Beth Howard's Peanut Butter Pie

Peanut Butter Pie

With these hot, humid summer days, it is hard to get motivated to bake.  I had read about peanut butter pies before and I knew you didn't have to turn on the ovens to make them.  So it sounded like a winner to me!!

Besides, my husband is a Reeses' addict, so I knew he would love this pie! And this is another one of those easy to whip up recipes!!

And thanks to Beth Howard's cookbook, Ms. American Pie, I have a new adventure.  You probably will have to run to the grocery store to buy a few of the ingredients, a package of oreos, cream cheese, and heavy whipping cream (optional mini reese cups to chop up as a topping on the pie).

Beth Howard's Peanut Butter Pie

Oreo Pie Crust

25 oreo cookies
4 to 6 T butter, melted

Using your food processor, add 24 of the cookies (the left over cookie is for you to munch on it while you are grinding the other 24 to death - LOL!!)

Dump the cookie crumbs into a separate bowl and add the melted butter, a little at a time.  Using your hands, mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.

Spoon into a pie plate and smooth out with your hands.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Filling

1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy, but chunky would work great, also)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl, add the peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar.

Mix until smooth.

Using your electric mixer, add the heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla.  Mix until fluffy.

Fold half the whipped cream into your peanut butter mixture.

Spoon the filling into the pie shell.  Top with chopping mini reese pieces and refrigerate for several hours.

Top with the rest of the whipping cream!!  How easy is that!!  You have a delicous dessert in a matter of minutes!!

Entire Recipe:

Beth Howard's Peanut Butter Pie

Oreo Pie Crust

25 oreo cookies
4 to 6 T butter, melted

Using your food processor, add 24 of the cookies (the left over cookie is for you to munch on it while you are grinding the other 24 to death - LOL!!)

Dump the cookie crumbs into a separate bowl and add the melted butter, a little at a time.  Using your hands, mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.

Spoon into a pie plate and smooth out with your hands.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Filling

1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy, but chunky would work great, also)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl, add the peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar.

Mix until smooth.

Using your electric mixer, add the heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla.  Mix until fluffy.

Fold half the whipped cream into your peanut butter mixture.

Spoon the filling into the pie shell.  Top with chopping mini reese pieces and refrigerate for several hours.

Top with the rest of the whipping cream!!


Verdict:

The pie is out of this world!!  You really don't need the whipped cream.  I do need to add more butter to the pie crust (I only used 4T of butter, I think 6 T would have been better as the pie crust was very crumbly!).  As I expected, my husband loved the pie.  I can't wait for my son to come home from the Navy so I can make this for him.  He loves anything with peanut butter in it. 

Sweet Rolls with Cherry Jam

It is a rainy, dreary, humid, nasty day in Ohio.  The type of day that you really want to crawl back in bed, pull the curtain close and just take a long nap with your two shih tzus for the rest of the day.  BUT, I have too much to do and, though,  the thought of a nice long nap is SO very tempting, I fought the urge.  INSTEAD, I decided to bake!!

For my birthday last week, my husband bought me a cast iron skillet which I have been wanting for a long time.  He is so lucky - I am not the "jewelry" type of girl - give me a cookbook or a skillet and I am a happy camper!!   Anyway, this past January, the magazine Taste of the South, had a special issue dedicated to cast iron and guess who bought a copy!!!  And they had a special section on "Southern Sweet Rolls" - how could anyone resist???

This does take a little effort.  You have to make the dough first and let it rise.  Then you make the rolls and let those rise again.  BUT, trust me it is worth all the effort!!  The only change that I did make is that it calls for cherry preserves which I did not have.  I had just made a batch of Tart Cherry Jam so I used that instead - don't think that made much of a difference.

Sweet Rolls with Cherry Jam

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream **(I didn't have sour cream, so I used yogurt instead)
6 T unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 to 2 cups cherry preserves/jam
lemon zest
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Using your mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour and yeast.

