Pecan Pie

Ingredients

8 oz pecan halves
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter
1 c dark Karo (corn) syrup
1 c dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 deep dish pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Melt 2 tbsp butter.
3. Toss pecans with 2 tbsp melted butter and salt. Spread out across a baking sheet.
4. Roast for 5 minutes.
5. Remove pecans from oven.
6. Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter.
7. Mix together Karo, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and melted butter. Stir in pecans.
8. Pour mix into pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes until crust and pecans have browned.
9. Let cool on counter top until room temperature. Refrigerate before serving to fully chill.

Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie

Ingredients

1-2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 cup diced mushrooms
1 carrot, finely diced
2 potatoes, diced (about 1/2 inch square or smaller)
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup corn
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (or any combination of seasonings like thyme, rosemary, and oregano)
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1-2 chicken breasts, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 pie crusts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Mince garlic. Chop onions and bell pepper. Peel and dice potatoes and carrots.
3. Saute garlic, onions, and bell pepper in olive oil.
4. Add diced chicken to the pan. Saute until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
5. Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, peas, and corn to pan.  Add seasonings. Saute for 5-10 minutes.
6. Place pie crust in pie pan (lightly greased) or a cast iron skillet (not greased, if seasoned). Set aside.
7. Move vegetable and chicken mixture to a large bowl. Set aside.
8. Melt butter in skillet. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook for a few moments until it becomes a dark yellow to a light brown.
9. Add chicken stock to roux, a bit at a time, whisking to combine. Allow the mixture to thicken some. Make sure it is still a liquid and does not thicken to a paste.
10. Pour chicken stock mixture over vegetables and chicken in bowl. Stir to coat.
11. Pour mixture into pie crust.
12. Cover pot pie with second pie crust. Pinch edges to seal. Cut 3-4 one inch long slits in the top crust to let steam escape.
13. Bake at 350* F until the crust is golden brown, 45-60 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes to cool a bit before cutting and serving.

Tips

1. You can easily leave the chicken out and replace the chicken stock with vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version.
2. For the pie crusts, you can use store bought or homemade, but keep in mind you need either one already in a pan, plus a flat one to lay across the top or two flat ones (one for the bottom crust in the pan, one for the top crust). Don't buy two already in the pan.
3. You can mix and match vegetables to taste. I often substitute broccoli for some of the potatoes and peas.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
14 ounces (1 can) evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pie crust

Directions

1. The day before you want to make the pie, take the pumpkin puree and strain it. To do this, I take a colander and put it on top of a large measuring cup or small bowl so that any liquid can drip down. I put a coffee filter into the colander and put the puree over it. You can cover this with another filter or a towel. I let that sit in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 425* F.
3. Line an ungreased pie pan with pie crust.
4. Mix together pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices.
5. Pour mixture into pie crust and bake at 425* F for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to 350* F and bake until set (about 20-30 minutes).

Tips

You can use canned or homemade pumpkin puree. I have directions for the homemade version up here.
You can use premade or homemade pie crust.
Serve hot or serve with whipped cream after the pie has cooled.

Apple Tarts

For this recipe, I was feeling lazy and so I used pre-made tart shells.
I was able to fill 8 mini tart shells with this recipe.

Ingredients

2 apples, peeled and cored (I used Jazz apples, which I adore for baking.)
2-4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup apple jelly
4 teaspoons butter

Directions

1. Thinly slice the apples and then cut the slices in half. Fill your tart shells with the apples.
2. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar across the top of the tarts.
3. Put 1/2 teaspoon of butter on the top of each tart.
4. Cover the edges of the tart shells with foil so they don't burn and put the tarts on a lightly greased baking sheet.
5. Bake the tarts at 350º for 10-20 minutes or until the apples have softened.
6. While the tarts are baking, melt the apple jelly on the stove top.
7. Pour the apple jelly over the apples in each tart shell.
8. Allow tarts to cool and set in the refrigerator.

Tips

1. This also works with pears and you can also use other types of jelly - feel free to mix and match flavors.
2. To make sure this is vegetarian or non-dairy, be sure to check the ingredients on the tart shells and jelly.