Banana Cream Pie

CRUST (Pate Brisee)
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1/8 c ice water, more if needed
In food processor, combine flour, salt and butter. Pulse until mixture resembles course crumbs. With machine running, add ice water slowly until dough holds together without being wet. Shape dough on a piece of plastic wrap into a flattened disk and refrigerate at least one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp edges as desired. Prick dough all over with fork. Fill with dry beans or pie weights. (Once you use dry beans, continue using the same ones as your "pie" beans!) Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes.

Filling
4 egg yolks
3 c whole milk
2/3 c sugar
5 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
3-4 bananas
1 c heavy cream
powdered sugar to taste
1 t vanilla
In a bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks and set aside. In a large pan, whisk together milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to simmer (do not boil) and cook, whisking constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add small amount of milk mixture to egg yolks to temper and then pour entire mixture back into large pan. Cook, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center, approximately 2-3 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cover completely with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Cool in fridge. Cut bananas into slices and arrange in rows in the pie crust. Cover with custard. Whip cream, powdered sugar and vanilla and spread on top of custard. Refrigerate for at least one hour!

You can make a coconut cream pie the same way,
just substitute the bananas for toasted coconut!

Lemon Sour Cream Pie

Crust
1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 T butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and place in large glass baking dish. Bake crust for ten minutes.

Filling
1 cup sugar
3 T plus 1-1/2 t cornstarch
1 T grated lemon peel
½ cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
¼ cup butter, cubed
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel, lemon juice, egg yolks and milk in heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir in butter and cool mixture to room temperature. Stir in sour cream and pour filling into cooled crust.

Topping
1 cup heavy cream
1 t pure vanilla extract
Powder sugar to taste
1 T lemon zest
Beat cream, vanilla, and powder sugar until whipped. Mix in zest and spread over lemon filling. Garnish with lemon twists if desired. Keep in fridge.

Candy Crunch Pudding Pie

Prep Time:20 min
Total Time:20 min
Makes:8 servings

2 cups cold milk

2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
2 milk chocolate English toffee candy bars (1.4 oz. each), chopped, divided
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)
1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

BEAT milk and dry pudding mixes with whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in half of the whipped topping and all but 3 Tbsp. of the candy.

SPOON into crust.

TOP with remaining whipped topping and candy. Drizzle with chocolate. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Mindy’s Fresh Lime Pie

Mindy Powell

6 to 8 limes juiced (approximately 1 cup lime juice)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 graham cracker crust
zest of 2 limes
1 cup whipping cream (with powder sugar and vanilla to taste)

Zest two of the limes and reserve zest for garnish. Juice all limes and blend lime juice with the sweetened condensed milk and sour cream. In a separate container, beat the eggs, then add to the lime mixture and beat for 1 minute. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and put pie in fridge to cool. Top with real whipping cream and lime zest to serve.

Aunt Shelly's Strawberry Pie

From the Kitchen of: Shelly Keisel

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
1 ¼ cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup oil
2 tbsp milk
Filling:
1 Package fresh strawberries, cut up
Glaze:
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
4 tbsp strawberry jell-o

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix together ingredients for crust and press in pie pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Fill shell with strawberries. Boil sugar, cornstarch and water in saucepan and add strawberry jell-o. Pour cooled glaze over top of strawberries.