Tag: pie

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Dessert

Gelatin pie will make you say ‘Jell-O, there’

Strawberry gelatin pie is a cool treat for a hot day, with very simple ingredients and preparation.
Strawberry gelatin pie is a cool treat for a hot day, with very simple ingredients and preparation.

With heat advisories peppering the weather reports this past week, I found myself in serious need of a cool, summer dessert that wouldn’t heat my kitchen past its breaking point.

I guess I didn’t really “need” it, but when the heat index is pushing into the triple digits, I often search for something sweet to try to cool things down a bit. Of course, I’m nearly always in search of something sweet.

This time, I opted for a non-ice-cream treat, which is rare for me, and I instead reached for a box of strawberry gelatin sitting in my pantry.

I was in the mood for a slice of pie, and since I’d recently found a recipe for a gelatin pie I wanted to try, I decided it was high time to whip one up.

The recipe I found was on the blog “Spaceships and Laser Beams.” You can find the original post at https://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/no-bake-strawberry-jello-pie/. I changed absolutely nothing, except I realized quickly that there is way too much filling produced by this recipe for just one pie, so I added an additional crust. If you’d rather make just one, you’ll just have leftover filling that you can let setup in the fridge and eat in non-pie form.

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Strawberry Gelatin Pie

Strawberry gelatin pie is a cool treat for a hot day, with very simple ingredients and preparation.
Course Dessert
Keyword gelatin, Jell-O, no bake, strawberry

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup boiling water
  • 3- ounce package strawberry gelatin
  • 1 cup ice cold water
  • 16 ounces frozen whipped topping defrosted
  • 2 prepared 9-inch graham cracker crusts

Instructions

  • Add the gelatin to the 2/3 cup of boiling water and stir until it is completely dissolved.
  • In a large bowl, combine the gelatin and cold water and stir it until it begins to thicken just a little. Add in the whipped topping and stir well.
  • Refrigerate the filling for 30 minutes to let it begin to set up.
  • Stir the filling and spoon evenly into the two crusts.
  • Refrigerate the pies for at least three hours or overnight before slicing.
  • Store covered in the refrigerator.

This is one of those recipes that would be perfect for a beginning cook, especially if you do like I did and boil the water in the microwave instead of on the stovetop.

I also lazily created my ice water by putting a cube in my one-cup measuring cup, filling it with cold water, and waiting. As you can imagine, it didn’t take long to dissolve into nice, super cold water.

If you’ve never tried a gelatin pie before, it’s incredibly airy, making it the perfect, light after-dinner treat, and since it’s such a pretty shade of pink, it’s a nice addition to the table. You could easily decorate it with some more whipped cream if you wanted to.

And, while I won’t claim this as a health food, I did use the low-fat whipped topping and a reduced-fat graham cracker crust, so despite the fact that it’s most certainly still a dessert, it didn’t pack the calorie wallop that most pies tend to have.

Plus, it did cool me down, for at least a couple minutes, which was nice, but full disclosure, if Mother Nature persists with this balmy weather, it will probably take more than one slice to do the job.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 22, 2019.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

It’s time to revisit your ‘pie’orities

This cherry pie uses tart cherries packed in water, so it has a fuller flavor than traditional cherry pie filling does.
This cherry pie uses tart cherries packed in water, so it has a fuller flavor than traditional cherry pie filling does.

There were quite a number of years when I was younger that I wouldn’t eat cherry pie, despite always having loved it.

My last piece before my break with the dessert was while sitting at my grandparents’ dining room table.

“You know,” my cousins told me. “Those aren’t cherries. Those are baby animal hearts.”

I immediately dismissed them as liars, and they argued with me a bit before running off to whatever little boys do, and I stared at my half-eaten piece of pie, knowing they were lying but also not being 100 percent sure I should keep eating.

I love my cousins dearly, but I feel like I should get some kind of restitution for avoiding Grandma’s cherry pies for a few years. I suppose the restitution can come now that I’m tattling in newsprint almost 30 years after the fact. (You are reading this, right Grandma?)

