Double-Coconut Cream Pie

When we were young, my siblings and I were not big fans of pumpkin pie (one of my sisters even threw up after eating it and still won't touch the stuff!), so my mom would take requests and make whatever we wanted for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie was not a staple, or really that necessary at our house. My husband thinks we are so weird. "It's not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie!" Whatever! Though I do like pumpkin pie now, there are plenty of pies way more delicious than pumpkin. Some of our favorites were chocolate, lemon meringue, and banana cream; you know all the sweet, creamy pudding pies. In honor of our family tradition, I will be making Coconut Cream Pie, because that is what I requested this year. And Cody can have his pumpkin.



3 egg whites
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
3/4 c. cream of coconut
3 beaten egg yolks
2 Tbs. butter
1 c. flaked coconut
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 c. sugar
1 9-inch baked pie crust shell
2 Tbs. flaked coconut

1. Let egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium saucepan combine cornstarch and salt; stir in 1/4 c. of the milk until smooth. Stir in remaining milk and cream of coconut. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

2. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about 1 c. of the hot filling into egg yolks, stirring constantly. Pour yolk mixture into remaining hot filling in saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 min. more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Stir in 1 c. coconut and 2 tsp vanilla. Keep warm. Preheat oven to 350 ° F.

3. For meringue, in a large mixing bowl combine egg whites, the 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 min. or until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/3 c. sugar, 1 Tbs. at a time, beating on high speed about 4 min. more or until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks (tips stand straight) and sugar dissolves.

4. Spoon warm filling into the cooled baked pie crust shell. Immediately spread meringue over warm filling, carefully sealing to edge of pastry to prevent shrinkage. Sprinkle with the 2 Tbs. coconut. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Chill for 3 to 6 hours before serving; cover for longer storage. Makes 8 servings.

From Better Homes and Gardens: All-Time Favorites Cookbook Volume 2

Not your grandma's pumpkin pie

I will let everyone in on a secret. I hate pumpkin pie. I mean, I really hate it. I love pumpkin. Really anything pumpkin. And when I say love, I mean to an unhealthy degree. But I think that pumpkin pie is a scourge on the good name of pumpkin goodness. It's too orange and too spiced and too dense and too sweet and too....pumpkin pie.

I do, however, love MY pumpkin pie. There are several differences that make me like mine over any other, and they are: I only use fresh, not canned pumpkin; I use cream cheese instead of evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk (no it is not a pumpkin cheesecake, although those are delicious); and I beat the crap out of it until it's super fluffy. The end result? A light, fluffy, tasty pie that isn't so sweet or rich that you can only eat a couple bites. I have literally eaten an entire pie by myself. In one sitting. For breakfast. And later discovered that my mother-in-law, her husband, my father-in-law, AND his wife, all did the same thing. :)

Here goes:

1 8oz cream cheese (softened)
2 c pumpkin FRESH roasted pumpkin (if you don't know how to do that, ask and I will write a tutorial...you know who you are)
1 c sugar
1/4 t salt
1 egg + 2 egg yolks, beaten
1c half and half
1/4 c butter
1t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
pie dough (2)
(I'm not going to leave a recipe for this. If you want one, ask and I will - you know who you are!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your pie crust with foil and fill with weights or beans, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake again for another 10 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese. Add fresh pumpkin and beat. Add sugar and salt beat again. Add eggs, half and half, and butter and beat. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, and beat again. Pour into pie crusts and bake, 50 minutes.

*Depending on my oven and altitude, I have baked this pie anywhere between 50 minutes and an hour and a half. Just take it out when the center is no longer jiggly.*

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Gingersnap Crust
1 1/4 c. finely crushed gingersnaps
1/3 c. melted butter

Toss gently to combine. Press onto bottom and side of lightly greased 9" pie plate. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until firm.

Pie Filling
1/2 c. sugar
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
2 egg yolks
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. whipping cream
2 Tbs. sugar

Directions
1. Prepare Gingersnap Crust; set aside. For filling: In medium saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the gelatin, cinnamon, allspice, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until gelatin dissolves.

