Creamy, buttery, lemony

This is a lovely pie. Lemon chess pie, as it is called, is a cousin to my beloved chocolate chess pie. It tastes like lemon bars instead of the traditional lemon meringue pie. I will definitely make this again. My family gobbled up this pie in no time. The recipe comes from Cook's Country.

THE RECIPE:

5 eggs
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 9-inch pie shell, well chilled
1 tsp. sugar

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon zest, juice, cornmeal and salt. Whisk in butter. Let stand while pie shell cooks so cornmeal can soften.

Poke pie shell all over with fork. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Bake shell about 8 minutes, then remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

Whisk filling briefly to recombine. Pour into pie shell and bake until surface is light brown and center jiggles slightly when shaken, about 45 to 55 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Cool for 4 hours on wire rack before slicing into pie. Refrigerate leftovers.

Secret layer of deliciousness

This was my first time making banana cream pie. I did it for Thanksgiving for my auntie, who said it was her favorite. It turned out awesome! I was so excited when it got rave reviews. The success came because I made something called a black-bottom banana cream pie, which has a layer of chocolate right above the crust. Score! I don't think I could ever eat it any other way now.

I made my own custard, which isn't difficult at all. Any kind of crust will work, but I think the crunch of a chocolate or graham cracker crust is divine.

THE RECIPE:

1 prebaked crust
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 c. whole milk
3 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/4 c. cream
1 or 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 ripe but firm bananas
1/4 c. orange juice
2 c. sweetened whipped cream*

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt. Whisk in cornstarch thoroughly. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm milk until almost boiling, stirring frequently. Drizzle hot milk slowly into egg mixture, whisking the whole time. If you do this very patiently, you will temper your eggs gradually and prevent them from scrambling.

Return combined mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool for a few minutes, then place plastic wrap directly onto custard to cool completely. The plastic will prevent the custard from forming a skin.

Combine chocolate, cream and sugar, and microwave in small increments until smooth. Let cool completely, then pour into pie crust. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Toss with orange juice, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Fold bananas into custard, then spread into pie crust. Pipe whipped cream on top as desired.




*Whipped cream doesn't hold up long, so if you need to make this pie in advance, or if you need it to hold up for a long time through a party or extended refrigeration, you should consider stabilizing your whipped cream. This way it will hold up for days. See recipe below.

Stabilized whipped cream:

4 tsp. cold water
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
1 c. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place cold water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top and mix in. Let stand for a minute to thicken. This process is called blooming. Microwave gelatin in small bursts, stirring each time, until melted into a translucent liquid.

Start beating cream, sugar and vanilla with mixer until cream starts to thicken. Pour in gelatin and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Makes 2 cups.

Pacify your chocolate addiction

This week, my husband took all three of my children -- this includes a 6-week-old -- to the library by himself. I thought about running wild around the empty house. But then I thought about this French silk chocolate pie, and I had to make it. The recipe comes from Cook's Country, so you know it will be good. It is rich and thick and creamy and silky. My 7-year-old remarked that she loved the way her teeth felt sinking into its chocolatey goodness. The only drawback is the tired arm from all the mixing.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. heavy cream
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. water
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 cooked deep-dish pie shell*

Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine eggs, sugar and water in large heat-proof bowl (I used a glass mixing bowl). On stove top, set bowl over medium saucepan containing half an inch of simmering water. Don't let bowl touch water. You are making a kind of double boiler. Beat egg mixture with electric mixer until thickened and heated through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat several minutes more, until mixture is cooled and fluffy.

Add chocolate and vanilla to cooled egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Beat in butter. Using rubber spatula, fold in whipped cream until no streaks of white remain. Scrape mixture into pie shell and refrigerate at least three hours to set.

*Next time I'll try an Oreo crust.

St. Patrick's Day dessert

My kids took St. Patrick's Day very seriously this year. They literally pinched me at least 100 times in the morning, until I put on a green shirt. I got with the program, and everything was green after that! We had a St. Patrick's Day dinner of corned beef and a bunch of yummy green sides.

We ended the night with the lime Jell-O cream cheese pie you see above. It is the easiest thing in the world to throw together, and its thick, creamy, Jell-O-y filling is delicious. You must serve it with fresh whipped cream. Plan ahead for refrigeration time.

