Tag: Graham Cracker Crust

Bourbon Banana Pie

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I wish I could say that New Years Resolutions mean that pies are on hold for a while.  But no.  No no, I don’t wish that, because pies are always a good idea.

You know what else is a good idea: bourbon.  Oh and bananas.  We can’t forget bananas.  I eat one everyday; they’re good for you.  I don’t have bourbon everyday; we won’t talk about that.  But in this pie form, I might be willing to do so.  Although pie everyday might not be a good idea either, resolutions remember?

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How about a resolution to try new things?  I’ll be honest, the bourbon flavor is subtle, not overpowering.  It’s pretty much perfect, like this pie.  And really aren’t you tired of traditional banana cream pie?   If you are, or even if you’re not, try this:

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Bourbon Banana Pie

1 stick of butter, melted
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup mashed banana (about 1 1/2 medium bananas)
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp Bourbon or other Whiskey
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar

Pre-heat oven to 325F.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and powdered sugar.  Press into a 9 inch pie dish.  Put in the fridge until ready to use.

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks for a few mins.  Beat in banana, sweetened condensed milk and 1 tbsp bourbon.  Pour mixture into prepared pie dish.  Bake for 45 minutes (or until no jiggles when you shake it).  Allow to cool completely.  Once pie has cooled, make topping.  Mix together sour cream, sugar and remaining 2 tbsp bourbon.  Spread over the top of the pie.  Refrigerate for a few hours and serve!

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So given my obsession with adding alcohol to everything, it might seem like I’m an enormous lush.  Trust me, I’m not cool enough to be one of those people.  Pie on the other hand…

I’m definitely cool enough for pie.  So are you.  Go make this pie!  or Pin It for future reference 🙂 This is one you’re going to want to try.

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Easier-Than-Pie Creamy Pumpkin Pie

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For Christmas, there are always a million dishes to make.  Usually, Christmas dinner is essentially a repeat of Thanksgiving.  But this year we decided to branch out, so this is our menu:

Usually, my sister and I share cooking duties.  This year, she is very pregnant and swollen.  The last thing we need is labor intensive desserts (even though I ordinarily love those).  But easy doesn’t mean it’s not tasty.

So if you’re in a similar situation (not necessarily pregnant, but just with a lot of cooking to do).  Here’s an easy and amazingly delicious dessert that’s perfect for any holiday celebration.

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Now, I’ll have to warn you. This is not your average pumpkin pie.  It’s not as dense as regular pumpkin pie, not to mention it’s in a graham cracker crust, which is unlike most pumpkin pies.  It’s creamy, almost like a light cheesecake but without the cheese.

If that sounds great to you, then give it a whirl.  If you’re apprehensive… give it a whirl.  I think you’ll love it.

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Easier-Than-Pie Creamy Pumpkin Pie

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 stick of butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp mace (or nutmeg?)
1 cup sour cream
1-2 tsp molasses
1/4 cup sugar
Candied ginger (optional, for garnish)

Melt butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar.  Press into a 9-inch pie dish.  Place in the fridge/freezer until ready to use.

Pre-heat oven to 325F.

In a bowl, beat the yolks a few mins until slightly thick.  Beat in pumpkin puree.  Add spices and then beat in sweetened condensed milk.  Pour filling into prepared pie dish.

Bake 45 mins or until pie is no longer jiggly (this is clearly a scientific method, dating a biochemist will do that to you).   Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

In a separate bowl combine sour cream, molasses and sugar.  Spread over the pie and garnish with sliced candied ginger or any other cute looking topping.  Chill for a few hours in the fridge then serve.

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Well friend, off to my pre-holiday celebration with just me and the boyfriend.   You better believe I have this pie sitting in the fridge for dessert.

Merry Christmas!!

Avocado Pie

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My boyfriend told me that the first time he heard about me (right before we met over 2 years ago on a random trip to Las Vegas) he thought I was going to be a rich snob.  Makes sense.  I went to Cornell at the time and when I first meet people I tend to be quiet.  I guess that translated to rich-bitch-face for me.  But luckily, we moved past that.

2 years later, he’s coming to find that I’m quite the opposite.  I might be the cheapest person I’ve ever met (after my mother that is… I had to get it somewhere right?).  Yesterday, I had us walk to Costco before going to the movie theater so we could buy the cheaper tickets there.  $8 savings!  I say yes.

My frugality translated to food as well.  For a long time, I would NEVER buy avocados.  $1+ for an avocado seemed outrageous.  But now, I’m growing up.  And guys… I buy avocados.  In fact, I just bought 2 right before writing this post.  Is my cheapness fizzing away?

I don’t think so (the avocados I just bought were on sale), but if you’re cheap like me but want to use your avocados to your full potential, here’s how:

In pie form.

Yes, it’s sweet.  Not savory, and truth be told, I don’t really taste the avocado in it.  What I do taste (and trust me I tasted this one a lot, I ate it for breakfast 3 days last week…) is delicious creamy-ness.

Avocado Pie

from Blue Ribbon Pies (mostly)

1 stick of butter, melted
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 large avocado (or 1 1/2 small, which is what I used), lightly mashed
1/4 cup lime juice
2 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (15 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Prepare crust by mixing together melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 powdered sugar.  Press into a 9” pie pan.  Put in the freezer until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 325.

