Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Thanksgiving is coming up quickly. This recipe is a great twist on a traditional pumpkin pie. I don't know about you but I love me some pumpkin pie! But cheesecake, its probably my all time favorite dessert. This is a delicious blend of the two! Yum!!

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
 Recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients:
2, 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1, 9 inch graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Cool Whip (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Blend in eggs. Remove one cup of batter and spread onto graham cracker crust. Set crust aside.
Add pumpkin and spices to the remaining batter. Stir until well combined.
Spread batter over the layer already in the pie pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set.
Allow to cool.  Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
Serve with whipped topping.

Rhubarb, Pineapple, Raspberry Pie

Recently my parents came to visit. While helping me with my gardens, my stepdad, Gary, mentioned my rhubarb was ready to be picked. I actually only have rhubarb because it was here when we moved into the house. Gary mentioned that rhubarb would make a great pie. A few days later, I was standing in front of the refrigerator, staring at it with the door open, like your mother always yells at you not to do, trying to figure out something to eat. Thats when I decided to make a pie.  I picked the rhubarb and got everything together.  But just rhubarb?  Nah! I grabbed a container of raspberries and a can of pineapple chunks too. Let me tell you, this was one delicious pie. I wanted to eat the whole thing by myself, but I saved a few slices for my boyfriend, David. Unfortunately, my parents had already gone back to Wisconsin....sorry Gary. 

Rhubarb, Pineapple, Raspberry Pie

Makes one 9.5 inch pie

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped rhubarb

1 quart raspberries

1/2 can pineapple chunks, drained (the big can, or 1 whole small can)

1 1/3 cup sugar

6 tbsp flour

1 tbsp butter

1 double pie crust (I made mine from scratch using this Martha Stewart recipe)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Roll your first pie crust over the pie plate.

3. Combine rhubarb, raspberries, pineaple, sugar, and flour in a bowl.  Mix well, coating all of the fruit.

4. Pour fruit mixture into pie and spread out evenly.

5. Cut butter into small chunks and place on top of fruit mixture.

6. Cover mixture with second pie crust.  I rolled my dough over the pie and cut the scraps and center pieces with a small cookie cutter.  I used the cut scraps to create a decorative edge.

7. Place pie on bottom rack in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

8. Reduce oven temperature to 350, and continue baking for 40-45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. 

This pie is excellent warm or cold.

(PS, Im also in loooooove with instagram, here's a pic I took during the process!)

Wonderfall Wine Tasting

Last week I needed to take a break from blogging. Life got a little crazy and I got a little burned out. But, things are settling back to normal, so let me share with you some of the things I've been up to!  Today, I'd like to share with you a wine tasting party I hosted.  Last year, I was doing my 1 party a month challenge and in November I hosted this Paris themed wine tasting party.  My friends and I had so much fun, we decided to make it an annual fall tradition.  The holiday season can be really hard for everyone to coordinate their schedules so we get some girl time in just before the insanity!

This year's theme was Wonderfall Wine Tasting. Okay, okay, so I didn't come up with the name all on my own. Hopefully Pier 1 isn't too mad I used their fall slogan!

For our wine tasting party this year, I planned a menu of appetizers and desserts and asked each person to bring a bottle of a certain wine. They were given their wine assignments and could choose any wine of any price within that variety.  This way, the stress (and cost!) is taken off of me, and everyone gets to contribute to the fun!

I set up this whimsical tasting table for us to sit, taste, and enjoy our food and company!

Over table I hung orange paper lanterns that were embellished with cardstock and floral wire to look like pumpkins. 

I also made these wine bottle candle holders! I found this PIN and followed the tutorial! One word of advice, use rubbing alcohol instead of nail polish remover.  And let it burn until it goes out.  Works waaay better and is a lot less frustrating!

Each place setting had a tasting notes sheet.  It indicated who brought the wine and a space to write in what the wine was, also what food it was paired with.  You could make notes as well as indicate a star rating.

For our final course I made mini pies for each guest.  I was inspired by this PIN for the leaf crust. 

We had such a fun time, and every single wine we tasted rocked! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Inspired Monday: Fall Leaves Pie Crust

One of my goals for fall is to work on my pie making skills. I've never really been that good at pies. This year, thats going to change!  I was inspired by this beautiful pie crust! I must recreate this!

Source: thestoryofkat.blogspot.com via Jessy @ on Pinterest

What is your favorite kind of pie?

Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Drizzle

My boyfriend David is not a big fan of my desserts.  He is more of a pie guy.  I don't make a lot of pies.  Not for any particular reason, I just usually make cakes, cupcakes, stuff like that. I came across this strawberry pie recipe, and my mouth watered!  Its a perfect summer dessert!

 Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Drizzle 

(Recipe from Our Best Bites)

Ingredients:

1 quart, fresh strawberries

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1, 9" graham cracker crust

1-2 ounces chocolate

Directions:

Beat cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. 

In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.

Add approximately 1 cup of heavy cream mixture to cream cheese mixture.  Beat until smooth.  Slowly add the remaining cream mixture.  Mix until combined.

Spread mixture into graham cracker crust.  Place in refrigerator.

Prepare your strawberries.  I chose to quarter mine, but you could cut off the stems and place them cut side down, or half them, or whatever makes you smile.

Once your strawberries are prepared, take the pie out of fridge and arrange strawberries on top.

Place your chocolate in a ziplock bag.  I used chocolate chips. If you use a chocolate bar, make sure to break it into pieces.

Microwave chocolate in zip lock for about 1 minute.  Continue at 20 second intervals until the chocolate is melted.

