Chocolate Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Very Berry Pie, and Peach Pie

**This is my go to chocolate pie recipe and was a hit at Thanksgiving! **

On the crust I left the cream centers in the oreos and it didn't hurt it at all!

 

Emeril's Vintage Chocolate Pie

Emeril Lagasse, 2000

print recipe

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups buttermilk
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
4 egg yolks
2 1/2 ounces Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, or other good quality semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 (9-inch) Chocolate Cookie Crust, baked, recipe follows

Prepare crust first, let cool completely while preparing filling.

In a small saucepan combine the sugar, heavy cream, buttermilk, cornstarch and pinch of salt, and whisk until smooth. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, whisking from time to time, for the sugar and cornstarch to dissolve and the mixture to thicken, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking at a low boil for an additional 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan and whisk over the heat into thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, and whisk in the chocolate, butter and vanilla. Continue whisking until thoroughly combined (mixture will be very thick).

Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate until firm and cool, at least 4 hours.

Chocolate Graham Cookie Crust:

2 cups graham cracker cookie crumbs
1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (white centers removed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, process the graham crackers and Oreos to make crumbs.
In a bowl mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter with your hands. Press the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. (It will seem like an excessive amount of crumbs, but it will compress down quite a bit with pressure.) Cover the crust with plastic wrap and top with another 9-inch pan, pressing quite firmly to make a smooth surface. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

 

Banana Cream Pie

I seriously can not make a pie from powdered pudding anymore...after having the homemade deliciousness you will never go back!

I used a graham cracker crust** or you can bake a homemade one!vanilla custard filling:1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
dash of salt
5 large egg yolks
2 c. milk (whole)
1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 t. pure vanilla extract
3 T. butter (no substitute)
2-3 ripe (but not black-ripe) bananas, soak in lemon juice to prevent browning.Pour the custard into a bowl and lay plastic wrap across the top of the custard, touching it (this will prevent a skin from forming). Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add half of the custard to the pie shell. Layer the bananas on top:Pour the rest of the custard on top, smoothing it to the edges. Cover again with the plastic wrap touching the custard and refrigerate for 4 more hours before serving. Top with your  a whipped topping.

Very Berry Pie

This is my most favorite pie recipe...sometimes I'll swing by Deseret book for a slice!

Lion House Recipe:

       

Ingredients: 

Pie Crust:
1/4 C. butter
1/3 C. lard
1/4 C. margarine
1/3 C. shortening
1 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/2 C. pastry flour plus
1 1/2 C. bread flour or 3 C. all purpose flour
1/2 C. plus 1 Tbs. cold water

 

Filling:
1 16 oz. bag no sugar added frozen boysenberries
1 8 oz. bag no sugar added frozen blueberries
1 8 oz. bag no sugar added frozen raspberries
1 3/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C. cornstarch

**Honestly I can't ever find boysenberries I've checked all the stores in Utah county....so I improvised with the mix from Costco of Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.  It still taste wonderful!

***I have my husband roll out my pie crust, he can get them thin and keep them beautiful...I tear them apart and they are way too thick.

 

Directions

To make crust, in mixer cream butter, lard, margarine, and shortening. In bowl, mix sugar, baking powder, salt, and dry milk powder; add to creamed butter mixture and mix briefly. Add pastry flour and beat until blended. Add bread flour and mix slightly. Pour in water and beat again only until water is just blended in. Divide dough into two or three balls. Roll each out on floured board. Line pie pan with dough and cut off excess dough. Flute edges. Prick holes in bottom with fork. Bake empty pie shell at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Or fill unbaked pie shell and bake according to recipe. Makes 2 to 3 pie shells. Note: This crust may also be made by hand-cutting fats into dry ingredients.

To make filling, thaw all berries; pour berries and all juice in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix sugar, salt, and cornstarch; pour on top of berries. Mix well with rubber spatula. Fill crusts, add top crusts, and bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 2 piesFrom: Chef Brenda Hopkin, The Lion House Bakery

Peach Pie
Sami Carter
I've never made a peach pie before but my five year old kept requesting one we just kind of made up a recipe and it tasted so yummy!  Make sure you make a homemade crust and bake the bottom first before you fill it :)
1 Quart of Bottled Peaches
1 tsp. Almond extract
1 cup of sugar
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
4 Tbsp. Butter cut up
Combine peaches with ingredients except butter.  Cut up the butter and sprinkle on top.  Lay a top crust on top, I just used my little pampered chef tool to cut the zig zaggy things.  I then baked at 375 for 40 minutes.

 

Reindeer Sign

I was in charge of our wards Fabulous Friday this year.  It's always such a big activity but it really is where we get the highest turnout.  I did this for my project.  I cut a stencil out in the stencil font on my vinyl machine.  I cut some boards for 12 inches long.  We painted streaks of grey, did the Vaseline over it, then painted it white.  When that was dry we placed the stencil on top and using stencil paint brushes (seriously the BEST investment when working with stencils) painted the red, and grey.  I picked this cute chevron ribbon up at Hobby Lobby to finish it off.  You can lightly sand the project when you are finished, but its not a must when your using the Vaseline trick!

Fall Decor

I had these three pieces of wood in my stash.  I kept seeing the cute ones pop up on pinterest and decided to give it a try.  I painted them white, then I painted the tops the color of the polka dots I was going to use.  For the polka dots I just used a stencil brush and dipped in paint and eyeballed where I wanted the polka dots.  I glued some twigs to the top, with some fake fall accents, and ribbon.  They are a fun addition to my porch.

Old Window Frame

My friend picked this frame up for me for $10 bucks.  I painted it black let it dry then rubbed Vaseline where I wanted it to show through. Then I spray painted it white.  After it dried I took a wet rag and wiped the frame down.  No sanding required....I love it so much!

 

  I thought it looked kind of cowish, so I reapplied Vaseline over spots of white, and black, and added a coat of tan.  I popped the window off and nailed this green wreath on that I found at Rod Works. This is my finished product.

Black and White Cupcakes

These are my go-to cupcake recipe they are soooo much better than a cake mix and taste gourmet!

Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes
1 Cup all-purpose flour
7/8 (between 3/4 and 1 cup) Cup ounces granulated sugar
1/2 Cup dark chocolate cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup sour cream
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 Cup chocolate pudding, prepared
1/2 Cup butter, melted
3/4 C or 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake pan cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, measure the dry ingredients and mix together with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds until well combined.
Add wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and resume mixing on medium speed for 1 additional minute. Stop mixer and fold in chocolate chips.
Fill the prepared cupcake liners with batter 3/4 full, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely.

White Chocolate Frosting
1 Cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 Cup butter, softened
3/4 Cup white chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 Cup  powdered sugar
To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; mix for an additional 1 minute. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy after each addition.
Frost the chocolate cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting and get a chocolate bar and use your potato slicer to make curls.

Broccoli

The best way to eat broccoli.....Broiled for 10-15 min on a cookie sheet drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper!  It is soooo yummy!

Americana Mantle

I love decorating my mantle!  It is my favorite spot in my family room!  I made a few new wood signs this year to put up, and change things around!  I love being able to cut my own vinyl and make my own unique creations!