Our lime juice over avocado slices and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick (few minutes took me about 5?).  Add avocado and lime juice and beat, add vanilla and continue to beat.  Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until well combined.  Pour mixture into prepared graham cracker crust.  Bake 20 minutes.

Allow to cool completely.  Meanwhile, mix together sour cream, vanilla and 1/4 cup sugar.  Once the pie is completely cool, spread sour cream mixture over the pie.  Chill for a few hours (I chilled it over night) then serve!

Ok so cheapness aside, I can’t take credit for this recipe.  I owe it to my lovely friend, Rhoda.  She shares my affinity for pies and cost-effectiveness, which I greatly appreciate.

But take my word for it, make this pie no one will think you’re a cheap-o.  They’ll think your awesome for 1. giving them pie, 2. making an amazing pie that looks crazy but tastes great!

Passion Fruit Cream Pie

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There are a few things I’m certain about.

1. If you are at a party full of latinos and you want them to dance, play this song:

Everyone will be on the dance floor within 30 seconds.  Truth.

2.  My sister and I have a 20 degree temperature range of comfort.  Anything below 65F is too cold, and anything about 85F is far too hot.  I have no idea how I lived in central NY for 2 years.

3.  This is my new go to summer dessert.  Really this has to do with #2 and the fact that my apartment is an oven, therefore I refuse to turn on the oven.

Passion Fruit Cream Pie

For Crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar

For Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1  1/4 cup passion fruit curd (recipe follows)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Mango diced, or sliced strawberries, thinly sliced lemon, extra whipped cream or other fruit for topping

Passionfruit Curd
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup passion fruit pulp (Goya has some frozen, check out the freezer section or a latin grocery store)
4 tbsp butter

First prepare the passion fruit curd, it needs to cool completely before you make this.  In a glass bowl that fits over a saucepan, combine eggs, passion fruit pulp and sugar.  Place over a sauce pan with boiling water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl).  Stir constantly until thick (this will take anywhere from 20-30 minutes).  Stir in butter and pass through a fine mesh strainer.  Set aside to cool and refrigerate until ready to use.  This can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Once you’re ready to make your pie.  Melt butter in a bowl.  Add graham cracker crumbs and sugar.  Press into 9” pie dish.  Place in freezer while you prepare the filling.

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and 1 cup of passionfruit curd.

In a separate bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until it holds firm peaks.

Fold whipped cream into cream cheese/passion fruit mixture.  Pour mixture into prepared pie dish.   Spread any remaining passion fruit curd (will be about 1/4 cup) on to the top of the pie mixture (that is if you haven’t eaten it already because it’s so deliciously good).

Top with your fruit of choice and refrigerate at least 4 hours or until ready to serve.    I topped one with mango and one with thinly sliced lemon pieces.

Note that decorating this with lemons is totally misleading.  Half the people at the party I took this to were expecting it to be a lemon dessert.

The good news is you totally can make this into a lemon dessert!  All you have to do is replace the passionfruit curd with lemon curd and TA DA! Instant no-bake lemon dessert!

Now, let me be honest, I’ve made both a lemon version and a passion fruit version… The passion fruit version wins.

Topped with mango.  To die for.

Either way, I’m thinking that this is my new favorite no bake dessert.

It might even beat the peanut butter banana cream pie… and that’s saying a lot.

Ok but we’re all friends here, turn on some music (or maybe the song I linked above), dance in the kitchen and make both the passion fruit cream pie and the peanut butter banana cream pie.  I’m certain you (and whoever you decide to share them with) will love them.

Milk Chocolate Brownie Pie with Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Crust

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Remember when I told you to look forward to pies?  Well I didn’t make you wait long.  Here it is.



And let’s be honest about this.  Not all pies are pretty, but even if they’re not pretty they can still be tasty.  Let’s call it functional, not beautiful.  I’m pretty certain this pie won’t get as many pins as other ones.

You know what makes this even more functional: it’s easy.  Not that other pies are hard to make but with this one, you don’t have to deal with rolling a crust, peeling or chopping fruit, making a topping or even pulling out the hand mixer.

This pie is essentially chocolate chess pie.  However, no one seems to know what that is (not even me really…).  So my original intention was to call this Chocolate Milk Pie, because to me, it tastes like chocolate milk in a pie form.  But when I took it to work everyone kept calling it brownie pie.  I guess that might be a more accurate descriptions.

Hence…

Milk Chocolate Brownie Pie with Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Crust

adapted from Chocolate Chess Pie

For Crust:

4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp peanut butter
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar

For Filling:

4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
5 oz evaporated milk (you can buy 5 oz cans)

Pre-heat oven to 325F. Prepare the crust.  Melt butter and peanut butter together in a bowl.  Add sugar and graham cracker crumbs.  Combine and press into a 9inch pie dish.  Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Mix all the ingredients.  Pour filling into the pie dish.  Place use a pie shield or line the edges with aluminum foil (this really is crucial).  Bake 45 minutes to an hour or until the top is cracked but the inside still looks gooey.

Allow to cool completely and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional).

The inside will be ooey, gooey and lovely.  I can guarantee you’ll love it, even if it’s not the most visually appealing.

But you know what is totally appealing (aside from this pie of course)? Birthday countdowns.

Boyfriend’s birthday in 1 week. My birthday in 2 weeks.  That means lots of pie/cake-making is on the way.

FYI, I’m totally okay with making a birthday cake/pie for myself.  Is that weird?