Dear Abby and Pecan Pie...the best ever!

I recently read this little post and just had to share...

Dear Abby: One of my sisters-in-law has a recipe for pancakes and puts in a secret ingredient. She got the recipe from a relative who asked that the mystery never be revealed.

The relative died recently, and I’d like to know what the ingredient is because those pancakes are out of this world! Would my sister-in-law be betraying his request by sharing the secret? She says she made a promise. What do you think?

—Craving the Cakes in Florida

Dear Craving: Obviously, you have raised this subject with your sister-in-law and she refused to share the complete recipe. From that, I can only conclude that she plans to take her knowledge of the secret to her grave . I think she’s acting selfishly because good food is meant to be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

You said it sister!!  Now on with the recipe sharing...

Dear Abby's Pecan Pie
I got this recipe from my mom's friend who clipped the original from the newspaper over 30 years ago!  I love recipe history!  Wish I loved doing family history just as much!

9-inch unbaked pie crust (new favorite pie crust recipe below)

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans coarsely chopped

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla; mix well.  Add slightly beaten eggs.   Pour into unbaked pie crust; sprinkle with chopped pecans.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set. (Toothpick inserted in center will come out clean when pie is done.) If the crust or pie appears to be getting too brown, cover with foil for the remaining baking time. Cool.

Perfectly Flaky Pie Crust
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

*Makes one single 9 inch pie crust
 1 1/4 cup flour
1 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tb chilled shortening (I used butter flavored) cut into pieces
4 Tb chilled butter-cut into pieces
4-6 Tb ice cold water

*Instructions for using a food processor (I'm still waiting for this lovely appliance to grace my life):
Pulse the flour, salt and sugar with half the shortening until it's the texture of cornmeal. Add the remaining shortening or butter and pulse until it's the size of small peas. Add water using pulse to combine until dough forms into ball. Be careful not to over pulse!

* Instructions for the old fashion way (the reason you dread making pie)!
1.Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.

2.Cut the chilled butter or shortening into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or by pinching the fat into the mixture with your hands.

3. Add the chilled water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork after each addition. You may not need to use all of the water.  Just add enough until there are no more loose crumbs.  Gently press the dough into a ball. Handle the dough as little as possible--overworking will make it tough.

Tammy stated to me that she HATES pecan pie...Oh really...

Mmm... Berry Pie!

Here's another favorite Taste of Home recipe I've been making for what feels like 100 years! Dave would have me make this pie every week, but no, gotta keep 'em begging! The original name was Ozark Mountain Berry Pie-but we changed it to a more appropriate name and always sing our little song that goes with it.

Mmm Berry Pie Mmm Berry Pie, put it in the oven and it comes out hot! Can't get enough of that Mmm Berry pie... Thanks a lot!

Call me if you want to hear it in person!

Favorite Butter Pie Crust
Adapted from Martha Stewart

This pie crust can also be made using a food processor: Simply pulse in the butter for 8 to 10 seconds and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water through the feed tube with the machine running.

Makes two 8- to 10-inch crusts
1 cup (about 2 sticks) cold butter
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Cut each stick of butter into eight pieces. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you’ve added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. I don't usually do this.

Berry Pie Filling:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 TB cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
Dash salt
1/4 cup water
1 bag of frozen mixed berries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tb fresh lemon juice
2 Tb butter

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon if desired, salt and water and lemon juice until smooth; add the fruit. Bring to a boil; cook (I mash up the strawberries a little) and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool slightly.

Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. Pour into pastry; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry. Trim, seal and flute edges. Pour 2 Tb 1 % or higher milk in bowl. With pastry brush, spread milk across crust. You just want the surface wet. Lightly sprinkle sugar over entire crust. Cut a few slits in the top crust and bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. Mmmm Good!

Peaches 'n Cream Pie!

"I've always wanted peaches 'n cream skin, maybe if I eat more of this pie, it might help." This is what I say to myself every time I come face to face with this divine creation!
Michelle introduced me to this pie years ago, and I've been gushing about it ever since! I can't resist making it a number of times during the peach season, hence, the reason I find myself making excuses to eat more of it! Good luck resisting this one!

COOKIE PAT CRUST

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter-melted
2 Tb sugar

In bowl, combine ingredients together and pat evenly into pie pan. My pie dish is 9 1/2 inches so the dough doesn't reach all the way to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown. Let cool. I usually make the crust the night before.

FILLING

1 cup sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
3 Tb peach jell-o
4 Tb cornstarch
1 cup water
juice of 1/2 lime or 1/4 lemon

In saucepan whisk together the first 3 ingreds. Add water and lime juice and cook over medium/high heat, stirring constantly until mixture is gel like and clear. About 5 min. Remove from and and cool. I put the pan in a big bowl of ice water to cool faster.

BLANCHING THE PEACHES
For easy peeling!

5 large ripe peaches

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add peaches-carefully remove after a few minutes and peel off skins. Slice peaches-med. thin.

CREAM LAYER

4 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In small bowl combine. Spread in the bottom of cooled pastry shell. Next, layer the peach slices and pour gel mixture evenly over peaches. I don't use all the gel mixture it makes a little too much, I pull out about a heaping 1/4 cup. Chill pie for 2 hours.

Top pie with freshly whipped cream, sweetened to your liking, and 1/2 cup lightly toasted chopped pecans (optional).