In a medium saucepan, add the milk, sour cream/yogurt, butter, sugar and salt.  Using a candy thermometer, heat while stirring until the mixture reads between 120 and 130 degrees - warming - this heats up pretty fast!

Add the milk mixture to the flour and mix on low speed.  Add the egg.  Mix until the dough starts to form.

Switch to a dough hook.  Mix at medium speed for about 5 minutes - dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom.  Dough will be very sticky.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray.  Place the dough in the bowl, cover with saran wrap and a dish towel.  Let rise in a warm place (I normally use my oven with the oven light on) for about one hour and 30 minutes.  It should have doubled in size.

Spray a 10 inch cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray.

Lightly punch down the dough.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 14 x 10 inch rectangle

Spread the cherry preserves/jam evenly over the dough and sprinkle the lemon zest.

With the long end, start rolling up the dough - this will be a bit messy!  Pinch the seam to seal.

Slice into 9 or 10 rolls, placing them in the prepared skillet.

Cover with the saran wrap and dish towel.  Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes (again, I use my oven with the oven light on).

Remove from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.  Let cool in the skillet on a wire racket for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar and cream until smooth.  Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.

Entire Recipe

Sweet Rolls with Cherry Jam

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream **(I didn't have sour cream, so I used yogurt instead)
6 T unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 to 2 cups cherry preserves/jam
lemon zest
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Using your mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour and yeast.

In a medium saucepan, add the milk, sour cream/yogurt, butter, sugar and salt.  Using a candy thermometer,  heat while stirring until the mixture reads between 120 and 130 degrees.

Add the milk mixture to the flour and mix on low speed.  Add the egg.  Mix until the dough starts to form.

Switch to a dough hook.  Mix at medium speed for about 5 minutes - dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom.  Dough will be very sticky.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray.  Place the dough in the bowl, cover with saran wrap and a dish towel.  Let rise in a warm place (I normally use my oven with the oven light on) for about one hour and 30 minutes.

Spray a 10 inch cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray.

Lightly punch down the dough.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 14 x 10 inch rectangle

Spread the cherry preserves/jam evenly over the dough and sprinkle the lemon zest..

With the long end, start rolling up the dough - this will be a bit messy!  Pinch the seam to seal.

Slice into 9 or 10 rolls, placing them in the prepared skillet.

Cover with the saran wrap and dish towel.  Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes (again, I use my oven with the oven light on).

Remove from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.  Let cool in the skillet on a wire racket for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar and cream until smooth.  Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.

ENJOY!!

VERDICT:

OMG!!!  These are so good!!  If you are trying to watch your weight, you shouldn't make these  - they are THAT good!!  I will have to let you know what the resident expert says!!

Zucchini and Tomato Quiche

Here is another recipe from Michele Stuart's cookbook, Perfect Pies.  I borrowed the book from the library - I think I might have to buy myself a copy - she does have a lot of good recipes!!

What a great recipe!!!  I love recipes like this - so easy to make.  The hardest part is all the slicing and chopping.  You can whip this up in minutes.  As always, I had to "improvise" as I did not have all the ingredients she had listed, but it still tasted good (I will note my substitutions with an **).  Onto the recipe . . .

Zucchini and Tomato Quiche by Michele Stuart

Ingredients

Use your favorite pie dough recipe for a single pie crust


Filing

3 T unsalted butter (or 2 T vegetable oil)
3/4 cup sliced and chopped onions
3/4 cup thinly sliced zucchini (I chopped the larger slices in half and in quarters)
1/4 cup red bell pepper (optional - I omitted because my husband is not a big pepper fan)
1/2 cup cubed tomatoes (I used roma tomatoes)
1 cup shredded Gruyere, provolone or swiss cheese (**didn't have any of those so I used an "Italian" blend cheese) - I go a little heavy on the cheese
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup half-and-half (**didn't have so I used goat's milk - cow's milk would have worked also)
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F

Prepare pie dough.  Roll out and place it in a 9 inch pie plate.

For the filling, melt the butter (or pour the vegetable oil) in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions, zucchini and red bell pepper (if using) and saute for about 5 minutes.

Spread the sauteed onions/zucchini mixture over the bottom of the pie shell.

Top with the chopped tomatoes.

Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over all the vegetables.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and half and half (or milk) and pour over vegetables.

Bake for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

Entire Recipe

Zucchini and Tomato Quiche by Michele Stuart

Ingredients

Use your favorite pie dough recipe for a single pie crust

Filing

3 T unsalted butter (or 2 T vegetable oil)
3/4 cup sliced and chopped onions
3/4 cup thinly sliced zucchini (I chopped the larger slices in half and in quarters)
1/4 cup red bell pepper (optional - I omitted because my husband is not a big pepper fan)
1/2 cup cubed tomatoes (I used roma tomatoes)
1 cup shredded Gruyere, provolone or swiss cheese (**didn't have any of those so I used an "Italian blend)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup half-and-half (**didn't have so I used goat's milk - cow's milk would have worked also)
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F

Prepare pie dough.  Roll out and place it in a 9 inch pie plate.

For the filling, melt the butter (or pour the vegetable oil) in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions, zucchini and red bell pepper (if using) and saute for about 5 minutes.

Spread the sauteed onions/zucchini mixture over the bottom of the pie shell.

Top with the chopped tomatoes.

Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over all the vegetables.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and half and half (or milk) and pour over vegetables.

Bake for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Verdict:

OH MY!!  This was good!!  My resident expert loved it!!  Yes, I can see this appearing on our dinner plates again in the near future.  As I said above, it is so easy to make - the hardest part is all the slicing and chopping of the vegetables.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
 

Another try at Cherry Pie

 I asked my husband what type of pie he wanted this week and, without any hesitation, he answered CHERRY PIE!!  Of course, I didn't have any cherries and the recipe I was looking at called for quick-cooking tapioca, so a run to the local grocery store had to be made. 


I found this recipe in the cookbook, As Easy As Pie by Susan G. Purdy.  It is a very easy and simple recipe to make - probably the hardest part is making the crust and that isn't that hard!!  And her recipe allows you to used canned cherries if you don't have access to fresh sour cherries (which I don't).

Cherry Pie by Susan Purdy

Ingredients

Your favorite pie crust recipe for a double crust

4 cups fresh pitted sour cherries OR 4 cups canned tart cherries(drained, reserving 1/3 cup juice)
2 3/4 T quick cooking tapioca
a pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 T butter

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425.

Prepare and line your pie plate with pie dough.

In a large bowl, combine the cherries, tapioca, salt, sugar, lemon and almond extract.  If you are using the canned cherries, add the 1/3 cup of cherry juice.

Stir to mix completely and set aside for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Spoon the fruit mixture into your pie crust and dot with the butter.

Roll out the second pie crust and arrange over the pie.  Seal the edges.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Cool on a rack (if you can!!).

Entire Recipe:

Cherry Pie by Susan Purdy

Ingredients

Your favorite pie crust recipe for a double crust

4 cups fresh pitted sour cherries OR 4 cups canned tart cherries(drained, reserving 1/3 cup juice)
2 3/4 T quick cooking tapioca
a pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 T butter

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425.

Prepare and line your pie plate with pie dough.

In a large bowl, combine the cherries, tapioca, salt, sugar, lemon and almond extract.  If you are using the canned cherries, add the 1/3 cup of cherry juice.

Stir to mix completely and set aside for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Spoon the fruit mixture into your pie crust and dot with the butter.

Roll out the second pie crust and arrange over the pie.  Seal the edges.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Cool on a rack (if you can!!).

ENJOY!!!

Comments:

I should have put foil on the edges as the edges got a little too brown.  Otherwise, this was a really good pie!  And what did my resident expert think?  Oh, he loved it!!  This is definitely going to be my "go to" pie recipe whenever I want to make Cherry Pie - it is that good!!