Holiday Pies

Making pies are my specialty when Thanksgiving and Christmas come around. It is my favorite time of year, because I love to cook! I have four pies that I would like to introduce to you, all easy, some are more time consuming than others. Two of the pies come from my grandmother, one from my cousin who got it from the Keebler Elves, Ready Crust recipes, and one from Thrifty Maid cherry fruit filling label.


Grandma's Apple Pie

6 cups of pared, sliced, Granny Smith green tart apples
3/4 cups of sugar
1 tbsp of cornstarch
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
2 Pillsbury Pie Dough (1 box)
1 9" Pie pan

Take one of your pie dough shells and line it in your pie pan
Put your 6 cups of Granny Smith apples in it
In a seperate bowl mix your sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon together
Pour it over the apples
Take the 2 tbsps of butter cut in smalls pieces and place randomly on top of apples and spices
Use your second pie dough to put over the top, press edges together with a fork, make little slivers on top, usually in the shape of a star, like an astrics star.
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes

Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

Grandma used Libby's pumpkin pie recipe, but changed it around just a bit, and made it a whole lot better.mmm..mmm..good!

1/2 cup of granulated (white) sugar
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground ginger
1/4 tsp of ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) Libby's 100% pure pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1 Pillsbury dough pie shell
1 9" pie pan (deep dish)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Line pie shell in pie pan
In a small bowl mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves
In a large bowl beat eggs and pumpkin together
Add spices to pumpkin mixture, mix well
Slowly add evaporated milk
After mixing all ingredients, pour into pie shell
Bake on 425 for 15 minutes
Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until fork comes out clean after poking in the middle
Let cool for two hours

Cherry Cheese Pie

This no-bake pie recipe came from a Thrifty Maid label for cherry fruit filling . Yum! Yum! Good!
If you don't like cherry, you can use strawberry, or no fruit filling at all, it's good any which way.

1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1/3 cup of lemon juice from concentrate
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 6 oz graham cracker pie crust
1 21 oz can of cherry fruit filling (chilled)

In a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy
Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth
Stir in lemon juice and vanilla
Pour into graham cracker crust
Chill in refrigerator for 3 hours
Top with fruit filling and serve

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Last but not least, is one of my favorites no-bake double layer pumpkin pie. I originally received this recipe from my cousin, Jennifer, years ago. Through the process of time, I missplaced it (lost it), but ran accrossed it again through the Keebler Company recipe cards. Oh what a happy day!

1 6 oz Ready Crust Graham Cracker Pie Crust
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 tbsp of milk
1 tbsp of sugar
1 8 oz tub of frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
2 boxes ( 4 serving size each) of vanilla flavor instant pudding
1 can 16oz of Libby's 100% pumpkin
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ginger
1/4 tsp of cloves

Beat cream cheese, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1tbsp of milk until smooth
Gently stir in 1/2 of whipped topping
Spread on bottom of graham cracker crust
Pour 1 cup of milk into a bowl and add pudding mixes, beat for 1 minute
Stir in pumpkin and spices, mix well
Spread over cream cheese layer
Refrigerate 4 hours or until set

All easy to make, just some take more time than others. Have fun over the holidays, and be thankful for what you do have, don't worry about what you don't have.
In other words, "Don't Worry, Be Happy"!

By Michelle Reeves