Sweet Potato Chip Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup crushed sweet potato chips*
3/4 cup cold butter, sliced
1/4-1/2 cup cold water
pinch nutmeg
pinch ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place flour, spices and potato chips in a food processor and pulse once or twice to mix. Add the butter and pulse until it forms pebble-sized clumps. Add the cold water and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Remove to a pie pan, and spread, using your fingertips, evenly across the bottom and up the sides. The dough will feel more like a thick paste than pie dough. Prick the bottom thoroughly with a fork and bake for 10 minutes then check on the crust. Prick again if it is rising very high and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.

*I used an entire 6 oz bag of Terra Chips Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Chips

My thoughts:

I know this recipe sounds a little wacky but everyone who had it raved about it. It has a great, savory potato flavor which went wonderfully with sweet potato cream cheese pie filling.

Smoked Salmon Quiche with an Old Bay Asagio Crust

Ingredients:
for the crust:
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup shredded asagio
2-4 tablespoons ice water
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay

filling:
8 oz smoked salmon, flaked (not lox)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3/4 cup shredded asagio
2 tablespoons capote capers
2 teaspoons tarragon white wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Place the pepper, butter, flour and cheese into a food processor. Add water one tablespoon at a time and pulse just until mixture sticks together. Form the dough into a ball. Roll out into a crust and place in a pie plate or quiche pan or tart pan. Prick with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes or until just browned. Turn oven down to 325. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into the prepared shell. Bake 45-50 minutes or until fully cooked.

My thoughts:

I honestly am not sure the last time, if ever, I made quiche. I had always thought of it as using rather a lot of eggs, but I guess not. Four eggs makes for a slightly firmer quiche than some but I think it works better with the salmon than a more custardy texture would. Once again, I used evaporated milk for a rich flavor without the fat of the more commonly called for half and half or heavy cream.

I really loved the crust I made. It wasn't too spicy but had a great kick from the Old Bay and cheese. It was a really easy dough to roll out too. I echoed the crust in the filling by using the same cheese in it but I kept the flavors simple to accentuate the smoked salmon.

Blackberry Meringue Pie

Ingredients:

for the pie crust:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1 inch chunks
3-4 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon lime zest

for the filling:
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup blackberry juice
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

for the meringue:
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch cream of tartar


Directions:

for the pie crust:
Preheat oven to 350. Place the butter, flour and zest into a food processor. Add water one tablespoon at a time and pulse just until mixture sticks together. Form the dough into a ball then roll out on a floured surface. Place in a pie plate and prick with a fork. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden. Cool before filling. Turn the oven up to 375.

for the filling:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, blackberry juice and zest. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar/juice mixture. Whisk the eggy mixture into remaining sugar mixture in the pan. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Pour filling into the baked pie crust.


In a large metal bowl (preferably one attached to a stand mixer), beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust. Bake for 10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

Fully cool the pie before slicing.

Note: I made the blackberry juice by forcing the berries through a sieve using a whisk. Taste it and if the juice is very sweet, reduce the sugar by a few tablespoons.

My thoughts:

Blackberry yields are still high every day and I have been scrambling for ways to use up the delicate berries before they turn. I've never made a meringue pie before but am completely comfortable with egg whites and making curd so I thought I'd give it a shot. I am glad I did. It was really easy and the results were fabulous. The blackberry flavor is deliciously strong, a perfect foil for the fluffy and slightly sweet meringue.

Cheddar & Black Pepper Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
5-8 tablespoons ice water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place the pepper, butter, flour and cheddar into a food processor. Add water one tablespoon at a time and pulse just until mixture sticks together. Form the dough into two balls. Roll each into a crust.

My thoughts:

This a great savory pie crust that goes with a variety of pies. It is just slightly spicy and the cheddar gives it a great flavor. Try it with apple filling. There is just enough cheddar to give it a distinctive cheddar taste but not so much it overpowers the filling or gets gooey.

Pecan Pastry Pie Crust

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup crushed pecans
1/4 cup ice water
8 tablespoons butter, cold
4 tablespoons shortening, cold
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place flour, sugar, salt and pecans in a food processor and pulse once or twice to mix. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until it forms pebble-sized clumps. Add the cold water and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Remove to a pie pan, and spread, using your fingertips, evenly across the bottom and up the sides. The dough will feel more like a thick paste than pie dough. Prick the bottom thoroughly with a fork and bake for 10 minutes then check on the crust. Prick again if it is rising very high and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.

My thoughts:

A tasty alternative to traditional pie crust. Great with Ginger Spiced Sweet Potato Pie.

Coconut Pie Crust

Ingredients:
7 oz toasted coconut *
2 egg whites

2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

2 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250. Grease or spray (with nonstick spray with flour) one 9 inch pie plate. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Beat in sugar until dissolved. Fold in coconut and flour. Press coconut mixture evenly along the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until set. Keep a close watch to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool before filling.

*You can use sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut. If you use sweetened, you might want to reduce or eliminate the extra sugar.

My thoughts:

This is a good crust to make for either a "icebox pie" that you don't bake or for a more traditional baked pie. I used this as a base for a coconut key lime pie but its usefulness certainly isn't limited to that. I'd love to use this as a base for a chocolate pie.