2. In medium bowl, slightly beat egg yolks. Slowly stir about half of the hot milk mixture into yolks. Return yolk mixture to saucepan. Stir in pumpkin. Bring to gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Cover and chill about 30 minutes or until mixture mounds when spooned, stirring occasionally.

3. In chilled medium bowl, beat 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar with chilled beaters of electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture.

4. Transfer filling to crust. Cover and chill about 4 hours or until set. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and pecans. Makes 8 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.

The Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes

After trying the restaurant's recipe, I was addicted!! I searched for a recipe that could duplicate it, and the first I tried tasted just like pumpkin pie. Even one I had at the Olive Garden tasted just like pumpkin pie. There's nothing like the Cheesecake Factory's recipe. This one was JUST like the Cheesecake Factories!

1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp butter, melted
1 c + 1 Tbsp sugar
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 c canned pumpkin
3 eggs
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350.
Make crust by combining crackers with melted butter and 1 Tbsp sugar in a medium bowl.
Stir well enough to coat all crumbs with butter, but don’t let it turn to a paste. Keep it crumbly.
Press into the bottom and about 2/3 up sides of an 8” springform pan (or two 9” pie plates). Bake 5 minutes, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 c sugar, and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer until smooth.
Add pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.
Pour into the pan and bake 60 – 70 minutes, the top will be a bit darker at this point. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When it has come to room temperature, place in refrigerator. Cut and serve with whipped cream once chilled.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

submitted by- dalyce
source: from More from Magnolia cook book

We made this for the first time yesterday and we loved it! We always rate our recipes when we try a new one. This is a 10! I love the crust, love the cream cheese filling, and of course the strawberries. Very easy too! I am going to cut the strawberries next time so it is easier to cut and eat.

Crust
1 stick melted butter
1 ¼ c graham crumbs
½ c chopped pecans, toasted
¼ c brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Toast pecans. Combine crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Press firmly into lightly buttered 9 inch pie dish. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Topping
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c powdered sugar
¼ c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint (about 2 c) strawberries

In a large bowl on low speed, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add sour cream and vanilla and continue on low speed until well combined. Refrigerate until crust has cooled completely. Spread filling evenly on crust. Top with strawberries. Refrigerate at lest 8 hours to set filling.

Lion House Cream Pie

Basic Cream Pie

1 quart milk
2 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 baked 9-inch pie shells
Whipped cream

Reserve up to 1 cup milk to mix with cornstarch. Place remaining milk in top of double boiler; add half-and-half, butter, and 3/4 cup sugar. Cook until butter is melted and milk is scalded.

In bowl, whisk egg yolks well; add 1/2 cup sugar and salt and whisk very well. Slowly add egg mixture to hot milk mixture, stirring constantly for about half a minute, and allow to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (This gives eggs time to cook and start thickening. Under cooking at this point slows the finishing process by as much as half an hour.)

Mix reserved milk and cornstarch; slowly add to hot mixture. Stir constantly or lumps will form. Continue to stir for at least 2 minutes, then every 5 minutes for 15 to 20 minutes. When pudding is thick, stir in vanilla. Remove double boiler from stove. Pour filling into pie shells, rounding tops of pies. When cool, top with whipped cream. Makes 2 pies.

Here are the variations:

Peanut Butter Pie

Submitted by: Sherrie Thuernagle
Source: My Aunt Debbie

This pie is delicious, especially if you are a peanut butter and chocolate fan...but grab a glass of cold milk...you'll need it!


Peanut Butter Pie

24 Nutter Butter cookies
5 T. butter
crush cookies and add melted butter. Press into pie pan.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 to 1 C. peanut butter (crunchy is the best)
1 T. vanilla
1 80z. tub cool whip
Whip together very well and put into pie pan.

*Save a little extra cool whip and crushed cookies for the top of pie. Spread a think layer of cool whip on top of pie, sprinkle cookies, and then we add chocolate chips to the top. Then drizzle with chocolate syrup and put in the freezer. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve...allow to thaw a few minutes. We drizzle extra syrup on each individual serving.