Day 5: "Waitress"

I'm in San Fran for Labor Day weekend and didn't have access to a Kitchen today. Instead of baking a pie, I watched "Waitress" for some inspiration. It's a GREAT movie and definitely inspired some pie ideas!

Day 4: "Happy Birthday" Lemon Cloud Pie

It's somebody's Birthday - what better way to celebrate than with a PIE!
Recipient #4 likes Citrus so, I went with Lemon... this weekend turned out to be "Citrus Fest 2011". Note that this pie takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and looks awesome once the garnish is added.

Happy Birthday Len!

Lemon Cloud Pie
1 Shortbread Pie Crust
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)
1/2 Cu. Lemon Juice (about 3 Large Lemons)
1 Tsp. Grated Lemon Peel
2 Cu. Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed
Grated Lemon Peel or Lemon slices for garnish

1. Beat Sweetened Condensed Milk, Lemon Juice and Lemon Peel until combined.
2. Fold in Whipped Topping.
3. Pour mixture into Pie Crust.
4. Garnish with Lemon Peel or Lemon slices
5. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hrs.

Tomorrow:
Surprise Pie!

Day 3: "Hey Coach!" Key Lime Pie

I now know that it takes an entire bag of Key Limes to get 3/4 cu. of Key Lime juice... who would'a  thunk.

Frozen Key Lime Pie
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
Filling: 
6 extra-large egg yolks, room temp.
1/4 Cu. Sugar
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)
2 Tablespoons Grated Lime Zest
3/4 Cu. Key Lime Juice
Topping:
1 Cu. Heavy Cream, cold
1/2 Cu. Sugar
1/4 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
Key Lime(s) to garnish

1. Beat Egg Yolks and Sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, or until thick.
2. Add Condensed Milk, Lime Zest and Key Lime Juice and pour into pie shell.
3. Freeze for at least 4 hours
4. For the topping, beat Heavy Cream until peaks form. Add Sugar and Vanilla Extract and beat until firm.
5. Spoon or pipe topping onto the pie and garnish with Key Lime(s)
6. Freeze again for several hours or overnight.

Tomorrow:
Lemon Cloud Pie

Day 2: "Good Morning" Breakfast Sausage Spinach Pie

I'll admit it, Day 2 was a struggle for me... I definitely hit snooze more than a few times this morning. However, I am happy to report that the Breakfast Sausage Spinach Pie was in the oven before 7AM which is pretty stellar! Today, I went for a Savory Pie this morning and used a recipe from my good friend Colleen to whip this masterpiece up. The lucky recipients of this pie will be anyone who comes by my cube quick enough to get a slice.

Breakfast Sausage Spinach Pie
1/2 lb. breakfast sausage (I used Italian for the extra flavor)
1 pie crust (unbaked)
2 cu. shredded cheese (I used Mozzarella)
1 cu. Spinach, chopped
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cu. Half & Half
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan

1. Preheat overn to 375
2. In a skillet, cook sausage and drain. Place into pie shell and top with Spinach and Cheese.
3. In a bowl, combine Egg, Half & Half, Salt, Pepper & Nutmeg. Pour over Sausage mixture and sprinkle with parmesan.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
** Best baked in Glass

 

Tomorrow: 

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Day 1: "Welcome Home" Peanut Butter Pie

One of my good friends, Jamie, recently got home from being in North Korea for 2 weeks... and I figured, there really is no better way to welcome someone home than baking them a pie! My first recipe was really quick and easy and too no time to prepare. It'd didn't call for any garnishing but I went ahead and crushed up some Oreos and... VOILA... my masterpiece was complete!

Peanut Butter Pie
4 oz. Cream Cheese
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cu. Peanut Butter
1/2 Cu. Milk
8 oz. Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed
9 in Chocolate Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1. Beat together Cream Cheese, and Sugar. Mix in Peanut Butter and Milk and beat until smooth. Fold in Whipped Topping.
2. Spoon into Pie Crust shell, cover, and freeze until firm.

Tomorrow: 
Breakfast Sausage Spinach Pie

Why pie?

Some of you are familiar with my "Little Black Dress Experiment" and some of you may be new to the whole 'experimental' blogs that I seem to keep coming back to. Regardless, I'm sure you're asking yourself, "Why pie?"...

The answer is simple.... EVERYONE loves pie! It's true, maybe you're a  Brambleberry Pie fan, a Rhubarb Pie fan or maybe you prefer things a little simpler and stick with Pumpkin or Apple Pie. Whatever your flavor and filling of choice, it's completely true... EVERYONE loves at least one type of pie. For me, Cherry Pie does the trick- it's tart and sweet all at the same time and since I grew up spending Summers in the kitchen with my Grandma baking all things that involved cherries, it has the uncanny ability to take me back to some of the happiest times in my life with every bite.

The rules of this experiment are simple:
1) I must make 1 pie per day for the entire month of September.
2) I must post the Pie recipe and photos of the Pie daily
3) I must share the pie with someone new on a daily basis

Since I have a pretty busy schedule as is, I am counting on most of the pies being baked prior to me leaving for work - hence the 6AM pre-heat title. Stay 

Stay tuned for the trials and triumphs of this new experiment and stick around for some delicious recipes that, hopefully, will knock your socks off!

Needless to say, this will most definitely be a September to remember!