Coconut Pie

This was a happy mistake! Really, I totally made this pie the WRONG way. It was supposed to be a coconut cream pie, and I was looking at the wrong recipe the entire time. Long story short, this is what I ended up with, and my friends RAVED about it. I will forever think of this pie as a Happy Mistake! (And yes, I do plan on making a cream pie in the future...)
Coconut Pie
Printable Version
Yellow Pie Crust
1 1/8 cup flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup butter flavored crisco
2 Tbs. cold water
Combine flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in crisco
When all mixture is crumbly, add water, 1 Tbs. at a time, and toss with fork after each addition. Mix lightly. After dough is throughly mixed, press dough into a loose ball. DO NOT TIGHTLY PACK DOUGH. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
After refrigeration, roll dough out until approx. 1/4 inch thick. Place into pie pan. Leave 1-inch rim of dough along outer edges of your pan. Form a  rim on edge of pan by pinching with fingers. Prick bottom and side thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool prior to adding filling.
Filling
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
3 Tbs. flour
dash salt
1 1/2 cups HOT water
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup toasted coconut, plus 1/4 cup for topping
After making the pie crust and setting it to the side, mix the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a sauce pan and gradually add hot water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes more. (Make sure that you do the full 2 minute cooking times, this allows the fillings to cook and hold its shaped when cooled).
After the mixture has cooked for the above 2 minutes, crack eggs yolks into a DIFFERENT BOWL. Add a small amount of hot mixture to gradually temper the eggs. (Temper=slowly warm up the eggs before adding them to the boiling mixture, if they are added while cold they will immediately cook, yuck!) Then add the eggs to the boiling mixture and bring to a boil again. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove the hot mixture from the heat and add butter.  Stir until butter is melted. Add 1/2 cup toasted coconut and stir until combined.
Pour the hot mixture into the pie shell.
Allow pie to cool, and make fresh whipped cream for the topping. Spread whipped cream on top of cooled pie, and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup toasted coconut on top.
Serve and be amazed!
Serves 10.
Recipe adapted from Erika and Laurel

Key Lime Meringue Pie

I know this isn't the traditional way to eat a key lime pie (with a meringue top) but when your hubby suggests it two days before his birthday, you just can't say no. I am so glad that I gave it a try! I have made a more traditional Key Lime Pie, and it was delish, but not quite what we were looking for. I have also made a Lemon Meringue Pie that is to die for, so hubbs suggested I just subbed out the lemon for lime in the Lemon Meringue Recipe, and we ended up with this amazing version of Key Lime Pie. It is served with a graham cracker crust and has a perfectly tart filling topped off by the sweet crunch of meringue. So good...I can't wait to make it again!

Key Lime Meringue Pie

Printable Version

Meringue:

3 egg whites

2 t. cream of tartar

1/2 t. vanilla

6 Tbs. sugar

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until foamy and about double in volume. Soft peaks will begin to form. Gradually add sugar one Tablespoon at a time, beating at highest speed until sugar dissolves and meringue forms firm peaks. The color at this time will also change from white to glossy.

Crust:

I used a store bought graham cracker crust, but you could make one homemade if you are ambitious!

Filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 Tbs. cornstarch

3 Tbs. flour

dash salt

1 1/2 cups HOT water

3 slightly beaten egg yolks

2 Tbs. butter

1/2 cup key lime juice (I used a garlic press to squeeze the limes...perfect!)

After making the meringue and setting it to the side: Mix the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a sauce pan and gradually add hot water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes more. (Make sure that you do the full 2 minute cooking times, this allows the fillings to cook and hold its shaped when cooled).

After the mixture has cooked for the above 2 minutes, crack eggs yolks into a DIFFERENT BOWL. Add a small amount of hot mixture to gradually temper the eggs. (Temper=slowly warm up the eggs before adding them to the boiling mixture, if they are added while cold they will immediately cook, yuck!) Then add the eggs to the boiling mixture and bring to a boil again. Cook and Stir for 2 minutes. Remove the hot mixture from the heat and add butter and lime juice. Stir until well blended (the butter will be melted).

Pour the hot mixture into the pie shell.

Spread meringue over pie fillings making sure to seal the edges completely to the shell to prevent shrinking. We used a small spatula and plopped ping pong ball sizes of meringue on top, then smoothed so there were no holes. I felt like we were getting TOO close to the edges, I was wrong! Exaggerate sealing the meringue to the shell!

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is a delicate brown. Allow pie to cool for AT LEAST 4 hours on rack away from a draft.

Serve and be amazed!

Serves 10.

Recipe adapted from Laurel

Banana Cream Pie

How do we get fat in the Winerholler home?! PIES! Just kidding! Laurel actually wanted to make this for a neighbor, and it was successful. I L-O-V-E bananas, so this is right down my alley! Once more, thanks to Laurel for teaching me her yummy pie-making skills! I am going to be a pie pro by the end of the summer...Enjoy the recipe.