Snip off the end of the ziplock and drizzle over pie.

Refrigerate pie for at least 3 hours.

This pie should serve 8, but don't be surprised if you devour it all by yourself!

Strawberry Heart Pie

I often get asked if my boyfriend David gets to eat all the goodies I bake. No. No he doesn't. Its not that he can't, its that he isn't much into sweets. He loves what I do, but doesn't need to taste every thing I make. One thing he does love is pie. Pie is not something I make often. When planning our anniversary picnic I chose to make him strawberry pie. I happen to have a couple of heart shaped pans so it worked perfectly.
I am not really a pie person. Wait, scratch that...French Silk...yes, cherry pie? Eh, pass. I love my chocolate, what can I say?
However, this strawberry pie, it was something. I don't know if its the spices or what, but it was the kind of pie that made you go Hmmm.... (yes, go ahead, sing it now "Things that make you hmmm!" Sorry, flashback to the early 90s....moving on....)
To make this pie, you will need:
2 pie crusts
1 9 inch pie plate (unless you want to experiment like me with two small pie plates)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 cups chopped fresh strawberries
2 Tbsp butter

Begin by preheating the oven to 425 degrees. Lay your pie crust over the pie plate(s).

In a bowl mix sugars, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and almond.

Add in your strawberries.

Pour strawberry mixture into prepared pie plate.

Using second pie crust, cut strips to create lattice top crust. Make sure to press the edges down firmly.
Add a dot of butter in all of the open squares.
Brush lattice with milk and sprinkle with sugar for a sweet golden brown finish.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Sing the song "Thing that make you hmmmm..." as you eat. Trust me, you wont be able to help yourself.

Strawberry Heart Pie
Ingredients
2 pie crusts
1 9 inch pie plate
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 cups chopped fresh strawberries
2 Tbsp butter
Milk (optional)

Directions:
Begin by preheating the oven to 425 degrees.
Lay your pie crust over the pie plate(s).
In a bowl mix sugars, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and almond.
Add in strawberries.
Using second pie crust, cut strips to create lattice top crust. Make sure to press the edges down firmly.
Add a dot of butter in all of the open squares.
Brush lattice with milk and sprinkle with sugar for a sweet golden brown finish.
Bake 35-40 minutes.
Enjoy!

Mini Banana Creams

Yesterday I posted about my WW Banana Cream Pie experience. While delicious, it still left me craving a really creamy pie. I decided to use what I had in the house to satisfy this craving. What I ended up with was some delicious "mini" banana cream pies!

First, I started with pre-made refrigerated pie crusts.

Unroll crust, and using a rolling pin roll out slightly further. Cut circles with a cookie cutter.


Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and place circles in each well, pushing gently up the sides and down the bottom.
Tip: Make sure to prick the unbaked crust with a fork, or you end up with what I did.....

Bake the crusts according to package directions. However, if you are like me and forgot to prick the crusts, your pies will be pretty puffy and unable to fill. So instead, I popped them into foil cupcake liners!

Slice up your bananas and fill the pies.

I went the easy route and used some instant banana cream pudding. Mix it up according to box directions and pour into your tins. Chill in refrigerator until set.

Top with a banana slice (dip slice in lemon juice to avoid discoloration!) and whipped cream.

Now these tasted like real banana cream pies!

Since they are mini pies, I decided they could count as diet food. What? I can tell myself that.

Banana Cream Pie Adventure

Not too long ago my co-worker Mike was having a banana cream pie craving. He posted pictures on facebook of the amazing pie he made. Its been some time since I've had a really delicious banana cream pie...it got me thinking.
I recently purchased a Weight Watchers Cookbook in an effort to try to lose weight and eat healthier. Low and behold they had a banana cream pie recipe. I thought I'd give it a shot. It turned out pretty delicious, however it was no banana cream. It was fake banana cream. More like a banana tart. However at 146 calories a serving, it hit the spot on a warm summer day. Check it out....

Ingredients:
12 low fat graham crackers
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon water
4 Bananas
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Start by preparing your crust. In a plastic bag, use your rolling pin to crush the graham crackers. Spray your pie plate with non-stick spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and water with a fork and press into bottom of pie plate. Bake for 3-5 minutes until firm. Cool crust.

Meanwhile, slice your bananas. Toss with lime juice. Reserve 1 cup of banana mixture.

Arrange the remaining bananas in cooled crust.

In a saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let it stand for 2 minutes.

Add the sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to boil and dissolve the gelatin and sugar mixture.

Remove from heat and whisk in yogurt and vanilla.

Pour into your pie plate. Arrange reserved cup of bananas on the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. This should take approximately 2-3 hours.

Remove from fridge and enjoy! Not quite a cream, but it is very cool, crisp and refreshing on a hot summer day.

Weight Watchers Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients:
12 low fat graham crackers
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon water
4 Bananas
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Start by preparing your crust. In a plastic bag, use your rolling pin to crush the graham crackers. Spray your pie plate with non-stick spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and water with a fork and press into bottom of pie plate. Bake for 3-5 minutes until firm. Cool crust.
3. Meanwhile, slice your bananas. Toss with lime juice. Reserve 1 cup of banana mixture.
4. Arrange the remaining bananas in cooled crust.
5. In a saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let it stand for 2 minutes.
6. Add the sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to boil and dissolve the gelatin and sugar mixture.
7. Remove from heat and whisk in yogurt and vanilla.
8. Pour into your pie plate. Arrange reserved cup of bananas on the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. This should take approximately 2-3 hours.

Serving: 1/8 of pie
146 calories, 2 g fat
3 points