Lemon Meringue Tarts

Ingredients:

For the Tart Shells:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk (reserve the white for meringue topping)
1/4 tsp almond extract

For the Filling:
2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for meringue topping)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
juice and grated zest of 2 large lemons

For the Meringue Topping:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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To make the tart shells:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixer cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and almond extract. Gradually add in flour and salt. Once it's all combined pinch off a small piece and roll into a ball, press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a silicone muffin tin. You want the dough to be thin because it puffs as it cooks. Repeat with remaining dough. (Alternately you can press the dough into a pie pan and use as crust for a lemon meringue pie)

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Let cool for only 2-3 minutes before carefully removing shells from pans. This will prevent them from crisping too much and breaking as you remove them. If this does happen, just pop the pans back in the oven for a couple of minutes to soften the shells a bit. Let cool completely before filling. The shells may be stored in a tightly covered container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

To make the filling:
Fill the bottom of a double boiler with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a rolling boil. Place the whole eggs and yolks in the top of the double boiler off the heat. Whisk until the whites and yolks are thoroughly mixed. Place the top of the double boiler back in place over medium-low heat. Stir constantly, watching the eggs carefully so that they don't start to curdle. Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest. Cook over gently boiling water, stirring often with a wooden spoon until the mixture is the consistency of mayonnaise. This takes 10 minutes or so and you do need to let it sit for a minute or two without stirring or else it won't thicken. You'll see it thicken around the edges of the double boiler. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour the filling into a glass bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap across the the surface of the top (so that a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

To make the meringue topping:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to medium and add the sugar and vanilla. Mix until egg whites are glossy, about 1 minute.

To assemble: Place the tart shells on a baking sheet, fill the tart shells with lemon filling, spoon a heaping spoonful of meringue on top of each one. Bake for 4-5 minutes until slightly browned.

Peach Pie

 Prepared pie crust
1 egg, beaten
5 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
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Preheat oven to 450

Line a 9 inch pie plate with half of the pie crust. Brush with some of the beaten egg to keep the crust from becoming soggy later.
Place sliced peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the peaches and mix gently. Pour peaches into pie crust and dot with butter. Cover with the remaining pie crust and fold the edges under. Flute edges. Brush the remaining egg over the top crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut several slits in the top crust.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through the vents. If the edges brown too fast, cover them with strips of aluminum foil halfway through baking time. Cool before serving. This pie tastes better warm than hot.

Coconut Crust

7 oz shredded coconut
1/2 cube melted butter
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Combine butter and coconut and press in the bottom of pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

This coconut crust is super easy and very delicious! There are many ways to use it. Today I made this as the crust for a lemon raspberry cheesecake instead of the normal graham cracker crust. You could also make up a box of instant coconut pudding and you have a very quick and easy coconut cream pie.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup minute oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Filling:
1 pound can pumpkin
1 -13 1/2 oz can evaporated milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP butter
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Mix flour, oats, brown sugar and butter until crumbly and press into 9 x 9 inch ungreased pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Combine pumpkin with milk, eggs, sugar and spices. Pour over crust and bake for 20 minutes.
Mix nuts, brown sugar and butter together. Sprinkle over filling and return to oven for 15-20 minutes or until filling is set. Cool in pan and serve with whip cream on top.

Another favorite recipe from my childhood. Give this one a try this fall and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. It's hard for me to eat regular pumpkin pie after eating these my whole life. The brown sugary, oatmeal crust and the brown sugar, pecan topping make this the BEST pumpkin pie EVER, in my opinion :)

Pie Crust

 
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup milk
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
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Combine all ingredients in an electric mixer. Divide dough in half and roll out between 2 sheets of wax paper. Peel off the top layer of wax paper, turn upside down and transfer to pie pan. Peel off the other layer of wax paper. Trim the edges and add the trimmings in with the other half of the dough. Roll out the same way and use either as the top crust or if you don't need a top crust use as the bottom crust for another pie.

This is a really great pie crust recipe and the only one I will make. Using the wax paper to roll out the crust instead of a floured surface makes the crust light and flaky instead of tough. This crust works really well for fruit pies or for pot pies.