Chess Pie

When I found myself with extra buttermilk last month, I googled around for a few ideas. Chess Pie was one, and since I had never heard of it or made it before, I decided to try it. I'm glad I did! I love custardy desserts, and this one had just the right amount of sweet. The sugar on top carmelizes to make a nice crunch which is an added bonus!

Although I still haven't fulfilled a resolution (many years old now) to learn how to make pie crust, in this case, it worked to my advantage! For this pie, you want a cold crust so that the filling and crust bake together. The cold crust helps the filling bake more slowly. This is a perfect recipe for a frozen ready made crust! 

The only other "secret" to making this easy pie is to let it cool completely. This allows the custard to fully set up. I even refrigerated it for a few hours after it was cool. If it's not too hot to have the oven on where you live, I recommend this is a nice summer dessert. It would be especially nice with some berries on the side. 

And if it is too hot, just save this recipe for later!  :)

Chess Pie

1 - 9 inch pie crust

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

2 Tbsp. cornmeal

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

4 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Place the eggs, sugar, flour, and cornmeal in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk, butter, vanilla, and salt and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.

Place the prepared pie crust on a baking sheet. Pull out the oven rack halfway and place the baking sheet on it. Pour the filling into the crust. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top Slide the oven rack back into place.

Bake at 350 until the center of the pie is barely set in the center, reaches 200°F, and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes total.

Let cool for 3-4 hours on a wire rack, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Serves 8.

Strawberry Margarita Pie

Happy Cinco de Mayo! To celebrate, you could whip up this delicious dessert. Filled with strawberries and complemented by tangy limeade, this will be the perfect end to any Mexican-themed celebration. This comes together quickly, but does need several hours to freeze, so plan ahead!

Start by combining the pretzels and melted butter.

Then press firmly onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Now, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add limeade,

beating well after each addition. Stir in crushed strawberries.

Add whipped topping; stir until well blended. Pour over crust.

Freeze several hours or until firm. Remove from freezer; let stand in refrigerator about 15 min. before removing the sides of the pan and then cutting into 16 slices to serve. Serve with extra strawberries for garnish, and lime slices.

One year ago: Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
Two years ago: BBQ Salmon
Three years ago: Spinach, Mushroom and Ricotta Crepes
Four years ago: Apple Bread
Five years ago: Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Get more great ideas at Mouthwatering Mondays, Inspiration Monday, Mix it Up, Melt in Your Mouth, Recipe Sharing.

Strawberry Margarita Pie

1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 - 8 oz. pkg. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups limeade
1 cup crushed strawberries
1 - 8 oz. tub reduced fat whipped topping

Mix pretzels and butter; press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add limeade, beating well after each addition. Stir in crushed strawberries. Add whipped topping; stir until well blended. Pour over crust.

Freeze several hours or until firm. Remove from freezer; let stand in refrigerator about 15 min. before cutting into 16 slices to serve. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Kraft

Lemon Raspberry Pie

The snow is almost all melted off my yard, so it seems like winter is on its way out. Finally! I made this dessert over Easter weekend, because even though the temperatures still felt like winter (I wore a wool skirt to church!), I needed a dessert that felt like spring! This fit the bill perfectly. A luscious lemon layer is topped with raspberries and then finished off with a fluffy cream cheesey layer. It is delicious.

You can use a homemade pie crust for this or a pre-packaged one. Roll it out, then place it in the pie plate and do whatever fanciness you desire to the edges. Then prick the crust generously with a fork.

Bake the crust for 9-11 minutes or until golden and then let it cool completely. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Then add the butter, water

and egg yolk.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Let it boil for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Pour the lemon mixture into the crust

and then refrigerate for at least an hour.

For the cream cheese topping, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon extract

in a small mixing bowl and beat until smooth. On low speed, beat in the whipped topping, and add the milk if you need to so that the mixture is a spreading consistency. Spread a thin layer of this topping around the edge of the pie.

Reserve a few raspberries for garnish and spoon the remaining berries over the lemon layer.

Top with the rest of the cream cheese mixture and carefully spread it over the raspberries.

Garnish with the raspberries and refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours before serving.

Welcome, Spring!

One year ago: Ham and Snap Pea Risotto
Two years ago: Greek Chicken Pasta
Three years ago: Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas
Four years ago: Banana Oat Bread

Find more great stuff at Mop it Up Monday, Mix it Up Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Recipe Sharing Monday, On the Menu, Seasonal Inspiration, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasteful Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Clever Chicks, What's Cooking Wednesday, Ingredient Spotlight: Cream Cheese and Fruit.

Lemon Raspberry Pie

pie pastry for one crust pie
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/3 cup lemon juice
6 oz. cream cheese, softened (low fat is ok)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 Tbsp. milk
3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, (thawed if frozen)

Roll out crust and place in pie plate. Generously prick crust with fork. Bake at 400 for 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water, butter and egg yolk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Pour into cooled baked shell. Refrigerate 1 hour.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon extract on medium speed until smooth. On low speed, beat in whipped topping until well blended. Beat in milk until topping mixture is smooth and spreading consistency. Spread thin layer of topping around edge of crust over cooled filling.

Reserve 8 whole raspberries for garnish. Arrange remaining raspberries over top of filling. Spoon and gently spread remaining topping over raspberries. Garnish with reserved raspberries. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie. Serves 8.

