Spanish Lemon Cream

Dogwood in Williamsburg VA

Ingredients


3 8oz containers of plain yoghurt
4 lemons
1/2 can of sweetened, condensed milk

Preparation


Squeeze the juice from the lemons.  Add the juice to a mixing bowl.  Add 8 oz of sweetened, condensed milk (each can is 14 oz-so a little more than half).  Mix well with mixer.  Add yoghurt, one container at a time and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour until it thickens to the consistency of pudding.

I usually put it in parfait glasses and top with a few fresh berries- raspberries or blue berries.


Serves 4-6

Southern Pecan Pie

This pie will "eclipse" all other pecan pies!

Ingredients

1 cup dark Karo Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups pecan meats

1 pie crust (I use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust)

Preparation

Unroll pie crust and place in pie pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a bowl, lightly beat 3 eggs.  Add Karo Syrup, granulated sugar, and vanilla.  Stir until mixed well.  Add pecans and stir.  Pour mixture into pie crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes (until filling has a nearly firm texture)

Notes from Liz

This is a very easy and delicious pie.  You can make the whole pie in 10 minutes plus cooking time

Sugared Cranberries

Carolina Wren at my bird feeder

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cups superfine sugar

Preparation

Combine granulated sugar and water in sauce pan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a simmer, remove from heat.  ( Do not boil or the cranberries may pop when added.)  Stir in cranberries, pour mixture into a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain cranberries in a colander, over a bowl, reserve steeping liquid, if desired.  Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish.  Add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar.  spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet, let stand at room temperature, 1 hour, or until dry.

Use as a garnish for a plate of cookies, around a cake, topping for ice cream, etc.  They are good as a light snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

Notes from Liz

The reserved sugar sauce can be used to make cranberry sauce or as a sweetner for homemade lemonade or ice tea.  I make these at Christmas but they are delicious anytime you have fresh cranberries.

My Favorite Apple Pie

Notes from Liz about Crust:  Again, I recommend the roll-out Pillsbury refrigerated crust (2 to a package).  If you want to try another quick and easy crust...Here is the recipe.

Fall in Bloom

Pie Crust

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 stick butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (liquid)
3-4 TBS ICE Water

Preparation

Place the flour, butter, shortening in food processor and process just until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.  With the processor running, add enough ice water through the feed tube for the dough to begin to form into a ball.  Wrap the dough into a ball and refrigerate for one hour.  Divide dough in half and roll out on lightly floured surface (about 12 inch circle).  Line 10 inch pie pan, fill and cover filling.  Add second crust on top of filling, trim edges, crimp to seal.  Use a sharp knife to cut vents in center of pie crust.

Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients

11 cups, cored, peeled and sliced apples (about 12 medium apples).  I use Ginger Gold or tart green apples.
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup light cream
1 TBS ground cinnamon
Milk for brushing the crust

Preparation

Place the apples in a large mixing bowl and toss with sugar, flour, salt, and cream and cinnamon. Mix well, until apples are coated.  Mound the filling into the pie crust in 10 inch pie pan.  This will be several inches above the pie pan.  Place top crust on pie, press (crimp) to seal the edges.  Slash vents in center of the pie.  Line baking sheet with foil, place pie on lined baking sheet (there will be drips). Brush crust with milk.  Bake the pie at 375 degrees for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours (until crust is golden brown).  Serve the pie at room temperature.

Serves 8-10

Cranberry/Blueberry Pie

Ingredients

1 box Pillsbury roll out crusts
(found in the refrigerated section next to biscuits)
1/2 small orange, cut into pieces
4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 cups cranberries (fresh)
2 cups sugar
3 TBS cornstarch

Preparation

Coarsely grind orange in food processor. Put orange, blueberries, cranberries and sugar and cornstarch into saucepan. Heat over low until it comes to a rolling boil.  Cook 8 minutes, stirring constantly.  Cool completely.  Roll out crust into pie pan. Put cooled filling into crust.  Roll out second crust on top of pie.  Cut 4 slits in the center of pie crust.  Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Put pie on foil lined cookie sheet.  Cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Serve pie at room temperature (filling will be too liquid if you serve it hot).

Serves 6-8 people (great with vanilla ice cream on top)

Preparation Time  20 minutes plus baking

Shaker Lemon Pie from Linnie Sorrell

Hancock Shaker Farm, Massachusetts

My grandmother, Linnie Sorrell, lived about 7 miles from the Shaker community at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky.  She shared this recipe with me when I was in high school.

Ingredients

2 large lemons
4 eggs, well beaten
2 cups sugar

Preparation

Slice lemons as thin as paper, rind and all. Remove seeds. Combine with sugar; mix well.  Let stand 2 hours or longer, preferably blending occasionally.  Add beaten eggs to lemon mixture; mix well. Turn into nine inch pie shell, arranging lemon slices evenly.  Cover with top crust.  Cut several slits near center.  Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes or until knife inserted near edge of pie comes out clean.  Cool before serving.

Notes on Pie Crust

My grandmother gave me a wonderful pie crust recipe, which I will share, but to be absolutely truthful, I have found that in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, Pillsbury has pie crusts in a package. This is NOT the frozen variety but the two crust package that you simply roll out into the pie pan.  It is really quite good and you can make a pie in less than 1/2 hour and then bake!

Serves 6-8

Preparation time:  30 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to bake

Notes from Liz


The Shaker Lemon Pie is a "custard-like" lemon pie with high marks from my guests.