Pies & Tarts

Rustic Squash Tarts

Leah Short — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 18:19:23 +0000

This Rustic Squash Tart is one of those recipes I love because it’s so unique and the presentation is really pretty. It looks like you put a lot of effort into it, but it’s really quite easy. Well, other than peeling butternut and acorn squash. It’s unique because the top is savory with the two squashes covered in herbs, but hidden underneath is a layer of spiced, sweet pecans. It sounds really odd, I know, but it just works. Baked in a flaky puff pastry, this tasty side will steal the show.

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Pumpkin Brownie Swirl Pie

Leah Short — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:03:04 +0000

Oh how I love a merging of two obsessions. It’s been a while since I’ve had a combo dessert. What’s not to love about a dessert that let’s you have the best of both worlds? In this case, chocolatey brownies AND pumpkin pie! The second I saw this pie, I knew I’d make it for Thanksgiving. It’s almost a little Halloweenish with it’s black and orange swirls, but oh so perfect for the biggie holidays, too. This Pumpkin Brownie Swirl Pie served warm with a scoop of really good vanilla ice cream is heaven. The brownie is the crust and the top is both swirled together. Sweet and perfectly spiced pumpkin mixed with chocolate brownie is genius.

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Piña Colada Icebox Pie

Leah Short — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:05:40 +0000

♫ ♪ If you like piña coladas, and getting caught in the rain. ♫ ♪ Yep, sang that the entire time I was making and eating and writing this post about Piña Colada Icebox Pie. I can’t help it, it’s catchy! You’re welcome for the ear worm. This was our dessert after eating Beer-Brined Barbecue Chicken and Ranchero Corn on the 4th. I really couldn’t wait to dive in, but oh did we have to wait. I’ve mentioned a million times before how I’m notorious for not reading through a recipe until I’m actually making it. (You’d think I would learn my lesson by now.) So yeah, didn’t see that whole part about “chill four hours” until I was in the thick of making pie. So I made the pie and let it chill overnight because it was crazy late already. What torture! I’m telling you it was worth the wait and then some. It starts with a pecan shortbread crust speckled with coconut. Next is a gooey, thick layer of pineapple filling. On top of that is a coconut cream cheese layer. The final layer is coconut whipped cream. Just take my advice and plan ahead!

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Corn Frittata

Leah Short — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 14:16:43 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me how you can spend hours in the kitchen prepping a dish or you can spend minutes, and both come out tasting fantastic. Funny how food works that way. Luckily this Corn Frittata is the latter. It’s a breeze to put together and takes no time to cook. If you’re a corn lover, you’re going to enjoy this one. We used to have a joke at my mom’s house when asked “what do you want with it?” that the answer was always corn. She always has a bag of frozen corn in the freezer and guess what? So do I. The recipe calls for fresh corn and certainly go that route if you like, but frozen corn works just as well.

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Cheeseburger Pie

Leah Short — Wed, 14 May 2014 13:30:21 +0000

I can barely contain myself with my excitement to share this recipe with you! Now I know Cheeseburger Pie sounds crazy, but stick with me. Let’s not forget that I brought you Taco Spaghetti and that’s been one of my top recipes on the blog. So trust me when I tell you this pie is drool-worthy. I have looked forward to every single slice. It’s fantastic out of the oven, but the leftovers get better and better. And yes, it REALLY tastes like a cheeseburger, minus all those pesky calories. You can taste the mustard and ketchup, plus those glorious pickles and tomatoes on top, and tons of cheese. This is comfort food at its best with no guilt. Now that’s a burger I can sink my teeth in!

