Lemon Blueberry Cream Pie

This sweet but tart lemon pie is delish!  It's a Thanksgiving favorite of mine!  One large lemon will be enough for the lemon peel and fresh lemon juice.  I would for sure use the full fat Dairy sour cream.  

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk
3 beaten egg yolks
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon shredded lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
8 oz Dairy sour cream
2 cups fresh blueberries

Baked GF pie crust

In a saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch.  In a small bowl, stir together beaten eggs and milk.  Add to sauce pan.  Add butter and lemon peel.  Cook over medium heat until it boils.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes while boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Cover with plastic wrap until cool.

Wash blueberries and let them dry completely.  When pudding is cool, stir in sour cream.  Stir in blueberries and pour into a baked pie crust.  Cover and chill for 3-4 hours.  Top with whipped cream.  You can also whip some lemon peel into the cream.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This cheesecake is pumpkin goodness!  Yum!  It's like pumpkin pie, but better!  It's adapted from Paul Deens recipe that you can find here.  The crust is especially good and I think I'll use this crust for all my cheesecake recipes.  The brown sugar gives it more of a graham cracker crust flavor!  I put a little salt in the crust because the shortbread cookies are lacking a little I think.

Crust:
1 (7 ounce) pkg Schar Shortbread cookies
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup almond flour
3 heaping packed tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted salted butter

Filling:
3 (8 ounce) pkgs cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg  yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons GF flour blend
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º.  Place shortbread cookies in a ziploc bag.  Using a rolling pin smash the bag of cookies into fine crumbs.  Pour crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan.  Add almond flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the crumbs and mix well.  Pour melted butter over the mixture and stir until combined.  Press down flat into the pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and pumpkin and mix until combined.  Add eggs one and a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding the next.  Add the rest of the ingredients and beat together until well combined.  Pour onto crust and spread out evenly.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Wow!  This pie is delicious!  It's certainly not low-fat, but it tastes fabulous!
It's a nice twist on Pecan Pie.

Unbaked GF pie crust
1 8 ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 jar (12 1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping

Prepare the pie crust.  In a small bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth.  Spread into pastry shell.  Sprinkle with pecans.

In a small bowl whisk remaining eggs.  Gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended.  Pour slowly over pecans.

Bake at 375º for 35 - 40 minutes or until lightly browned.  (Loosely cover edges with foil after 20 minutes if pie browns too quickly.)  Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing.

Note:  I used Smucker's Caramel ice cream topping.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

I made this pie for Thanksgiving this year and my husband said it was his favorite!  Certainly a keeper!  First, prepare a GF baked pie crust and cool.

Cream Cheese filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Lemon filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons featherlight flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
dash of salt
1 1/2 cups water
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice

Beat cream cheese filling ingredients until light and fluffy.  Spread into the bottom of GF baked pie crust.  Refrigerate to set.

In a large saucepan mix sugar, gf flour, cornstarch, and salt.  Gradually stir in water.  Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with a fork.  Gradually stir 1 cup of hot filling into egg yolks.  Return to saucepan, stir and bring to a gently boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon peel and butter.  Stir in lemon juice and cool.  When cooled, spread filling over cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Serve with whipped cream.

Note:  I used 1 lemon for the peel and the juice.  It's not enough juice for 1/3 of a cup, so I used as much fresh and I could squeeze out, and added lemon juice concentrate for the rest.  It worked great!

Fresh Peach Pie

This is one of my all time favorite pies!  It's a recipe that my mother-in-law has made for years!  It has almond extract in it which gives it a great flavor and highlights the peaches!  This recipe makes 1 pie.  It's easily doubled if you want to make 2 pies.

6 - 10 fresh peaches
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons butter
9-inch baked gluten free pie crust

Peel, core and mash 2 - 3 peaches (depending on size) into a large saucepan.  Stir in sugar, corn starch and water.  Cook on medium high heat stirring frequently until it comes to a boil.  Boil and stir for about 1 minute, until sauce is thickened.  Take off the heat and add almond extract and butter.  Stir and combine.  Let filling cool to room temperature.

Peel, core and slice 3 - 6 peaches (depending on size) into the baked pie crust.  You want the peaches to almost fill the pie shell.  When filling is cool, pour it over the fresh peaches.  Move the peaches around a little so the sauce trickles down throughout the peaches.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Serve with whipped cream!

Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes, (also called yams)!!!  They are my favorite vegetable!  I like them best cooked simply, without all the marshmallows and brown sugar.  I use the microwave to cook them, because it's so fast!

