Apple Pie Filling

• 10 pounds Apples, More Or Less As Needed (Amount Of Apples Depends On How Thickly You Slice Them)
• 4-½ cups Sugar, Divided
• 10 cups Water, Divided
• 1 cup Corn Starch
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoons Cloves

Combine 3 1/2 cups sugar and 9 cups of water together; bring to a boil and make sure sugar is dissolved.

While it’s heating, combine 1 cup corn starch, remaining 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Stir in a bowl until no longer lumpy.

After sugar and water are boiling, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Keep whisking to make sure lumps don’t form. Add in remaining ingredients (except apples) and bring to a boil to thicken.

Pack hot jars with peeled and sliced apples. Ladle into jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Remove bubbles and adjust 2-piece caps. Process in a water bath for 20 minutes (additional time may be needed according to your altitude). Makes about 7-8 quarts.

Note: sometimes I do a thick slice of apples for apple crisp.

Shepherd's Pie

1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. lamb, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 large carrot, diced
1 beef stock cube
1 lb. chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon corn flour
3 tablespoons tomato puree
pinch of salt and pepper
2 lb. potatoes
1 stick butter

This is how to make a real English shepherds pie, made with lamb. If made with beef, it would be known as cottage pie.

Firstly, heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook until soft. Add minced lamb and stock cube, then cook until the mince is brown and shows a crumbly texture. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree, and add the corn flour. Leave to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about fifteen minutes, or until thickened.

Meanwhile, peel and chop potatoes and boil until soft, then mash them with the butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Put the filling into a deep dish, then top with the mashed potatoes and put under a warm grill (broiler) until the top is brown and crisp.

Delicious topped with melted cheese. Enjoy!

Cherry Crisp

1 pkg. cinnamon crisp
1 stick butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
2 tbsp. milk
1 c. powdered sugar
Pecans
1 can cherry pie filling
1 (8 or 12 oz.) container Cool Whip

Melt butter and mix with Cinnamon Crisp and pat in a casserole dish and use wax paper to press down. Mix cream cheese, sugar and milk. Then layer with pecans (chopped). Top with cherry pie filling and Cool Whip. Also top with pecans (optional). Chill and serve.

Peach Cobbler

2 1/2 pounds ripe, juicy peaches (about 4 cups sliced)
3/4 cup of sugar
4 drops almond extract
pinch of cinnamon (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
biscuit top (below)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Peel peaches by dipping into boiling water for about a minute then slip off skins. Slice into wedges, discarding pits. Place in a shallow 6 cup baking dish or casserole, sprinkle with sugar and almond extract. Dot with butter and cover with rolled out biscuit dough (see below) for top.

Biscuit Top:

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup butter or shortening
1/2 cup milk minus 1 tablespoon

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or two knives, or your fingertips. Stir in milk, all at once, stirring with a fork until dough clings together. Pat or roll out dough to 1/4" thickness and place over peaches. Trim edges, crimp or flute to seal. Cut a hole in the top center for steam to vent.

Bake in hot 425° oven for 15 minutes, then reduce to 325°F. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until peaches are cooked and top is golden.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Apple Crisp with Blueberries

4 c. sliced apples or fresh blueberries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
1 tbsp. lemon juice

TOPPING:

3/4 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter

Spread above ingredients in a 13 x 9 inch pan (first 5 ingredients). Cut topping ingredients until coarse, then drop over fruit in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Top with ice cream, whipped cream or pour cream (half and half) over the crisp.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 cup rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 tbsp. butter
Pastry for double crust pie

In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt and ground nutmeg. Add rhubarb pieces and sliced strawberries, toss gently to coat fruit. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare and roll out pastry. Line a 9 inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Trim pastry to edge of pie plate. Pour fruit mixture into pie plate. Dot with butter, place pastry on top of filling. Cut slits in top to allow steam to escape; seal and flute edge.

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 qt. fresh strawberries (whole or sliced)
1 (9 inch) pie shell, cooked
4 tbsp. cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 c. cold water
4 tbsp. strawberry gelatin (half of 3 oz. pkg.)
Red food coloring

Place strawberries in pie shell. Combine cornstarch, sugar, salt, syrup, and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil; stir in gelatin and few drops of food coloring. Slowly pour over berries, coating all exposed berries. Chill. Serve plain or with whipped cream. This is very similar to Marie Callendar's Fresh strawberry pie.

Pumpkin Pie

1. Cut your pumpkin in half.

2. Take out the seeds

3. Cut up the pumpkin into thick slices, pare the outside and cut again down into small pieces.

4. Put it into a large pot or saucepan with a vary little water; let it cook slowly until mushy.

5. When soft, set the pot on the back of the stove on very-low so it will not burn, and cook slowly, stirring often until the moisture is dried out and the pumpkin looks dark and red. It requires cooking a long time, at least half a day, to have it dry and rich.

6. When cool enough, press through a potato masher or sieve.

7. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Filling Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp packed brown sugar
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 heaping teaspoon of kosher salt
• 16 oz of solid homemade stewed pumpkin, pureed
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 large eggs, beaten.
• 1 T Apricot Preserves to spread over crust.

For Filling:

1. Mix first 6 ingredients in bowl quickly, mixing mixture has no lumps.
2. Blend in stewed and pureed pumpkin, whipping cream, sour cream and eggs.Spread preserves over crust; pour in filling.
3. Bake until filling puffs at edges and center is nearly completely set, about 55-60 minutes. Cool. Cover with tinfoil; chill until cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Crust

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour or wheat flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• dash of kosher salt
• 1 stick of cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 cup of ice water

1. Blend first 3 ingredients in food processor. You want to give it a quick mix so that they are all equally dispersed.
2. Add the butter and process until pea-sized lumps form.
3. Add cream and process again until moist clumps form that resemble biscuit dough.
4. Gather dough into ball, flatten into disk.
5. Wrap in plastic wrap ; chill at least a half hour.

Pie Assembly

1. Roll out dough onto a floured surface to 14-inches around.
2. Transfer dough to 9-inch pie dish.
3. Cut around the pie, trimming any overhang to an inch.
4. Crimp or fold overhang under.
5. Freeze 15 minutes.
6. Line crust with foil, pressing firmly and wither blind bake with beans or blind bake by poking tons of tiny holes with a fork throughout the crust.
7. Bake until sides are set up. This takes about 10-15 minutes.
8. Remove foil and beans.
9. Bake crust until light golden brown, about 10 minutes more.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
11. Spread preserves over crust; pour in filling.
12. Bake until filling puffs at edges and center is almost set, about 55 minutes.
13. Cool, cover and chill.

Mashed Potato Pie

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell
• 2 cups mashed cooked potatoes
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup cream-style cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8 ounces crisp cooked bacon, drained and crumbled

Line unbaked, unpricked pastry shell with foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes; remove weights and foil and bake for about 5 to 7 minutes longer, until almost done.

Remove from oven; reduce oven to 425°.

Combine mashed potatoes, cream, and butter; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs, salt, garlic powder, and peppers; beat with electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Add potato mixture and beat 1 minute longer. Stir in shredded cheese, chopped onion, and bacon. Pour potato mixture into warm pastry shell. Bake at 425° for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serves 6 to 8.

Apple Pie

7 tart apples, peeled and cored
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, or to taste
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
salt to taste
2 recipes unbaked pie shells
1 tbsp butter

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Cut the apples into 1/4 inch slices.
3. in a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, flour, nutmeg (or apple pie spice), and salt. Mix thoroughly. Pour the spice mix over the apples and stir until the apples are coated.
4. Line one crust in a 0-inch deep dish pie pan. place the apples in the pie crust. Dot the apple filling evenly with butter. Fit the top crust over the apples. Press the crust down gently and cut 3 or 4 slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape while the pie bakes.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Check the pie after the first 30 minutes of cooking; if the crust is already browned reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to allow the apples to cook without the crust burning.