THE RECIPE:

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 3-ounce package lime Jell-O
1 c. boiling water
8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. lime juice

Dissolve Jell-O into boiling water. Add cream cheese and beat with electric mixer until smooth and combined. Add lime juice. Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate at least four hours, until set.

A twist on the traditional

I only tried one new recipe for Thanksgiving this year. I made this old-fashioned applesauce pie and then sent it to the party with my siblings. My family and I stayed home and threw up all day. What do you do, right?

This pie is really great, though, for people like me who don't like all the chunks of baked fruit in traditional pies. This pie has all the flavor of traditional apple pie, with the custard-like texture of pumpkin pie. It is a snap to throw together, and it's a fun change from the usual.

The recipe is an Amish one from the book "New Recipes from Quilt Country."

THE RECIPE:

1 pie crust
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. smooth applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together ingredients and pour into pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes. It looks a little wiggly when it comes out. Allow to cool completely before eating so it sets.

Hidden treasure

I have been meaning to post this recipe for a long time. This is a unique pie that got high praise from people who tried it. I have to say it is one of the best I've ever tasted. It's a mixed berry pie, using fresh boysenberries and strawberries from our garden, and here's the surprise: The sweet berry filling is swirled with chocolate! That's why I loved it so much. I'm not normally a big fan of baked fruit. I don't like the chunks, and I don't like tartness. But chocolate makes everything worthwhile!

I made this pie more than once, adjusting the fruit amounts according to what I had on hand. You can do the same. Below, however, is the recipe with the ratios I liked best.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. blueberries
2 c. strawberries, halved
1 c. boysenberries
1/3 c. flour
2/3 to 3/4 c. sugar, depending on tartness of berries
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 to 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Gently mix berries with flour, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Allow to sit while making crust dough. Stir in chocolate chips, then pour filling into bottom crust. Make lattice-style crust on top or whatever design your heart desires -- something that allows ventilation. Brush top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Line outer edges with foil if needed to prevent burning. I didn't need to do that. Let cool completely on wire rack before eating.

Crust recipe:

2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. shortening
1/3 c. cold butter
8 to 10 Tbsp. cold water

Stir together flour and salt, then cut in shortening and butter with pastry blender until you have pea-sized crumbs. Mix in water until dough forms. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface. You'll need two 12-inch circles for a 9-inch pie pan.

*I made it both ways. I liked it with more chocolate, and my husband liked it with less -- he loves baked fruit, though, so he wanted the fruit to shine with just a hint of chocolate. I wanted chocolate in every bite.

A Southern treat

Have you ever heard of chocolate chess pie? I hadn't, until maybe a year ago. I guess it's a Southern thing. It's really, really good. It has a crispy, brownie-type top with a chocolate custard filling.

This recipe, which supposedly comes from the award-winning Angus Barn in North Carolina, is easy to throw together. The only hard part is that you want it to cook just the right amount of time so the filling will set properly. I think I undercooked mine slightly because the middle was a bit runny. Or maybe I didn't let it sit long enough after it finished cooking. That's the other must. Don't worry, though, because it tastes good no matter what you do to it. I served mine with homemade cinnamon whipped cream. Oh, and I just used a store-bought pie crust, but feel free to make your own.

THE RECIPE:

1 unbaked pie shell
1/2 c. butter

2 squares Baker's semisweet chocolate (1 ounce each)*

1 c. sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Dash of salt

If you're using a store-bought crust, follow directions on package. (For example, set shell on cookie sheet and let thaw 15 minutes.) Melt together butter and chocolate. Add remaining ingredients. Pour batter into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. It feels jiggly when you pull it out. Let pie sit AT LEAST 30 minutes -- I'd recommend more -- before slicing into it. You must resist the temptation. Serve with cinnamon whipped cream.

Note: Do not bake more than one pie at a time. I tried baking two, and for some reason they kind of explode on themselves, which requires you to take them out early and leave them undercooked.

*Or use 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cinnamon whipped cream:

1/2 c. whipping cream

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Beat together ingredients with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Makes 1 cup.