Kathy's Fresh Strawberry pie

The grand finale to our cooking class was a pie brought by Kathy Neve. It is a very fresh Spring/summer pie made with fresh strawberries. I have made a followers of my class in using real whipped cream instead of Cool Whip. There is sooo much difference. We worked on whipping cream and I taught them how to not overwhip so it turns to butter. We all enjoyed this dessert. I garnished the slices with fresh mint and a fresh strawberry sliced with stem.

1. 1 1/3 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers(about 42 wafers)


2. 2 TBLS. sugar


3. 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla


4. 5 TBLS. unsalted butter, melted


5. 8 cups of hulled strawberries, divided(small ones work better)


6. 2 TBLS. water


7. 2/3 cup sugar


8. 2 TBLS. cornstarch


9. 1 TBLS. lemon juice


10. 1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cookie crumbs, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and the melted butter; Press into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake 10 minutes or until set and barely beginning to brown. Cool the crust.

Slice 2 cups strawberries. Combine with 2 TBLS. water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while mashing strawberries. Cook about 2 minutes. Push thru a sieve with a spoon. Discard solids that remain. Measure juice and water to equal 1 cup.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in strawberry juice and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in remaining vanilla. Place 1/3 of the berries in pie shell; drizzle with 1/3 of the glaze. Repeat twice. Chill 2 hours or until set. Serve whith whipped cream. Serves 6-8. Wonderful on a hot summer's evening!

Blueberry Pie

I absolutely love this pie recipe and I originally found it in Better Homes and Gardens. However, I have made a couple of my own changes over the years. Blueberry season is in full swing and the blueberries are very reasonable right now, so make several for friends and neighbors. You will be much appreciated, believe me!! Another taste of summer...

1. Pastry for 2 crust pie


2. 4 Cups fresh blueberries


3. 1- 14 oz. can small wild blueberries, drained well


4. 3/4 to 1 cup sugar


5. 3 heaping TBLS. flour


6. 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel


7. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


8. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg


9. dash salt


10. 1 teaspoon lemon juice


11. 1 TBLS. butter

Combine 4 cups fresh blueberries and wild blueberries with sugar, flour, lemon peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Line bottom of pie pan with pastry and add filling. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter. Add top crust and make slits for steam. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Put on baking sheet with sides and bake for 35-40 minutes until browned and bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream!!! DELICIOUS!!

Grapefruit Pie

An unusual and really good recipe, using grapefruits!! It was given to me by one of my workout friends, who used to live in Florida,Charmaine Anderson, hence the abundance of citrus!! A bit of sun during the winter months when one can use a taste of the sunny southern climes. this is also for my Arizona friend, Laurie who has a fabulous grapefruit tree in her yard.

1. 1- 9 inch BAKED pie shell(see my recipe for pie crust on this site)
2. 4 pink grapefruit
3. 1/4-1/2 cup sugar, depending on grapefruit sweetness
4. 1 TBLS. cornstarch
5. 3/4 cup grapefruit juice
6. 1- 4oz. box strawberry jello(Charmaine says she has used all flavors and they are good with it)

Peel grapefruit, removing pith. Cut into bite size pieces. Drain in a strainer over a pan, collecting the juice for a couple of hours. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and juice in a small saucepan(if the collected juice does not measure 3/4 cup, add water to make that amount). Bring to a boil, stir in jello. Cool slightly. Spread grapefruit in the bottom of the baked pie shell; pour jello over fruit. Refrigerate and serve with whipped cream or cool whip. HINT: After baking pie shell, brush with melted butter and refrigerate for an hour or so before putting in the filling; this keeps fruit juice from leaking thru crust!! Relish your taste of sunshine, Thanks, Charmaine!!

Blackberry Cobbler

This is a good ole Missouri Ozarks recipe and one I've used for 35 years. Where I'm from in the Ozarks has the biggest, juiciest blackberries you've ever tasted and we used to go blackberry picking every summer. Inevitably I got poison ivy, but well worth it!! It is easy and just use my crust recipe on this site. Always yummy good with a scoop of vanilla bean or peach ice cream. Oh, those lazy days of summer!!

1. 4+ cups of blackberries, rinsed and picked over and drained



2. 2 TBLS. tapioca



3. 1 1/3 cups sugar



4. Dash of nutmeg



5. 2 TBLS. butter



6. 2 pie crust- recipe on this site

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix berries, tapioca, sugar, and nutmeg togther. Pour into bottom pie crust and dot with the 2 TBLS. of butter. Do a lattice top crust by cutting 1 inch strips and weaving them together. Do this by laying strips one way with small space in between and then lay the strips over the first ones from the other direction or side.(See picture). Brush lattice top with milk and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Put on baking sheet with sides and bake at 375 degrees for app. 1 hour until crust is browned and juices are bubbling. It's heaven!!

Strawberry Glaze Pie

I love this wonderful, Springtime fresh Strawberry pie!! It is easy and looks beautiful. I got it years ago out of a cookbook, I can't remember, but have enjoyed it many times. this makes a lovely Easter or Mother's Day dessert. Remember to look for JUICY strawberries... Whipped cream, ooo lala!!!!

1 9-inch baked pie shell, brushed with butter(find recipe for single pie crust on my website)

1 1/2 quarts strawberries, washed and hulled

1 cup sugar

3 TBLS. cornstarch ( I add an extra TBLS.)

1/2 cup water

1 TBLS. lemon juice

Lots of whipped cream(small carton)

Crush enough strawberries to make one cup. Combine sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Add crushed strawberries and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Blend in lemon juice. Cover. Cool to lukewarm

Brush inside of cooled, baked pie shell with melted butter and chill. This coating keeps the filling from soaking into the crust!!. Place 3 cups sliced strawberries(can leave some whole, if you like), in the pie shell. Pour glaze over berries. Chill. Serve topped with whipped cream and garnish with whole strawberry.

Ann's famous Peach Cobbler and Peach/Blueberry Cobbler

This is my most requested dessert, in season. Even when I go back to Missouri, everyone wants me to make it. Of course, peaches have to be in season. I have always called this Peach cobbler, as Wilhelmina, the woman who taught me to make it when I was a child, called it that, it is really a peach pie too. She used to help my mom and Grandmother, Buggie with parties, and made the best biscuits, fried chicken and peach cobbler this side of heaven!! I owe her a great debt for this recipe. I've put the recipe for Peach/Blueberry too and the picture is of it.

• 1 recipe of mine for a 2 crust pie (look in index)



• 6-7 large ripe peaches(add a couple of more if smaller, to make 5 cups or so), peeled



• 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar



• 3 tablespoons of flour



• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg



• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon



• Dash salt



• butter



• small amount of milk



• cinnamon sugar

Roll out bottom crust and place in a 9 inch pie pan. Mix together the peaches, flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Place mixture in pie plate and dot with a few pieces of butter. Roll out other crust and cut in 1 inch strips. Place on top of pie in lattice pattern. Brush top with a pastry brush and a small amount of milk. Sprinkle entire top with cinnamon sugar,. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. I like to place fruit pies on a baking sheet so they don't run over into oven. check pie at about 35 minutes and cover with foil if getting too brown. Can serve with vanilla ice cream and make cinnamon crust with leftover crust from pie(See my index). Wait for the raves!!

Peach/Blueberry Cobbler

Take out a peach and add 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Continue with recipe as above