Butterscotch Praline Pie

Butterscotch pie with a praline layer on the bottom. I used a crust recipe with both butter and Crisco in it, which I love to do with custard pies. Yummy! Served this one at my National Pie Day Party 2013

PRALINE:

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup pecans

PIE SHELL:

1 (9-inch) baked pie shell

BUTTERSCOTCH CREME:

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 egg yolks

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

For praline mixture: In small saucepan, combine all praline ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Pour into baked pie shell. Cool until set.

To prepare butterscotch crème: In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. In small bowl, combine milk and egg yolks; beat well. Gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until thickened and bubbly. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour over praline mixture in pie shell. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving

Lawry’s Coconut Banana Pie

Heads up coconut lovers, this pie is amazing, totally decadent, and the coconut crust is absolutely awesome.  The crust takes it from ordinary to sublime.

COCONUT PIE SHELL

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for pie plate

3 cups sweetened flake coconut

Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the coconut flakes, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. They should be golden brown. *Press the coconut evenly into the pan to form a shell. Chill the crust 30 minutes before filling.

PIE FILLING

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar, divided

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half-and-half, divided

Yellow food coloring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 bananas

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, salt and flour in a small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of the half-and-half.

Combine the remaining 2 cups half-and-half and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a 3-quart saucepan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook and stir until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. Stir in 2 drops of food coloring and the vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool.

Slice the bananas into the pie shell. Pour the filling into the shell.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff. Spoon in dollops or pipe with a pastry bag around the edge of the pie. Chill 2 hours before slicing.

*I've received a few emails from people saying it was hard to cut through the crust, the only thing I can think of is that perhaps you are pressing the coconut into the pie pan, too firmly. (note from poster)

Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie

A stand-out recipe from National Pie Day Party 2013.   

    1 pie pastry* (I used the recipe below)

    1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

    1/2 cup sugar

    4 eggs

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1-1/4 cups chopped pecans

    1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) fat-free caramel ice cream topping**

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining eggs; gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended. Pour slowly over pecans.

Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned (loosely cover edges with foil after 20 minutes if pie browns too quickly).

  

Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing.

**Can use this recipe instead (I did)

[size=3]Caramel In A Can (Dulce de leche)[/size]

 1.You will need one un-opened can of sweetened condensed milk with the paper taken off.

 2. Place the unopened can in a crock-pot. Completely submerge the unopened can in water.

 3. Cook on the crock-pot's 'low' setting for 8 - 10 hours (lid on).  (I did two cans, as this was the first time I tried this technique. I felt 8 hours wasn't long enough, even though I started out with hot water in the crockpot. So I re-processed the second can for several hours more. The second can is the one I used in the pie.)

 4.Cool down the unopened can in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Cooling the can is the key. I cooled mine at room temp and left it there for several days, unopened. It was just fine.

Buttery Crunch Crust

*I chose this crust recipe, rather than a plain crust as the recipe suggested. It was a very good decision.

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a medium bowl, mix together pecans, sugar, and flour. Stir in melted butter or margarine.

Reserve 1/2 of the mixture for topping the pie, and then press the rest evenly into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow crust to cool before filling.

Red Velvet Cake

This is the most MOIST red velvet cake I have ever had. Take your choice of two different frostings. The Buttercup Bakeshop Icing is FANTASTIC.

CAKE BATTER

- 2 c flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp cocoa powder

- 3/4 c vegetable oil

- 1 1/2 c sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 oz red food coloring

- 1 c buttermilk

- 1 tsp baking soda

           

- 1 tsp vinegar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

CAKE TOPPER

- 3/4 c milk

- 1/2 c sugar

CREAM CHEESE ICING*

- 8 oz cream cheese, softened

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 c butter

- 1 box powdered sugar

- 3/4 c coconut

1.   Mix sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each. Stir in vanilla and vinegar, add food coloring. Mix till blended.

2.   Stir baking soda into buttermilk and add to mixture.

3.   Add flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Mix Well.

4.   Bake in 2 greased 8” round cake pans, or a 9x13” pan, at 350° for 30 minutes.

5.   While the cake is cooking, place ¾ cup milk and ½ cup sugar in saucepan and heat to dissolve sugar. When cake is done, remove from oven; pour hot dissolved sugar over the hot cake while still in pans. Allow to cool and remove from pans.

6.   Mix all icing ingredients well and frost cake.

*Choose either the cream cheese icing or this one, which is my personal favorite.

Buttercup Bakeshop Red Velvet Icing

2 cups milk
6 T. flour
2 cups COLD unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Whisk to combine in a heavy-bottomed pan, the milk and flour. Stir constantly over medium-low heat, until smooth and thick (about 12-18 min.) Let mixture cool. Stir frequently so it doesn't form a skin on top. If it should, remove it and discard. While cooling, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the cold butter and sugar until fluffy, 4-5 minutes. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. The long beating is what makes this so light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the cooled cooked mixture, one third at a time. Beat well after each addition. Beat another 3 minutes until it is like whipped cream.

This frosting is just out of this world. Good to use on other cakes as well. Do not refrigerate the cake. This frosting does not need refrigeration, nor will it be as good if you do.