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Butterfinger Pie

Leah Short — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:29:53 +0000

It’s not a bad gig being the official birthday treat-maker at work. It gives me an excuse to make some decadent goodies like Fresh Lemonade Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Whoopie Pie Cake, and Tunnel of Fudge Cake. I love baking treats for others and any excuse to whip up something sweet when I’m counting calories isn’t so bad. I mean I have to, right? A little cheating now and then doesn’t hurt, but this Butterfinger Pie will make you want to grab a fork and forget you ever heard the word “calorie.” Trust me, the splurge is worth it. I first made this pie years ago before this blog was ever created. Shame on me for taking years to share it with you. If you’re a fan of Butterfinger, or peanut butter, or chocolate, you are going to fall head over heels for this dessert!

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No-Bake S’mores Pie

Leah Short — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 19:41:00 +0000

I saw this No-Bake S’mores Pie in my feed reader a month ago and just knew I was going to make it. I was looking for the perfect recipe to use up a big bag of marshmallows I had on hand without having to resort to making krispy treats (is that a bad thing?). This pie sounded right up my alley with a thick chocolate filling, easy graham cracker crust, no baking, and I get to use my kitchen torch!

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Apple Toffee Hand Pies

Leah Short — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:38:27 +0000

Are these not the cutest mini pies?!Â Believe it or not, I found these Apple Toffee Hand Pies in Cooking Light. If you can limit yourself, they can fit into your calorie budget. I didn’t fair so well on the whole “limiting myself” part, but it’s all in the name of baking. I had to make this recipe three times before I got it right. The first time I forgot the butter, the second time I didn’t put in enough filling, and the third time was the charm!

So, how’s it taste?

They were pretty tasty, but you have to be a crust person to really enjoy them. I love pie, but my favorite part has always been the crust. Especially the bottom layer. While these hand pies are cute and tasty, they are pretty much all crust. I overfilled them by more than what the original recipe calls for and they were still mostly crust. The filling is delicious though. It’s the perfect apple pie combination of slightly tart, yet slightly sweet apples with cinnamon and sugar. I liked the idea of the toffee chips, but you can barely taste them. I changed the recipe instructions to leave them out of the apple mixture and sprinkle more of them on top, and still couldn’t detect them.

I think this recipe would be a real winner if the pies were made bigger to increase the filling to crust ratio. Of course, that would take them out of the low calorie category…but it’s pie, and it’s worth it!

Apple Toffee Hand Pies

Cooking Light, January 2013
makes about 12 pies
per pie: 142 calories, 8.3g fat, 1g protein, 15.3g carbs, 0.2g fiber

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped Gala or Rome apples
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (14.1 oz.) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
Cooking spray
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. toffee chips
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 12 cubes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375Â°F.

2. Combine apple, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

3. Roll the pie dough on a lightly floured surface into 2 (12-inch) circles. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut each dough portion into 12 rounds. Discard any remaining dough scraps.

4. Place 12 dough rounds on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush half of the beaten egg over dough rounds. Spoon about 1 tablespoon apple mixture onto each round, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges of the dough. Top each round with a sprinkle of toffee chips and 1 piece of butter.

5. Top pies with remaining 12 rounds of dough; press edges together with a fork to seal. Brush remaining half of beaten egg over each pie. Bake at 375Â° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

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Blueberry Pecan Crisp

Leah Short — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:54:27 +0000

You know how I love desserts. Love, love, love them. I have an incurable sweet tooth. While I’m a huge fan of chocolate, I also have a soft spot for fruity desserts. Mostly the ones you see this time of year like cobblers, pies, crisps, etc. About a month ago, the kind folks at Lucky Leaf contacted me about their premium fruit pie fillings. Um, twist my arm! Of course I’d love to give them a try. I received their peach, cherry, and blueberry varieties. I instantly gravitated to blueberry. Tucked inside my box of goodies was a few recipe cards and I knew I’d have to make the Blueberry Pecan Crisp. Boy I’m glad I did!

So, how’s it taste?

