English Toffee Pecan Pie

recipe from Marjorie Johnson via MarthaStewart.com

English Toffee Pecan Pie

Ingredients


Makes one 9-inch pie.


FOR THE CRUST

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold leaf lard, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

FOR THE FILLING

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans
22 pecan halves, for garnish
 
Directions


1.Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in lard and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork after each addition, until mixture is moistened. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic; transfer to refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

2.Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out dough on cloth, using a covered rolling pin, to a 12-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under and crimp edges.

3.Make the filling: Preheat oven with a rack set in the lower third to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, almond extract, toffee bits, and chopped pecans.

4.Pour filling into pie crust. Top with pecans by evenly spacing 14 of them around the outer edge of pie filling. Make a second row by evenly spacing seven pecans in a smaller circle in the center; place 1 pecan in center.

5.Transfer pie to oven; bake for 20 minutes. Cover with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue

from Noble Pig blog (Pie crust adapted from Betty Crocker, Filling & Meringue from Cuisine at Home)

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue



For the crust-

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon shortening
2 Tablespoons iced cold water

Measure flour into bowl; mix salt through it. With pastry blender (or two knives) cut in shortening until particles are size of giant peas. Sprinkle with cold water, a Tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with fork, until all flour is moistened.

Here is my trick. No matter what crust I use, it never seems to roll out as large as I want it so I increase the recipe by about half (it doesn't even need to be exact). This gives me extra dough on the edges for a thicker crust and I often have enough left over to make little cut outs as well. This crust recipe is for an 8" or 9" pie but with the increase, it fits my 9" deep dish pan, which is what I used to make this pie. It's up to you whether you increase the recipe for the dough or not.

Gather dough together with fingers so it cleans the bowl. Press firmly into a ball. Then turn out lightly on a board covered with wax paper and lightly floured to prevent sticking.
Prepare your rolling pin by covering it with a stockinet. If you do not have a stockinet, you must get one. It will make your crust endeavors so much easier. Flatten the disc with your hand and roll out the dough to about 1/8" thick. Keep rounding edge of pastry. If it begins to break, pinch broken edges together the best you can. Keep pastry circular and roll it about 1" larger all around than an inverted pie pan.

Fold pastry in half and carefully transfer to your pie pan. Unfold and ease pastry loosely into pan. Do not stretch which causes shrinking during baking.

Fold the edges under and crimp as desired. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place pie shell in the freezer for 15 minutes or until firm. Line frozen shell with foil, pressing firmly against the sides and folding gently over the edges. Fill shell with raw rice or dried beans and blind bake until crust is set but not browned, about 20 minutes. Unfold foil at edges and carefully lift it out; return shell to oven and bake 5-10 minutes, or until pale golden.



For the filling and meringue-

2-3 large sweet potatoes (to make 2 cups puree)..do not used canned
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 T tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Zest of one lemon
6 egg whites, room temperature
3-1/2 cups marshmallow creme
Bake sweet potatoes for 40-50 minutes or until very soft in a 400 degree oven. Peel while hot and place potatoes in food processor. Puree until smooth. Peeling and processing the potatoes while hot makes a smoother puree.

Add egg yolks, sugars, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, spices and lemon zest; whisk just to blend. Pour filling into pie crust (it's alright if the crust is still hot from baking...if you are using a store bought crust, make sure it's at least room temperature), smooth the top and bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce oven to 325 degrees and continue baking until a knife inserted 1" from the center comes out clean, 20-30 minutes. Remove pie but leave oven on.

Beat room temperature egg whites (you can do this and have it ready while pie is baking) with a mixer in a clean metal or glass bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add marshmallow creme and continue beating until stiff peaks form, 5-7 minutes more.

Spread meringue over pie all the way to edges so the meringue doesn't shrink. (Beads of liquid often form on meringue. To avoid "weeping" spread the meringue on the pie while the filling is hot, then brown it.) Spike it to make swirls and swoops. Return pie to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until topping is golden, rotating for even browning. Watch the pie carefully at this point, do not walk away...meringue can burn.

Cool pie to room temperature and place in the fridge over night before serving.

Coconut Cream Pie

recipe from Noble Pig blog

Coconut Cream Pie


Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 cups milk
1-1/2 Tablespoons butter
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup flaked coconut, sweetened
1 baked pie shell
Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup flaked coconut, toasted


Make pie crust and blind-bake or bake according to package directions before adding filling.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks and milk in a heavy saucepan, stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils (this could take 8-10 minutes...do not hurry this step). Boil for 3 minutes while continuing to stir. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and coconut.
Pour filling into baked pie shell and place saran wrap directly on custard to prevent skin from forming. Cool in shell and then chill in refrigerator until firm, at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.
For the topping, whip cream and sugar together. Spread over chilled pie and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Sweet Little Sweet Potato Pies

recipe from Good Things Catered blog

Sweet Little Sweet Potato Pies

Ingredients:

1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c. walnuts
1 1/3 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp 1% milk
4 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c mashed sweet potato (one small, roasted)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch allspice
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. heavy cream


Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare small tart pans.
-In bowl of food processor, add oatmeal and walnuts.
-Process until fine in texture.
-Place into medium bowl, add next seven ingredients and stir to combine well.
-Divide mixture among pans and press to coat bottom of each evenly.
-Place tart pans onto baking sheet and place into oven to bake for 15 minutes, until beginning to smell toasting, not browned.
-Remove from oven and set aside.
-In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine.
-Pour sweet potato mixture into tart pans, filling to 1/8 inch of top of crust.
-Place tarts, on baking sheet, back into oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until filling is cooked through and slightly puffed.
-Remove from oven and let cool completely.
-Top with dollop of whipped cream and fresh grated nutmeg, is desired, and serve.

Pimpkin Pie Custard Tarts

recipe from Dunkin Cooking blog

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
4 tsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 - 15oz. can - pumpkin puree
1 - 12oz. can - evaporated milk
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 c. sugar
2 Molasses Cookies Crumbs
12 Graham Cracker Tart Shells


In a large saucepan combine the gelatin, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in pumpkin and evaporated milk then let stand for 5 minutes to soften gelatin. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture bubbles: cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat then gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into eggs; return all egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat for another 2 minutes. (Do not boil) Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Place 1 ½ tsp. of the cookie crumbs into the bottom of each tart shell then fill the shells with the custard. Place into the fridge to chill for 6 – 24 hours.