Muffin Tin Berry Pies

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These are so adorable and so fun!  You can make them weeks in advance and freeze them.  Just take them out the morning of the day you're serving them and let them thaw.  We're serving these for Thanksgiving this year as a fun twist on pie dessert.

{What you need}

4-6 store bought pie crust doughs

bowl or round cookie cutter about 4" diameter

muffin tin

decorative cookie cutters (optional)

4 cups assorted fruit of choice (I like berries, fresh or canned)

1/2-2/3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

{optional crumb topping}

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter at room temp

Roll out the pie crust dough and with the cookie cutter cut out 24 circles, reserving the rest of the dough.  Place each circle of pie crust in each well of two muffin tins, pressing them to form a tad.  To make the filling, wash and prepare fruit.  In a large bowl, add fruit, sugar, corn starch and lemon juice, and mix until everything is evenly incorporated.  Spoon even amounts of filling into each muffin well.  Roll out the remaining crust dough and cut out desired shapes to place on top of the filling for the top pie crust.  If you'd rather have the crumb topping instead, mix all the topping ingredients together with a for until it is crumbly.  Top each pie with a heaping tablespoon of crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and pies are heated through.  Allow to cool completely before removing from tins.

inspired by this recipe

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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This is a very special dessert.  It's been in the H family for quite some time and is a favorite on Thanksgiving day.  It's a light and elegant twist on traditional essential for Fall.  

{What you need}

1 envelope Knox gelatin

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cool water

3 eggs (reserve whites)

1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

{crust}

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup crisco

1/2 cold canned milk

For the crust, mix salt and flour.  Add crisco.  Blend with a pastry blender (not too fine).  Add milk (a little at a time).  Press into a 9" pie pan.  Bake at 400 until light and brown, about 8-12 minutes.  Set aside.

For the pie filling, mix the gelatin, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon together in a double boiler.  Stir in milk, water, egg yolks.  Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until dissolved and warm.  Remove and chill about 20 minutes in ice in double boiler until the mixture begins to set.  Beat the egg whites until very stiff, adding slowly 1/4 cup sugar.  Fold into gelatin mixture.  Pour into your pie crust and top with whipped cream.  Serve cold!

Bavarian Apple Torte

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Sooo.... funny story.  We were having a fundraising bake sale at my work the other week and the owner (an amazing woman, I just lover her, thought still slightly intimidating--she's the OWNER) brought in this torte to sell.  It was beautiful and I had a bite of someone's slice and it was deLICious.  But we were all too timid to ask for the recipe from our BOSS boss.  Luckily Jenna, who used to work at my work, came in for therapy.  She saw the torte and remarked, "Wow, that looks just like my mom's Bavarian Apple To....wait, did Margo make this?"  We replied that she did.  Then Jenna said, "Oh!  It IS my mom's apple torte!"  Jenna's mom and Boss Margo are friends and share recipes! So we had Jenna bring in the recipe the next time she came in for therapy.  And here it is.  You can imagine how delectible this is if we went to all this trouble to get the recipe.  This would be a perfect addition to a Thanksgiving spread!  Can you believe it's already that time of year?

{What you need}

crust

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

filling

1 egg

1/4 cup sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

topping

2 apples (peeled, cored, sliced thin)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of cloves

pinch of nutmeg

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Crust: Beat butter and sugar until smooth.  Add vanilla and flour until it forms a ball.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" spring form pan.  Press crust mixture onto the bottom and up 1" on sides.

Filling: Beat the cream cheese until light.  Add the sugar and beat until blended.  Add the vanilla, egg and sour cream.  Beat until smooth.  Pour into crust and spread evenly.

Topping: Mix apples, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.  Lay apples flat on top of filling in a fan shape or flower shape, or whatever pretty shape you like.  Sprinkle almonds in a ring around outer edge of appples. 

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then 400 for 25 minutes.  Serve warm or chilled with ice cream.

compliments of Babbi Hill

Banoffee Pie

What do you get when you mix a banana with some toffee? BANOFFEE!! This is a delicious, rich dessert that I discovered on my mission in Ireland. It's super easy to make, so don't get intimidated by the directions. You will fall in love with it. And it's great for entertaining!

{What you need}

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups crumbled graham crackers

1/4 cup butter

2-3 bananas (more if desired)

2-3 T powdered sugar

1/2 t vanilla

1 cup whipping cream

(for fun you can add crumbled Heath bars,

crumbled snickers, etc. if desired)

To make the crust, crumble the crackers very fine.

Put in a pie pan (or glass casserole dish). Mix in

and spread and press into pie form. Refrigerate.

{For toffee}

Bring to a boil the unopened can of condensed milk in a pot of water

fully covering the can an inch above the top of the can. When the

water comes to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2

hours. Turn the can over after half the cooking time. Let the can

cool a little before opening it. Pour toffee into the crust and

refrigerate until cool.

When ready to serve, slice bananas on top and

cover with fresh whipped cream that has 1/2 teasppoon vanilla and

2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar. (I usually add the crumbled candy bars

on top of the cream but under is great too for an added surprise!)

Enjoy!

(Compliments of Sister Chapman)