Despite my early run in with cherry pie, I’m now back on the wagon and tried a new recipe for a family get together—no baby animal hearts included.

I liked this recipe, because it uses cherries packed in water instead of corn syrup, so they don’t taste quite as candied as they sometimes do. (Although it was still plenty sweet.)

I found this on the blog “Artful Parent” by Jean Van’t Hul. Jean claims this is the best cherry pie ever. I can’t vouch for this statement, but I did really like it. You can find the original at https://artfulparent.com/best-cherry-pie-recipe-ever/. I doubled the almond extract in mine.

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Cherry Pie

This cherry pie uses tart cherries packed in water, so it has a fuller flavor than traditional cherry pie filling does.
Course Dessert
Keyword cherry pie

Ingredients

  • 3 14.5- ounce cans pitted dark cherries in water
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 9- inch pie crusts refrigerated

Instructions

  • Combine the undrained cans of cherries along with the cornstarch, sugar, salt and almond extract in a large saucepan.
  • Bring the mixture to a slow simmer over medium-low heat and stir regularly for about 10 minutes until the liquid is thick.
  • Set aside.
  • Once the mixture is cooled down, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Roll out the bottom crust and place into a pie pan, making sure it hangs over the sides a bit for crimping.
  • Pour in the cherry mixture and roll out your top crust. Place it on top and either cut some vent holes or weave a lattice.
  • Trim and fold under the edges of the crust and crimp to seal them.
  • Bake for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat in the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cherries are bubbling. (The author suggests putting a foil-lined baking sheet underneath in case it drips into your oven, which is a great idea.)
  • Let the pie cool for a few hours so the cherries can thicken up before you cut into it.
  • Store in an airtight container.

We cleaned up this pie pretty quickly, and I noticed my cousins didn’t shy away from grabbing a piece, too, so maybe they got over their fears of what’s actually in cherry pie.

Of course, my abilities will never compare to my grandma’s pie baking skills. There’s always something better about hers. It’s definitely not some sort of animal parts, but I do think she puts a lot of heart—and love—into each one she makes.

This piece first appeared in print on June 7, 2018.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

No-bake pie is better chocolate than never

A small piece is the perfect serving size for this rich, chocolaty pie.
A small piece is the perfect serving size for this rich, chocolaty pie.

We recently had a get-together with my mom’s side of the family. As always, we had an amazing spread of way too much food and had lots of fun catching up.

I volunteered to bring a few pies for dessert, and my family is used to being guinea pigs when it comes to me trying out new recipes.

One of the pies I made was this week’s recipe—a no-bake chocolate truffle pie that was super easy to make. When I pulled it out of my Tupperware container, my cousin’s little girl gasped and immediately grabbed me around my middle.

She could barely wait to finish her lunch before diving into a piece of pie. If you’re wondering, Miss Avery gave it two thumbs up.

I found this recipe on the website “Kitch Me.” You can find it at http://www.kitchme.com/recipes/no-bake-chocolate-truffle-pie-5-ingredients. I added ingredients to make a homemade whipped cream to top it and used a graham cracker crust instead of the chocolate crust the recipe called for.

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No-Bake Chocolate Truffle Pie

A small piece is the perfect serving size for this rich, chocolaty pie.
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate chips, graham cracker crust, no bake, truffle, whipped cream

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
  • 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 9- inch pre-made graham cracker or chocolate cookie crumb pie crust
  • about 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Combine the chocolate chips (save a few to decorate the top of the pie, if you like) and 3/4 cup cream to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between each time, until the mixture is smooth.
  • Set it aside and let the chocolate cool to room temperature.
  • Once the mixture is cooled, mix in the sugar and vanilla.
  • In another bowl, whip another 3/4 cup of cream until stiff peaks form, and then beat in the chocolate, a little at a time, until it’s all fully combined.
  • Spread the filling out evenly into the pie crust and refrigerate at least eight hours. Before serving, whip the remaining cream, one tablespoon powdered sugar and one teaspoon vanilla together until stiff peaks form. If the cream is not sweet enough, whip in a bit more sugar until it’s where you like it.
  • Top the pie with the whipped cream and some chocolate chips or chocolate shavings.
  • Refrigerate any leftovers.

