayo

directions

blend all ingredients. add stuff to taste. yields about 2 C.

thanksgiving day food

this is the one-stop place to link to all my thanksgiving day recipes. it may change over the years, but this is what we've been doing for a couple years now. as a reminder, with everyone helping, the meal took four hours to prepare. with one helper, the pies took an entire day the day before.

thanksgiving dinner

green salad with blondie's "moonshine"

deviled eggs

grammy's rolls 

potatoes anna

funeral potatoes

mashed potatoes

gravy (store-bought)

sweet potato casserole

stuffing

roasted root vegetables (minus sweet potatoes, added brussel sprouts and asperagus)

ham and smoked turkey from honey baked ham

cranberry sauce

pie

peanut butter

lemon cream

pumpkin

triple berry

apple/pear

apple pear pie with cardamom and ginger

love this twist on the classic apple pie! from foodal.com

ingredients

crust: prepare this failproof double crust recipe in advance.

filling

• 4 apples (a sweet, firm cooking variety or a mix of sweet and tart is recommended)
• 3 pears (firm varieties are recommended)
• 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/3 C Cornaby's E-Z gel
• 1 C water
• 1 egg*
• 1 tablespoon water
• directions
• Peel, core, and slice the apples and pears into thin slices. Place in a medium-sized bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice, cover with a piece of wax paper and blanch in the microwave for 10 minutes on high.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, cardamom, ginger and E-Z gel. gradually add 1 C water, stirring constantly with a whisk. fold into apples.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spoon the pie filling into an unbaked shell. 
• Cover with a top crust and place on a baking sheet. Whisk together the egg and a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash, and brush it onto your top crust. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Bake for 40 minutes, covering for the last ten minutes or so to prevent over-browning.

blondie's pumpkin pie

this was my husband's grandma's recipe. blondie was her name. she might roll over in her grave knowing that it's being posted on a public blog but don't worry, blondie, you had the magic touch. no one will ever be able to make it quite like you!!

ingredients

crust

prepare this failproof crust recipe in advance.

filling

1 small can pumpkin

3 eggs

3/4 C half and half

1/3 C sugar

pinch salt

1 t cinnamon

dashes nutmeg

allspice

1 t vanilla

directions

make crust, press one into pie plate and chill. beat pumpkin, then half and half, then eggs, then everything else. fill pie plate almost full, put in oven and pour in the rest. bake for 20 min at 400, then 30 min at 350. make sure to cover crust edges with a crust collar.

perfect triple berry pie

this turns out perfectly every time just like the title suggests. found it at ohsweetbasil.com. please forgive my formatting laziness, but i just want to be able to read the instructions--for me it doesn't have to look perfect!

ingredients

crust

prepare this failproof crust recipe in advance.

filling

2 pints raspberries

2 pints blackberries

1 pint blueberries

1/2 - 3/4 C sugar

1/4 C cornaby's ultra gel

1 egg

1/2 t water or milk

turbinado sugar

directions

• Prepare the pie crust and shape half of the dough into a pie plate. Slice the other half into strips and cover both with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Add the fruit, sugar and Ultra Gel into a saucepan and gently, using a rubber spatula, fold the berries in. Start with only 1/2 cup sugar, but if your berries are extra tart you should add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the heat to medium low and cook until the berries are releasing their juices and beginning to thicken. Only stir occasionally as you don't want to break up the fruit and turn it into jam.
• Add the hot fruit mixture directly into the pie crust. Place strips across the pie and then lift up one end of every other strip and lay a new strip across the other way. Now, repeat but with the other strips that were not originally lifted up. Continue until you're halfway across the pie then turn the pie around and repeat from the other side to make a lattice across the entire pie.
• • Whisk together the egg and water and then brush the top of the pie and immediately sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake the pie for 25 minutes then drape with a piece of tin foil and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and cool entirely on the counter. We prefer to let our pie rest over night as the filling will set up and not run. Refrigeration can make the filling sink and pull away from the crust.

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heavenly lemon cream pie

tried to find a replication recipe for a pie we had at a quaint restaurant outside bryce canyon national park. this is super similar. found it at lifemadesimplebakes.com

ingredients

crust

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs

2 T sugar

pinch salt

1/2 C butter, melted

filling

3/4 C sweetened-condensed milk

1/3 C fresh lemon juice

2 T lemon zest

1 1/4  t lemon extract

1 1/2 C heavy cream

1 C powdered sugar

1 1/2 t vanilla

1-2 drops yellow food coloring gel (optional)

pinch salt

12oz mascarpone

topping

homemade whipped cream

1 - 1 1/2 pints fresh raspberries, mint and lemon slices for garnish

directions

preheat oven to 325. combine crust ingredients and press into 9-in pie dish. bake 7 minutes and cool. combine milk, juice, zest and lemon extract and whisk. in a stand mixer, whisk cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, food coloring and salt. start on low and work up to high and whip til stiff. add milk mixture and mix for 30 seconds on medium speed. add the mascarpone and mix til combined, about 30-45 seconds on medium speed. pour filling into the cooled crust and spread into an even layer. cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours. using a frosting bag, squeeze swirls of whipped cream around the border of the pie, placing lemon slices between each one. arrange raspberries atop the entire pie and then place one mint leave atop each swirl and top with a raspberry. enjoy!