Out Of This World Pie Food

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine pie filling and pineapple. Combine sugar and cornstarch; add to fruit mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until thickened. , Remove from the heat. Add gelatin and food coloring if desired; mix well. Cool. Fold in bananas and pecans. Pour into the pie shells. Spread with whipped topping. Chill until serving.

THE BEST COCONUT CREAM PIE

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 4 to 5 times until the dough forms a ball. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.)
• Transfer the dough to a work surface. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift the sides of the parchment to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
• For the filling: Whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the milk and the cornstarch in a medium bowl until smooth and well combined. Stir together the remaining 3/4 cup milk, the half-and-half, sugar and kosher salt in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until barely simmering. Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring the hot milk and cream into the egg yolks while continuing to whisk. Pour the custard back into the pan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is very thick and smooth, about 5 minutes; it will be the consistency of a pudding. (If the filling has scrambled a bit, or doesn't look smooth, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl before adding the coconut.) Stir in the butter until melted, then stir in the vanilla and shredded coconut. Spread the filling into the cooled pie crust. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pie and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
• For the meringue: Add the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and kosher salt to the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture feels very hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to completely cover the filling and meet the crust all around the edges. (This will completely seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Use the offset spatula to form swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling. Sprinkle all over with toasted coconut and serve.

OUT OF THIS WORLD PIE

Steps:

• In saucepan, combine the first 5 ingredients. Cook until thick. Remove from heat and add the Jell-O; allow to cool.
• Add the bananas and pecans.
• Pour into pie shells and top with whipped topping.

OUT OF THIS WORLD PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine pie filling, pineapple with juice, food coloring, sugar, and cornstarch. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin.
• Allow mixture to cool, then stir in banana slices. Pour half of mixture into each pastry shell. Top with whipped topping if desired. Chill at least four hours before serving.

OUT OF THIS WORLD CARAMEL APPLE JAM

Steps:

• In a large pan cook the apples over low heat, covered, until they are soft, about 20 minutes. You may need to add some water or apple cider to keep them from scorching.
• Puree the apples by putting them through the medium screen of a food mill or pressing them through a sieve.
• In a large pan, combine 2 cups of the sugar, the water and the lemon juice. Without stirring or shaking the pan, bring the syrup to a boil and gently boil it until the water has evaporated the the syrup has turned golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat immediately, before the caramel darkens more than you'd like.
• Add the apple puree to the caramel, which will harden at first and then begin to dissolve. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and stir over low heat until the sugar and caramel have completely dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the jam to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes until the jam is thick enough that your spoon briefly leaves a clear track at the bottom of the pan.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the brandy, if you are using it, and the vanilla extract. Ladle the jam into pint or half-pint jars and process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

OUT OF THIS WORLD PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine pie filling, pineapple with juice, food coloring, sugar, and cornstarch. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin.
• Allow mixture to cool, then stir in banana slices. Pour half of mixture into each pastry shell. Top with whipped topping if desired. Chill at least four hours before serving.

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a pie pan with half of the Short Pastry Crust. Heat a medium-size saucepan on medium and add the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken and boil, about 10 minutes. Pour into the prepared pie pan. Place small pats of Earth Balance on top of the cherry filling before covering with the remaining Short Pastry Crust, either as a full piecrust or as cut strips.
• Place the pie on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper to catch any spills. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 25 to 35 minutes. The pie will be bubbly and the crust will be lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.