Razzleberry Pie à la Martha Edgren

1 (12 oz.) bag of frozen raspberries
1 (16 oz.) bag of frozen boysenberries or blackberries
1 2/3 cup sugar
scant 1/2 c flour (unbleached)
3 tablespoons butter (salted)
2 pie crusts

Line bottom of 10" pie pan with crust, letting it hang over edges of pie pan.  Layer boysenberries and raspberries in bottom of crust.  Mix sugar and flour together and sprinkle over berries.  Dot with butter and drizzle with vanilla.  Top with second crust and trim about 1/2" from edge.  Press crusts together and roll to top.  Flute edges.  Sprinkle with sugar and cut slits in top of crust.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook an additional 40-50 minutes or until nicely brown.

NOTE:  A shallow 10" pan works better than a deep pan.  You can buy 10" disposable aluminum pans that are perfect.  If you use this kind of pan, bake it on a cookie sheet to help brown the bottom.  you may double the recipe and put in a 9x13 baking dish topped with pie crust for a cobbler. he

*Can bake at 375 degrees on cookie sheet for 50-60 minutes.

**To make ahead, BAKE / COOL / FREEZE / Then THAW at room temp overnight and REBAKE @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes to re-crisp

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Crust (PLEASE NOTE:  I use a regular flour crust, because I feel like the Oreo crust is too overpowering)

• 21 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

Mousse

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate (We used Guittard--did not chop)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 3 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar

• Chocolate shavings (optional)

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process until mixture is evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan to form thin crust. Bake crust 5 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool completely.

For flour crust, bake and let cool completely before adding mousse. 

For Mousse:

Simple Instructions:

Bring 1 cup cream to boil in heavy small saucepan.

Add chocolate, vanilla and salt to cream. 

Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. 

Pour mousse into prepared crust. Chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Kristin's confusing instructions:

Combine chocolate, vanilla and salt in processor. (I do not use a food processor--I like the small chunks of chocolate that don't melt all the way when you just boil it--gives it a nice texture) Bring 1 cup cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. (At this point I just add the bag of chocolate chips and vanilla and salt to the sauce pan of boiling cream.  After it's pretty much melted, then I transfer it to a separate bowl and follow the rest of the recipe) With processor running, gradually pour hot cream through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour mousse into prepared crust. Chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream in medium bowl to firm peaks. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around edge of cake. Garnish with chocolate shavings. 

For comments from others about making this pie, go to the epicurious site: 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Mousse-Pie-2687

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

Pie Filling

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, about 2-3 large lemons, plus zest
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites
•  1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Bake your crust
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
   
3. To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, then vanilla and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. This takes a very, very long time. Set aside.
4. To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell. Spread meringue over pie, making sure it touches the edges at the crust. Cover the edges of the pie with tinfoil so they don't burn.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.  
6. Cool on a rack for an hour, then in the fridge for 3-4 hours, uncovered.

   modified from  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grandmas-lemon-meringue-pie/

Frozen Chocolate Velvet Pie

Frozen pie crust

3/8 c white corn syrup

1 1/2 T water

1 1/2 T vanilla (yes, Tbs)

1 bag semi-sweet choco chips (use the best you can find....I like Guittard)

1 c chilled sweetened condensed milk (don't forget to put in fridge ahead of time)

1 pint heavy whipping cream

Cook pie crust and set aside. (I found that the cheap thin crust works better for this pie than the better thicker crusts) Barely boil corn syrup and remove from heat. Add choco chips, water, and vanilla and stir till melted. Let cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add milk and cream. Blend on low until well mixed and then on med/high until soft peaks form. Pour into pie crust and stick in the freezer. Take it out a few minutes before you cut it.

There ya go!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Prep Time:

30 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

50 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

We made this at Brie's house in 2010 and it was the favorite dessert of the night.....well, maybe it tied with frozen chocolate velvet pie.

Pecan Pie sans corn syrup

Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.
3. Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until done.

Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

• 1 8-inch (6 oz.) prepared chocolate crumb crust (or graham cracker, my fav I think)
  
• 1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
• Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
• 2 oz. semi-sweet baking bar, made into curls *

Directions

MICROWAVE morsels in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH power for 1 minute; STIR (or otherwise heat on the stove stirring constantly). The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted. Cool to room temperature.

BEAT melted chocolate, cream cheese and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until light in color. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. Top with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls.

*CHOCOLATE CURLS:
Carefully draw a vegetable peeler across edge of a bar of Semi-Sweet Chocolate.

(this is the pie that Brie and I discovered last year and it's AMAZING. Brooke made it too at Thanksgiving and we all loved it!)

Originally from here.

Raspberry Ganache Pie

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup whipping cream
6 Tbsp. seedless raspberry jam, divided (seedless is very important. I learned this the hard way)
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)
2 cups raspberries
1 Tbsp. water

PLACE chocolate in medium bowl; set aside. Mix cream and 2 Tbsp. of the jam in small saucepan. Bring just to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Let stand 2 minutes.
BEAT with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Pour into crust; cover. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
ARRANGE raspberries on top of pie. Microwave remaining 1/4 cup jam and water in small microwavable bowl on HIGH 30 seconds; stir until well blended. Brush over raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Made this as a 21st birthday present to myself :). Delish.

Pecan Pie

1/2 c butter

1 1/4 c sugar

1/2 c dark corn syrup

3 eggs

1t vanilla

1 1/2 c pecans

Heat butter and sugar in sauce pan until sugar is dissolved. Add corn syrup. Mix well. Remove from heat and cool (until cool enough so that when you add the eggs, it won't cook the eggs). Beat eggs and stir into sugar mixture. Add vanilla. Add pecans. Stir together and pour into pie shell. Bake 375 at least an hour. It will be soft in the middle.