One of my favourite cookbooks, A World of Baking, has many stained pages from continued use over the past many years.
Several of the recipes inside have been used on a regular basis for pies to be served at family dinners or pot luck meals.
The three pie recipes featured today may be converted from large pies into single-serve tarts, reducing the baking time accordingly.
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Cherry Mincemeat Pie
- pastry for a 2-crust, 9 inch pie
- 1-16 oz. can unsweetened pie cherries, drained
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups mincemeat, homemade or commercial
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
Combine drained cherries and sugar. Combine remaining ingredients and stir the two mixtures together.
Pour into the pastry-lined pie plate. Arrange crust over the top. Seal and flute the edges. Cut vents in the top crust.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 35-40 minutes. Do not let pastry burn. Cover edges with pieces of foil.
May be served warm, or chilled, with ice cream.
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Eagle Brand Pumpkin Pie
- 10-inch pie shell, unbaked
- 2 cups canned pumpkin puree
- 1 can Eagle Brand milk, diluted with whole milk to make 1 1/2 cups
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsps. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. cloves
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup brandy, optional
Combine pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, brandy and eggs and beat well. Combine flour and spices and mix then stir into egg mixture.
Pour combined mixture into pie shell.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 325 degrees F. Continue baking until filling is firm, about 40-45 minutes longer. A knife inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Cool on rack. Serve with whipped cream. Store in refrigerator.
• • •
Cream Cheese Sweet Potato Pie
- 10-inch pie shell, unbaked
- 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes, cooled
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsps. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup brandy, optional
Cream the cream cheese. Add the prepared potatoes, cream, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and brandy. Beat thoroughly with an electric mixer. Pour into the pie shell.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 30-40 minutes. A knife inserted in the centre of the pie should come out clean.
Cool on rack. Cool completely then chill in refrigerator. Before serving spread whipped cream over the top then slice.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
