Butterscotch Pecan Pie

There is an absolutely wonderful article in the May/June 2013 issue of AAA’s Alabama Journey magazine. It’s all about the Pie Lab in Greensboro. It’s almost enough to make me want to climb in the van and head out. And, yes, they serve more than pies. They also serve meals and conversation. And all in downtown Greensboro, Alabama. Who knew?!

They were thoughtful enough to share this recipe. I can’t wait to try it.

Butterscotch Pecan Pie

3 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup corn syrup
1 ½ cups pecan halves
½ cup butterscotch morsels
1 9-inch pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. While butter is melting, whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in brown sugar, flour, vanilla, and corn syrup until combined. Add the melted butter.

Mix in the pecans and the butterscotch morsels. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

Pom-Berry Shake

A few years ago my Dad decided he wanted a few strawberry plants. We love strawberries and they’re fairly easy to grow. You just have to take care of them and keep the weeds at bay.

He soon lost interest and the weeds and grass covered the strawberries. They appeared to be lost. A couple of years passed and he wanted to purchase more strawberry plants. He did and cleared and space in the garden and planted them there.

I wasn’t quite ready to give up on the older plants. I began pulling grass and weeds and, sure enough, the plants had survived. They produce large, juicy strawberries. I’m so glad I took the time to uncover them.

This recipe is from the May 2013 issue of Coastal Living. They’ve got some fabulous milkshake recipes, along with some tips on making awesome shakes. Be sure to check it out.

Pom-Berry Shake

½ cup pomegranate-blueberry juice
12 oz. frozen mixed berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
Garnishes: whipped cream, fresh berries

Combine juice, berries, ice cream and milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Garnish, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Lemon-Yogurt Crumb Cake

Nothing quite says late spring or early summer to me quite like a lemon cake. It’s just so fresh, like a sunny day. I think this cake will be perfect with a little Blue Bell ice cream. Yum!

Lemon-Yogurt Crumb Cake

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces

Cake Batter
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided
3 large eggs, separated
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup plan Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
¾ cup Quick & Easy Lemon Curd (recipe under separate entry)
¼ cup powdered sugar

Prepare Crumb Topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first five ingredients; cut cold butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Prepare Cake Batter: Beat softened butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Add 1 ¼-cups granulated sugar, beating 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.

Stir together flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in lemon zest.

Beat egg whites at high speed until foamy; gradually add remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch square (2-inch deep) pan. Dollop with lemon curd; gently swirl with a knife. Sprinkle Crumb Topping over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm, or cool on a wire rack 1 hour.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Creamy Strawberry Pie

The first strawberries are beginning to ripen in the strawberry patch. My mouth is already longing for the taste of a strawberry pie. This recipe is from the April 2013 issue of Family Circle magazine. I can’t wait to try it.

The only thing I’ll do differently is how I make the crust. I grew up watching my mother use a rolling pin to make a Nilla wafer cookie crust for her Lemon Icebox Pie. It’s super easy and doesn’t require much cleanup. The result is the same. A yummy crust.

Be sure to check out the entire issue of Family Circle. The magazine also included several recipes for cupcakes!

Creamy Strawberry Pie

Crust
6 oz. Nilla wafer cookies (½ of a 12 oz. box)
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine Nilla wafer cookies and sugar in a food processor. Pulse until fine crumbs are formed. Transfer to a bowl and add melted butter; stir together until all crumbs are moistened.

Press crumbs into bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake crust at 350 for 14 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Place on wire rack and cool completely.

Filling
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup cran-raspberry juice
8 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced; divided
¼ cup cornstarch

In a medium-size saucepan, combine sugar, cran-raspberry juice, cornstarch and 2 cups strawberries. Gently mash berries with a potato masher. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 2 minutes or until liquid is clear and thickened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Stir in 6 cups strawberries, reserving several slices for garnish. Pour into cooled crust and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Topping
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

In large bowl, beat together heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie, leaving a 1-inch border around edges. Garnish with reserved berries and serve.

Makes 10 servings, at 296 calories per serving.

Raspberry Almond Streusel Muffins

Once upon a time I baked a lot of muffins. Really. All kinds of muffins. Most of them were quite tasty though some were better than others. A particular favorite was Blueberry Muffins made with fresh blueberries.

Life changes, doesn’t it? I no longer cook to satisfy myself and I no longer head to an office five days a week. That was always a wonderful way to try out new recipes and not have to eat it all by yourself.

This recipe from the April 2013 issue of Coastal Living magazine might get me baking muffins again. Fresh raspberries and a streusel topping can only be described as heavenly. I hope you enjoy. And be sure to check out this issue of the magazine for more muffin recipes and some wonderful tips on visiting Galveston, Texas.

Raspberry-Almond Streusel Muffins

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup butter, melted
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 pint fresh raspberries
Streusel Topping (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, milk butter and almond extract in a medium bowl. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until blended. (Do not over mix.) Gently folk in raspberries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans; top evenly with Streusel Topping.

Bake 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans 3 minutes. Remove muffins from pans, and serve warm.

Makes 18 muffins.

Streusel Topping

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Combine flour, sugar and brown sugar in a bowl; cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in almonds.

Makes 1 cup.

Lemon Snap Icebox Pie

This recipes comes from the April 2013 issue of Relish, which is an insert in our local newspaper. It makes me think of sun and the beach instead of the dreary skies today has brought.

Lemon Snap Icebox Pie

Crust
1 ½ cups gingersnap crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar

Cream Cheese Layer
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups whole-milk ricotta
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
½ cup sugar

Creamy Lemon Curd
3 egg yolks, well beaten
1/3 cup sugar
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter
Sliced lemons

To prepare crust, combine crumbs, butter and sugar. Press into a 9-inch springform pan.

To prepare cream cheese layer, combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. Puree until very creamy. Spoon into crust. Cover and refrigerate.

To prepare curd, combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until curd is thick (about 5 minutes). Let cool completely. Spoon over chilled pie. Top pie with thin lemon slices.

Makes 10 servings.

Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Sauce

Spring is finally in the air. Hooray! This is such a beautiful time of year when we get to enjoy the outdoors after the cold has left and before the blazing heat has arrived.

What better time to bring on the Key Lime Pie? It just so tropical and fun. This recipe comes from the March 2013 issue of Coastal Living.

Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Sauce

2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons lime zest
¾ cup fresh lime juice
Almond-Graham Crust (recipe below)
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Raspberry Sauce (recipe below)
Garnish: lime slices, lime zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, eggs, lime zest and lime juice until well blended. Pour mixture into Almond-Graham Crust.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until pie is set and edges are golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack about 1 hour. Chill 2 hours or until firm.

Combine sour cream and powdered sugar; spread mixture over top of pie. Serve with Raspberry Sauce and garnish, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Almond-Graham Crust

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup chopped sliced almonds
¼ cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs, almonds and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in butter. Press mixture firmly into an 11-inch tart pan or 9 ½-inch deep pie plate. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 1 piecrust.

Raspberry Sauce

1 12-oz. bag frozen raspberries
½ cup sugar

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, crushing raspberries against side of pan and stirring constantly, 6 minutes or until sugar melts. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing with a spatula or the back of a spoon; discard seeds. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Makes ¾ cup.