Several people who taste tested this pie for me said they really liked the dark chocolate flavor and were surprised when I said it was made with only semi-sweet chocolate. Letting it set overnight really developed a deep flavor.

I’d also suggest cutting this into smaller pieces, because it’s a very rich flavor, and it’s tough to eat a big piece in one sitting.

I’m guessing I’ll need to work this recipe into my regular rotation—at least when bringing pie to my little cousin. The pie was delicious, but the big hug really made it worth it.

This piece first appeared in print on April 26, 2018.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

You won’t be‘weave’ this easy as pie recipe

Blueberry peach pie can be made with fresh or frozen fruit and looks a lot more complicated than it really is.
Blueberry peach pie can be made with fresh or frozen fruit and looks a lot more complicated than it really is.

Years ago, when I was on summer staff at Camp Mennoscah, several staff members spent a bit of an afternoon harvesting tons of mulberries off of a couple trees.

This resulted in some time spent that afternoon in serious pie-baking mode, and it was the first time I ever saw a latticed pie top made from start to finish.

To be honest, it ruined the magic a little for me, because it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, but the pie was yummy enough to bring some of the enchantment right back again.

I don’t make fruit pies all that often, so I haven’t tried my hand at too many lattice tops since, but I got the chance again recently for the recipe I’m sharing with you this week for a blueberry peach pie.

Obviously, fresh peaches and blueberries are tough to come by this time of year, so although the recipe calls for fresh ones, I’ll tell you that I made my pie with frozen fruit.

If you’d like to give this a shot before fresh fruit is back in season, make sure you fully thaw your frozen fruit and then leave it in a colander for quite awhile until you’re sure it’s done giving off all of its extra moisture. (This will take awhile—maybe a couple hours. Be patient.)

I also added about a tablespoon or so of cornstarch to my fruit to really make sure that any juices were congealed and wouldn’t end up making a soggy pie, and I spooned it into my crust so that I didn’t accidentally pour in any more juice that gathered at the bottom of the bowl I had it in.

This recipe came from the blog “Sally’s Baking Addiction.” You can find the original at https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/06/14/blueberry-peach-pie/. I played with the spices in mine, and as I already noted, I used frozen fruits instead of fresh.

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Blueberry Peach Pie

Blueberry peach pie can be made with fresh or frozen fruit and looks a lot more complicated than it really is.
Course Dessert
Keyword blueberry, peach, pie

Ingredients

  • 2 pie crusts homemade or store-bought, chilled
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 3 cups fresh peaches sliced and peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 egg beaten
  • sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Fold the fruit in with the sugar, flour, cinnamon and all-spice.
  • Roll out one of the pie crusts and line an eight- or nine-inch pie pan with it.
  • Spoon in the fruit mixture. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot it along the top of the filling.
  • Roll out the second crust and either place it on the top and cut several steam vents in it after crimping it together with the bottom crust or cut the dough into long strips and weave a lattice top on the pie, crimping the edges with the bottom crust when you’re finished.
  • Brush the top with a thin layer of the beaten egg and sprinkle on some additional sugar and cinnamon to your taste.
  • Bake on a baking sheet lined with foil (you don’t want to clean this out of the bottom of the oven—or off the baking sheet, for that matter) for 20 minutes.
  • Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes.
  • Let the pie cool before serving (or serve it while warm, but be ready for runny filling).

If you’re feeling a bit intimidated by making a lattice crust, don’t be, and if you need some guidance, I’d recommend searching for a tutorial video on YouTube. You’re bound to find dozens.

And for those who don’t know quite how easy a lattice top is, be ready to hear how impressed they are with your pie handiwork, and even if you don’t give it a shot, the pie is good enough to get you accolades either way.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 11, 2018.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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