Mini Pumpkin Pies (Crustless)

I love Thanksgiving for the pumpkin pie. Sure, I like the turkey and mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts, too, but it's really all about the pumpkin pie for me. So I was thrilled to find this recipe for cute little mini pies that - because they don't have a crust - are really quite healthy! (By comparison, people, by comparison.) As far as I'm concerned, this makes it ok to eat (little) pumpkin pie(s) all autumn long. Score!

Start by combining the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves and cinnamon in a large bowl.

In a batter bowl or large measuring cup, combine the pumpkin, sugar,

brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and half and half.

Whisk this mixture thoroughly then add to the dry ingredients.

(Pumpkin mixed with eggs always looks curdled. Don't worry, it's ok.) Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until smooth then pour/scoop into lined muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan,

then transfer the pies to the fridge to cool. To serve, top with whipped cream or cool whip and sprinkle with a little pumpkin pie spice. And give thanks that you can have a little pumpkin pie today!

One year ago: Winter Squash and Apple Soup
Two years ago: Fish with Boursin Cheese and Tomato
Three years ago: Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Find more great stuff at Wednesday Extravaganza, Full Plate Thursday, Recipe Box, Thursday's Treasures, Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Friday Finds, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday (#2), Friday Cuisine.

Mini Pumpkin Pies

2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup fat free half and half

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice and whisk together to combine. In a large batter bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and half and half and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and continue to whisk together until smooth and combined.

Fill paper lined muffin cups evenly with the batter and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan and then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. The pies will deflate a bit as they cool. Serve chilled with a dollop of whipped cream or cool whip sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice.

Serves 12.

Lemon Raspberry Tart with Poppyseed Crust

I just love making tarts. They are impressive cause they look elegant and fancy, yet are easy to make! And there are limitless combinations. This recipe originally called for blackberries, but I used raspberries since that's what I had (and you know I'm trying to take advantage of them while they're still fresh)!

What I really love about this tart is the poppyseed crust. It adds a nice (tasty and beautiful!) contrast to the tart filling and the sweet raspberries, and who doesn't love a crust dotted with crunchy poppyseeds?

To make the crust, combine the flour, 6 Tbsp. of the sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cut up butter

and then pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (If you don't have a food processor, just combine the ingredients in a bowl and use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut in the butter.) Now add the poppy seeds,

and pulse just to mix them in. Remove the crust ingredients to a bowl and add one egg. Mix together with a spatula until the dough comes together in a ball. Chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and press into a greased 10-inch ttart pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, then let cool while you make the filling.

For the filling, combine the remaining sugar and egg, lemon zest, lemon juice,

and yogurt

in a small bowl and whisk together well. Pour into the slightly cooled crust

and bake for 12-15 minutes until center is set. When the tart is cool, arrange the raspberries on top of the custard in a circular pattern.

Isn't it lovely?

See, it's easy! Now make one and impress your family and friends.

One year ago: Caramel Bars
Two years ago: Bok Choy Chicken Salad
Three years ago: Fried Zucchini

Get more great ideas at Full Plate Thursday, Something Swanky, Recipe Box, Tastetastic Thursday, Thursday's Treasures, Foodie Friday, Friday Food, Foodie Friday (#2), Foodtastic Friday.

Lemon Raspberry Tart with Poppyseed Crust

1 1/4 cups flour
8 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 eggs, divided
1 - 6 oz. container plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup fresh raspberries

For the crust, combine flour, 6 Tbsp. sugar and salt in a food processor or large bowl and mix together. Add butter and poppy seeds, then either pulse or mix until it forms coarse crumbs. Add one egg and mix together with a spatula until the dough comes together in a ball. Chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and press evenly into a greased 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Cover the edges with tin foil or a pie crust guard and bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes, removing the guard halfway through. Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling. Reduce oven heat to 325.

For the filling, combine yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. sugar and remaining egg in a small bowl and whisk together well. Pour into slightly cooled crust and bake for 12-15 minutes until center is set and edges slightly jiggle when the pan is moved. Remove and let cool completely. Arrange raspberries on top of the custard in a circular pattern. Serves 8.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Two Foodies and a Pup

Swedish Apple Pie

Do you need a quick dessert that also delicious and quite healthy? (175 calories and 7 grams of fat per slice!) Then Swedish Apple Pie to the rescue. Swedish Apple Pie does not have a crust. The apples are suspended in a spicy dough, and thus resembles more of a cake than a pie. But you do bake it in a pie plate, and cut it into wedges, so close enough. And did I mention it's quick? Probably 40 minutes, including baking time, and you're done!

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, whole wheat flour,



baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Then in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the vanilla.



Pour the egg into the flour mixture



and stir well with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are all moistened. The dough will be really stiff, and you'll wonder how this will ever work out. It will!



Now fold in the chopped apples.



The apples will start to give off some of their juices and help thin out the batter a bit. Stir it up til all the apples are coated.



Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.



Dust with powdered sugar,



and serve warm (it's even nicer with vanilla bean ice cream!).

One year ago: Pear Cake with Pine Nuts
Two years ago: Granola, Garlicky Green Beans with Mushrooms

Find more great ideas at What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatcha Makin' Wednesdays, What's on Your Plate?, Let's Do Brunch, What's on the Menu Wednesday, Recipes I Can't Wait to Try, Made it on Monday, Cooking Thursday, It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday.

Swedish Apple Pie

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 medium tart apples, chopped
3/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, toasted
powdered sugar for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, whole wheat flour, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla. Stir eggs into dry ingredients just until combined. Fold in apples and nuts.

Transfer to a greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.