Looking at the recipe, I honestly thought it was a little odd. It starts out with pineapple on the bottom and you don’t drain it. Weird, right? Next, you top the pineapple with brown sugar and cinnamon. Cinnamon and pineapple? Ok, I’m game. On top of that goes that thick, rich blueberry filling. I may have licked my spoon two or eight times during that process. The next layer is an entire box of yellow cake mix. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle with butter. Lots of butter. I’m no food science wiz, but I was curious how it would all come together, especially with that much dry cake mix on top. But now it started to make sense with the pineapple juice on the bottom and all that butter on the top.

Magic really does happen in the oven. As it baked, it got bubbly and golden. I have never smelled anything so delicious baking in my oven. If you’re a fan of blueberry desserts, you are going to be in heaven with this one. It is incredibly addicting. Confession: I shared this with no one. Not a single person. I am in the process of eating the entire dish. It’s amazing, rich, and incredibly decadent. The pineapple works to balance the sweet from the pie filling. You don’t taste it separately, but it plays nicely with the rest of the flavors. I loved the cake mix on top. It forms sort of a crust and then gets softer the closer it gets to the filling. The pecans are perfect for a bit of crunch (and you know what a fan I am of pecans anyway.) Another plus is this dish is easy to make. It’s super quick, but will definitely be a crowd-pleaser…should you decide to share it, unlike me. I should probably make two next time.

You can stay up-to-date on all things Lucky Leaf by following them on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Disclosure: Lucky Leaf sent me free samples of their premium fruit pie filling, but I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Blueberry Pecan Crisp

by Lucky Leaf
makes 15 servings

Ingredients:

1 (20 oz.) can unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (21 oz.) can Lucky Leaf Premium Blueberry Pie Filling
1 (15.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix
1 cup pecan halves, chopped
1 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Pour pineapple into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.

3. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Top with pie filling. Sprinkle with cake mix and pecans; drizzle with butter.

4. Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve warm.

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Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Leah Short — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:15:49 +0000

Apple pie. What’s more classic than apple pie? Funny thing is I usually gravitate away from apple desserts…unless it’s apple pie. I love the stuff! It’s so simple and so decadent. This Easy Skillet Apple Pie is no exception from that description. It seriously is easy, aside from peeling and slicing apples. It’s crazy decadent, too. Plus I like the added touch of baking it in a cast iron skillet.

So, how’s it taste?

It’s pretty amazing. I had a feeling it would be since under the pie crust is an entire stick of butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar! As it bakes, a little of that goodness oozes out over the sides. I totally didn’t mind because I actually planned for this and put a baking pan underneath to catch the drippings and also because it made it feel like I was baking something completely sinful. If you want to make your own crust, go right ahead. I happen to really like store-bought crust and really hate making my own pie crust, so making this pie was a cinch. The most time-consuming part is peeling and slicing the apples, but it’s well worth the effort. The recipe calls for half Granny Smith and half Braeburn. I’ve made several pies using Granny Smith and liked them, but the ones I bought were a little too tart this time. The Braeburn apples have a slight hint of tart, but not too much, so I wish I had used all Braeburn. Both held up really well to baking and didn’t turn to mush. The simplicity of the cinnamon and sugar over the apple slices balanced well with the thick layer of brown sugar and butter underneath. It did make the bottom crust slightly soggy, but not in a bad way. Plus the top crust and sides make up for it. After I took out the first slice, I spooned the juice over the top!

I will warn you that if you take a slice or two out and refrigerate the leftovers, you’ll see a gross film of hardened butter on the top of the sauce. Yeah, it’s not figure-friendly folks! Just skim that off and discard it or heat it up and forget you ever saw it. This pie is definitely a scene-stealer when served in the cast iron skillet. Bookmark this recipe for your upcoming holiday feasts!

Yield: 8-10 servings

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Granny Smith apples
2 lbs. Braeburn apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14.1 oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg white
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

2. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.

3. Bake at 350F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. You'll want to place a pan underneath the skillet in case the sugar mixture spills over. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.

Source: Southern Living, September 2011

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