3 - 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 - 3 tablespoons butter, sliced
salt & pepper
about 1/4 cup milk

Place sweet potato cubes in a greased glass casserole dish.  Add small slices of butter on top.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour in the milk.  (The milk keeps the sweet potatoes from drying out.)  Place lid or plastic wrap on top of the casserole dish.  Cook on high in the microwave for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on your microwave.

Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie

This is my all time favorite apple pie recipe.  I love the crunch of the pecans, and the flavor that the caramel adds!  I'm also partial to the streusel topping!  Top with vanilla ice cream and you've got a delicious dessert!

7 cups sliced peeled tart apples
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Caramel ice cream topping, room temperature
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Streusel Topping:
3/4 cup featherlight flour
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter
Caramel ice cream topping, room temperature

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and vanilla.  Combine the pecans, sugars, cinnamon and cornstarch; add to apple mixture and toss to coat.  Pour (2 - 3 tablespoons) caramel topping over the bottom of pastry shell - enough to coat the bottom of the shell.  Top with apple mixture (shell will be full).  Drizzle with butter.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, pecans and sugar.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Mix with hands.  Sprinkle over filling.

Bake at 350º for 50 - 60 minutes or until filling bubbly and topping is browned.  Immediately drizzle with 3 - 4 tablespoons caramel topping.  Cool on a wire rack.

Banana Cream Pie

Yum!  Yum!  Yum!
This is one of my mother-in-law's famous recipes!

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons vanilla
2 bananas
1 baked pie shell

Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.  In a bowl, blend egg yolks and milk.  Pour egg and milk mixture into the sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it boils.  Stir and boil for 1 minute.  Take off the heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  Press plastic wrap up against pudding and cool to room temperature.  Slice 2 bananas into 9 inch baked pie shell.  Pour pudding on top.  Chill 2 hours.  Top with whipped cream.

Bette Hagman's Featherlight Vinegar Pastry

I got this recipe from my cousin!  It is fabulous!

2 ½ cups featherlight flour                                                                                                       

1 rounded teaspoon xanthan gum           

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

¾ cup shortening

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 egg

4 tablespoons ice water

Sweet rice flour for rolling

Blend the flour mix, zanthan gum, salt, and sugar.  Cut in the shortening until coarse crumbs form. In a small bowl, beat the vinegar and egg together with a fork.  Add the ice water.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a fork and keep adding liquid until the dough forms a ball. Work a little with your hands to obtain a smooth texture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more before rolling out.

Divide the dough in half and roll out on plastic wrap. Use as much of the sweet rice flour as needed to work easily. Place in a pie tin. If using plastic wrap for easier handling, remove it to the pie tin and invert the dough into the pan. Bake as directed for the filling used.

For a baked crust, prick the pastry with a fork on sides and bottom. Bake the crust in a preheated 450º oven for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned. Cool before filling

Makes enough pastry for a 2-crust 9” pie or 2 pastry shells

Rachelle's Gluten Free Stuffing

Thanksgiving is delicious with this stuffing!  I've tried gluten free bread in the past and it was okay, but not great.  A few years ago I decided to use my waffles instead!  It truly was scrumptious!  I just make a big batch of waffles so I have plenty of leftovers for the stuffing.  This recipe serves about 8 to 10 people, so if you're serving more than that, you might want to double it.

5 cups GF waffles, toasted and cut in small cubes
4 cups celery, diced (about 7 celery ribs)
2 cups onion, diced
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

In a small pan, bring the bouillon and water to a boil, then remove from heat.  In a separate pan, saute celery, onion and butter until soft.  Add waffles, chicken broth and poultry seasoning.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bake in a greased casserole dish for 20 - 25 minutes at 350 degrees until heated through.

Note:  I have a large Belgium waffle iron.  This recipe uses about 8 or 9 waffle quarters.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

I love this dessert!  It has Fall written all over it!  (Although it's great any time of year!)

3/4 cup featherlight flour

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup finely chopped nuts

Mix together dry ingredients (except sugar) and set aside.  Beat eggs 5 minutes or until very thick.  Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar.  Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Pour into well greased and floured 15 x 10" baking pan.  Sprinkle top with finely chopped nuts.  Bake at 375º for 15 minutes.  Loosen edges and turn out immediately onto dish towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Start at narrow end and roll towel and cake together.  Cool completely and unroll.  Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.  Roll and chill before serving.


Cream Cheese Frosting

4 tablespoons butter
6 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla