Taste&Create - Min's Pear Pie (but with apples)

Been a long time since I posted, I'll just jump right into this post and we'll forget about the fact that I haven't put anything up here since, um, September. Yeah.

This is a super yummy pie from The Bad Girl's Kitchen, my partner for November's Taste&Create. Taste&Create is a monthly blog event where you're paired up with another blogger, and you make a recipe form your partner's blog while they make one from yours. I chose to make Min's Pear Pie, because it looked tasty, and simple to make. And I love pie. I made it with apples instead of pears, because that's what we had on hand. I would love to try it with pears next time I make it, because there will definitely be a next time. :)

Pear (or apple) Pie

7-8 large pears (or apples), pared, cut into slices
3 TBL lemon juice
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
3 TBL flour
1 tsp. lemon zest

Mix all together and spoon into one 9 inch unbaked pie shell

Sprinkle with the following mixture:

[ 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. each ginger & cinnamon
cut in 4 TBL butter until crumbly ]

Bake Pie in preheated 400 oven for about 45 minutes.

Black Forest Cobbler

I've been really into cobblers lately. After making that peach cobbler, I tried the same recipe but with a can of apple pie filling, and it turned out delicious. Then tonight, in the mood for another fruity cobbler dessert, I created this easy and tasty treat. I simply topped cherry pie filling with cake mix cookie batter. Sweet success!

Black Forest Cobbler
1 box devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 can cherry pie filling

Heat oven to 350. In a bowl combine cake mix, eggs, and oil. Mix well.

Spread pie filling into greased 9x13 baking dish. Drop batter by spoonfuls over pie filling. Bake for 15-17 minutes.

This would be great with ice cream or whipped cream, but even by itself it's super delicious.

Quick Fruit Cobbler

This is a very quick and easy cobbler recipe, and can use any fruit you have on hand.

Quick Fruit Cobbler
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups fruit (fresh, frozen, or canned)

Combine all ingredients except fruit, mix just until blended. Pour into a greased 9x9 baking dish (I doubled the recipe and used a 9x13). Top with fruit. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. The dough will rise and become a crust on top of the fruit.

The consistency of the cobbler will vary depending on what fruit you use, and how much juice it has. I used drained canned peaches, and am eager to try a variety of other fruits with this easy and yummy recipe.

Watermelon Rind Pickles

Due to a somewhat extreme case of the lazies during planting season this year, our garden is pretty much nonexistent. But I still get the urge to preserve summer's bounty. So in the absence of homegrown produce, I got creative and used what we had. We bought a watermelon a couple days ago, and after we ate it I got the crazy urge to look up recipes for watermelon rind pickles. Here's the result.

Watermelon Rind Pickles
1 large watermelon
1/2 cup salt
2 1/2 quarts water, divided
2 1/4 cups cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. whole cloves

Cut pulp from watermelon rind, leaving a small amount of red pulp on rind. Reserve pulp for another use (if you haven't already eaten it). Remove hard green outer rind. Cut rind into 1-inch cubes, and place in a large bowl.

Stir together salt and 2 quarts water. Pour over rind. Cover and chill 8 hours. Drain; rinse well.

Combine rind with water to cover in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Combine remaining 2 cups water, vinegar, and next 4 ingredients in Dutch oven or very large saucepan.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture becomes a thin syrup. Add rind, and simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until rind becomes translucent.

Pack hot rind mixture into hot jars, distributing spices evenly and filling to 1/2 inch from top. Remove air bubbles; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process in boiling water bath 20 minutes.

Whatcha-ma-Crunch

This stuff is seriously addicting. The kids and I wanted a little snack the other day, so I came up with this very simple candy-like treat. Three ingredients, a little time in the microwave and then the fridge, and they're done. And sooooooo yummy! Crunchy, chocolatey, peanut buttery goodness.

Watcha-ma-Crunch
2 cubes (2 oz. each) almond bark candy coating (I like using 1 cube vanilla and 1 cube chocolate)
3 tbsp. peanut butter
1 1/2 cups bran flakes (or other crunchy cereal)

Melt candy coating and peanut butter together in the microwave. With my microwave, 1 minute on high is usually just right. Stir in the cereal.

Spread mixture onto a foil-lined plate. Chill in fridge until hardened, then break into chunks to serve. Store uneaten candy in the fridge. That is, if there's any left to store...

Easy, Amazing Cream Cheese Pie

Sorry, no pictures of this one. I can't find my camera...

But this is an incredibly delicious cheesecake/pie. I've actually used this filling recipe as frosting for cake, and it's incredible. I would often eat spoonfuls of the stuff straight out of the bowl, it's that good. So when I saw in a cookbook that it could go in a pie crust, I was super thrilled.

Cream Cheese Pie
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
8 oz. cool whip
9-inch graham cracker crust

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Slowly beat in cool whip. Spread into crust. Chill for at least 3 hours. Serve alone or topped with fruit. We ate it with cherry pie filling, yum.

Happy Pi(e) Day! Brownie Pie

Sorry it's been so long since I posted - a whole month, wow! But this is definitely a good recipe to come back with.

Today was Pi Day (3/14 = 3.14 = π). However, since I'm not a mathematician, pi is boring. But pie is cool. So we celebrate Pi Day by making pie! And what a pie this is.

Brownie Pie
1 box brownie mix
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Pour brownie batter into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely, and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Such simple ingredients, such easy instructions, yet such an incredible dessert! Brownie in a pie crust, does chocoholic life get any better?

The kids are mesmerized by this pie's scintillating essence.