RICHMOND —
I have always loved to make pies. But the hardest part is making a pie dough shell.
So someone thought of me and now you can get either the sheets of pie dough in the dairy case or the frozen ones in the freezer section of the stores.
You also can purchase the graham cracker ones already in a pie shell.
This is one of the easy pies I make all the time.
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients:
1 package of key lime gelatin ( I use the sugar-free type)
1/2 cup of boiling water
2 cartons of key lime yogurt
1 small carton of whipped topping (you now can get sugar-free)
Directions:
Dissolve the packet of gelatin in 1/2 cup of boiling water. Add the yogurt and whipped topping. Place in a graham cracker crust. Place in the refrigerator for about one hour. I add about a teaspoon of lime juice as I like mine really tart.
You can really do different flavors with this recipe. Start with the flavor of yogurt and add the same flavor of gelatin. I did cherry this week and it worked out really great.
I think this next pie I will call a “depression” pie. I believe my grandmother had very little to make pies with, so she came up with this Pinto Bean Pie when this country was going through such hard times.
Pinto Bean Pie
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of unseasoned cooked pinto beans (15 oz. can)
1 cup of brown sugar (I use the low sugar blended type)
2 eggs
1/2 cup of soft butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon clove
A pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender, cream the sugar, butter and eggs.
Add the beans and blend until it’s thick and smooth.
Add the spices and vanilla. Place in an unbaked pie shell and bake for one hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
The Madison County Extension office will be offering a class on Magical Beans and the health benefits from fixing beans. It will be conducted Jan. 15 from 2-4 p.m. Call 623-4072 to reserve your seat.
My mother was so forgetful when it comes to adding sugar to pies.
She made a cherry pie one time and forgot to put the sugar in it. So, she sprinkled sugar on top.
But the most memorable one was when I was about to be married. We had the wedding party out in her back yard.
She had fixed three of the old-time crank ice cream makers only she forgot to put any sugar in any of them. We had to add sugar as we ate the ice cream.
I was afraid my soon-to-be husband would chicken out after he went through all these experiences with my mom.
But, he has made it 52 years with my leaving out cooking items at times. I had a master for a teacher!
One of my favorite pies, I learned from my mother-in-law.
Graham Cracker Cream Pie
Ingredients:
16 graham crackers rolled fine
1 teaspoon flour
1/2 cup of shortening softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Mix as for the pie crust. Take 1/2 mixture and pack in pie pan.
Filling:
3 egg yolks, 2 cups of milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Cook until mixture coats the spoon. Pour into crust. Make a meringue of 3 egg whites and 3 teaspoons of sugar. Spread on top of filling. Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs on top of meringue and bake at 325 degrees until brown.
One time at EKU I got a call from the catering office just as I and Jean Bennett were about to leave for home.
They were desperate for us to make some lemon pies for an event they had overlooked.
I took the order and asked her to stay. God bless her soul. She was always willing to get into anything I came up with ... to a point.
I told her we had to make 35 lemon pies in about 45 minutes.
We set a record in making those pies.
The morale to this story (and you can guess there is a lesson to be learned whenever I am in a mess) is for me not to take the orders over the phone.
I could have sworn they needed 35 pies, but when the delivery guy came to get the pies, they only needed five.
Jean did not speak to me all week.
The students, however, did get a lot of lemon pies for two days.
She has since passed on from this life, but I bet she isn’t making pies in heaven. If she is, she’s taking the orders correctly.
Well, our time is about up. I have enjoyed your visits so far.
I saw a billboard on a church sign one time that stated: God gives us second chances. I hope we all practice this motto this year if we mess up on recipes like I sometimes do.
Arritta Morris is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in nutrition and a master’s degree in counseling. She is a certified Food Service Specialist with the School and Nutrition Association.
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