From: Laurel

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks

2 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 9-inch baked pie shell

1 cup whipping cream

1-2 bananas

Find the Yellow Pie Shell recipe here.

Mix sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Add milk gradually, stirring to blend throughly. Make sure to scrape the sides of the saucepan after adding the milk to prevent the flour mixture from scorching to the side while cooking. Bring mixture to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly (about 12 minutes). Reduce heat to a low boil and continue to stir for 4 minutes (mixture will be pudding texture). Temper the egg yolks gradually then add to the cooked filling. Bring again to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool about 5 minutes.

Pour a small amount of pudding into pie shell and top with a layer of bananas. 

Repeat 3 times or until desired amount of banana is in pie.

When layers are complete, refrigerate for approx. 1 hour.

Remove the pie from the refrigerator and top with sweetened whipped cream!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Laurel, my mother in-law, and I made a lemon meringue pie! We had a lot of fun making it because neither of us has made this kind of pie before! It was fun to experiment and put our heads together to see what we came out with...however, it was pretty much just Laurel's head because this is only the second pie I have made in my ENTIRE LIFE! It was pretty much delicious! And, once more, the credit goes to...WENDY! Thank heavens for amazing sister in-laws!

Yellow Pie Crust Recipe From: Laurel

Meringue and Filling Recipe From: Wendy Winterholler

Yellow Pie Crust:

1 1/8 cup flour

1 Tbs. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1/2 cup butter flavored crisco

2 Tbs. cold water

Combine flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in crisco like so:

When all mixture is crumbly, add water, 1 Tbs. at a time, and toss with fork after each addition. Mix lightly. After dough is throughly mixed, press dough into a loose ball. DO NOT TIGHTLY PACK DOUGH. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

After refrigeration, roll dough out until approx. 1/4 inch thick. Place into pie pan. Leave 1-inch rim of dough along outer edges of your pan. Form a  rim on edge of pan by pinching with fingers. Prick bottom and side thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool prior to adding filling.
Meringue:

3 egg whites

2 t. cream of tartar

1/2 t. vanilla

6 Tbs. sugar

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until foamy and about double in volume. Soft peaks will begin to form. Gradually add sugar one Tablespoon at a time, beating at highest speed until sugar dissolves and meringue forms firm peaks. The color at this time will also change from white to glossy.

Filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 Tbs. cornstarch

3 Tbs. flour

dash salt

1 1/2 cups HOT water

3 slightly beaten egg yolks

2 Tbs. butter

a light 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice (aka...not quite 1/3 cup)

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a sauce pan and gradually add hot water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes more. (Make sure that you do the full 2 minute cooking times, this allows the fillings to cook and hold its shaped when cooled).

After the mixture has cooked for the above 2 minutes, crack eggs yolks into a DIFFERENT BOWL. Add a small amount of hot mixture to gradually temper the eggs. (Temper=slowly warm up the eggs before adding them to the boiling mixture, if they are added while cold they will immediately cook, yuck!) Then add the eggs to the boiling mixture and bring to a boil again. Cook and Stir for 2 minutes. Remove the hot mixture from the heat and add butter and lemon juice. Stir until well blended (the butter will be melted).

Pour the hot mixture into the pie shell.

Spread meringue over pie fillings making sure to seal the edges completely to the shell to prevent shrinking. We used a small spatula and plopped ping pong ball sizes of meringue on top, then smoothed so there were no holes. I felt like we were getting TOO close to the edges, I was wrong! Exaggerate sealing the meringue to the shell!

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is a delicate brown. Allow pie to cool for AT LEAST 4 hours on rack away from a draft.

Serve and be amazed!

Key Lime Pie

Another cooking adventure with my amazing mother! My inspiration once more came from Cody's mission. I think this was truly an amazing taste-developing time in his life! Prior to his mission he didn't try much...but when you are trying to share the gospel the last thing that you want to do is offend someone by not eating their food! And boy am I glad because I have been saved by his being forced to eat foods he may not have liked at the time but loves now! (Yes, I am a picture stealer...I have been so bad about photos lately! My recipe is a little more green-colored than the picture!) This was a super easy dessert, but it seems like a lot of work! Great if you want to impress someone special!

Key Lime Pie

Printable Version

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick butter, melted

2 14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

1 cup fresh lime juice

2 whole eggs

1 tablespoon lime zest

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, and bake until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

In a separate bowl, combine the condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling the cooled pie shell. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Chef's tip: There are several different options for toppings. We used whipped cream, however next time I will do a meringue next time. Also, the lime zest does not have to be mixed in the pie. It can be used as a garnish as well...I just think it adds a little eye appeal to the pie!

Serves 8.

Recipe adapted from Emeril