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!

Supreme Double- Coconut cream pie

I love this pie!!! I just found this recipe again and I remembered it is the best ever. While the original coconut cream pie I have on the website is good, this is heavenly. It uses both cream of coconut and flaked coconut. Wait until you taste it!!!!

1. 3 Egg whites (I use 4 or 5 to make a high meringue, just use heaping measures of the sugar and cream of tartar)


2. 1/4 cup cornstarch


3. 2 cups milk


4. 3/4 cup Cream of coconut


5. 3 beaten egg yolks


6. 2 TBLS. butter or margarine


7. 1 cup flaked coconut


8. 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla


9. 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar


10. 1/3 cup sugar


11. 2 TBLS. flaked coconut


12. 1 baked 9 inch pie crust(recipe found on this website)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile for filling, in a medium suacepan combine cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir in 1/4 cup of the milk, with a wire whisk, until smooth. Stir in remaining milk and the cream of coconut. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot filling into the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Pour egg yolk mixture into remaining hot filling in the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Stir in 1 cup flaked coconut and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Keep warm...

For meringue, in a large metal mixing bowl combine egg whites, remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and the cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on fairly high speed for 1 minute or so until soft peaks form(soft peaks are when you pull up meringue with mixer(not on) and the peak "droops", stiff peaks are when they stand straight up in the air). Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar, 1 TBLS. at a time, beating on high speed 4 minutes or more, until mixture holds stiff peaks. Spoon hot filling into baked pie shell. IMMEDIATELY spread meringue over hot filling, carefully sealing to edge of crust to prevent shrinkage. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 TBLS. flaked coconut. Bake for 15 minutes, watching carefully, until meringue and coconut are nicely browned. Cool for 1 hour. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. However, I like to bring to room temperature to serve. Think it tastes the best!!

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!!

Apricot Pie

This absolutely FABULOUS Apricot pie comes from my friend, Bev Giffin. She is part of my quilt group and we have been meeting for 24 years!!! We not only quilt, but everyone is a great cook and we enjoy exchanging recipes. This came from her grandmother. It uses 2 crusts and you can find that recipe in the index. Be sure and roll the crusts very thin for this pie. If you like the peach pie, you will love this too!!

1. 1 28oz. can apricots
2. 1 16oz. can apricots
3. 3/4 cup sugar
4. 3 TBLS. minute tapioca
5. dash of salt
6. 2 TBLS. butter
7. 2 crusts- For this pie, roll VERY thin!!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain apricots, saving about 1/3 cup of juice. combine sugar, tapioca, salt and juice, add to drained apricots. Let stand while making crusts or for 15 or 20 minutes. Fill bottom crust and top with 2 TBLS. of butter. Put on top crust and cut slits in a decorative way. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Put pie pan on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes @ 450 degrees. Lower oven to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes more. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. YUMMY!!