Kneaders Key Lime Pie with a Pretzel Crust

Even though it isn't officially Summer yet, it sure feels like it. . . cuz it is HOT.  My swimming pool opened last week and I can't wait to spend my weekends there soaking up the sun!  Key Lime Pie just screams Summer to me.  I have to make at least one each year and each time I like to try a new recipe.  Last year I tried these Key Lime Bars with an Animal Cracker Crust and they were AMAZING.  

Who said a pie crust has to be graham cracker.  No way - there are so many options.

This pretzel crust was awesome and I have got to make more of them.  That salty sweet combo is so so good.     

This pie is from Kneaders Bakery and Cafe, which has some of the best treats around.  It is tart and tangy, yet creamy and delicious.

You might also like:
Kneaders Sugar Cookies
Key Lime Bars with an Animal Cracker Crust

Kneaders Key Lime Pie with a Pretzel Crust
adapted from: Kneaders Bakery & Cafe
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

Pretzel Crust
1 c. + 2 Tbl. pretzel crumbs
3 Tbl. sugar
5 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted

Key Lime Filling
4 tsp. grated lime zest (I only used the zest of 1 large lime)
1/2 c. fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
4 egg yolks
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk


For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Crush pretzels until very fine (make sure you have 1 cup + 2 Tbl. crumbs).  Add the sugar and melted butter and mix together until combined.  Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared dish.  Bake for 8-10 minutes; the crust won't change color much, but will firm up. Remove from the oven and make the filling.

For the Filling:  First, remove the zest from the whole limes and add to a medium bowl.  Cut the limes in half and squeeze out the juice, being careful to not get any seeds in the bowl.  Add the egg yolks and whisk together until combined and they are tinted green, about 2 minutes.  Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined.  Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Pour into baked crust and smooth top evenly.  Bake for 28-32 minutes or until filling is set, with a small spot in the center still looking soft.  Cool for several hours before serving.  Top with whipped cream and garnish with crushed pretzels.

Jenn's Notes: I used bottled Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice (found at most grocery stores) instead of fresh lime juice.

Linked up at Weekend Potluck! and Saturday Night Fever!

The Lion House Chocolate Cream Pie

My friend made me this delicious pie for my Birthday last year.  It comes from the old Lion House Cookbook.  I found myself a used copy on Amazon not too long ago and it is full of fabulous recipes.

The Lion House is an incredible Bakery here in Utah that has been around forever.

They have the most mouth-watering dinner rolls, orange rolls, pies, soups, sandwiches and so much more.  My go-to Zucchini Bread recipe is from The Lion House. 

This pie couldn't be any easier to make.  You mix everything in a pan and cook it on the stove until it's thickened.

The end result is a thick and rich and silky smooth filling.

I'm not a huge regular pie crust person and I am terrible at making them, so I opted for a homemade Nilla Wafer crust, which I love.  You can use whatever type of crust you want (Graham Cracker, Regular, Nilla Wafer, Chocolate Cookie Crust, etc . . . ).    

I love my Chocolate Cream Pie with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips.  "The Mr." chopped up some white chocolate chips to serve over his.  It would also be incredible garnished with toffee bits and caramel sauce.  Or how about with a peanut butter whipped cream?  Oh my, I can think of so many awesome ways to serve this pie.

However you chose to serve yours, it will be DIVINE.  

Lion House Chocolate Cream Pie

adapted from: The Lion House
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 c. sugar

5 Tbl. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. milk

3/4 c. half-and-half

3/4 c. chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbl. unsalted butter
whipped cream, for serving
1 prepared pie crust, any type

In a 3-quart saucepan stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Slowly whisk in the milk and half-and-half.  Add the chocolate chips.  Heat over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture thickens, stirring constantly.  You know it is thick enough if it coats the back of a wooden spoon and when you run the back of another spoon through it, the line stays and does not run back together.  Gradually add about 1/2 cup of the hot mixture to the egg yolks while whisking constantly.  Then, pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan.  Whisk and continue cooking for another two minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and the butter.  Stir until butter is melted.  Pour into prepared pie crust.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pie and refrigerate until set; around 4 hours.  Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips.

Nilla Wafer Pie Crust
60 Nilla Wafers
6 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs.  Pour crumbs into a 9'' or 10'' pie plate and add the melted butter.  Toss crumbs and butter together with a fork until it is all evenly coated in butter.  Press evenly along the bottom and slightly up the sides of your pie plate.  Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.  Cool completely.    

Linked up at Weekend Potluck! and Time to Sparkle! and Tuesday Talent Show!

Hash Brown Beef Pie

This reminded me of a "cheater" version of shepherd's pie.  Instead of using creamy mashed potatoes on top, you use frozen hash browns.  I thought it turned out really good and it was so much easier than dicing, boiling and mashing potatoes.  

 The awesome thing about this dish is it's so easy to customize.  Throw in some mushrooms, olives, bell peppers, broccoli or Feta or use ground turkey or chicken and switch up the type of cheese.

I thought it was yummy.

Hash Brown Beef Pie
adapted from: Taste of Home
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1/2 Lb. lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. zucchini, diced (un-peeled)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp. Italian seasoning, or to taste
3/4 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. frozen veggies (corn, carrots, peas)

Topping
3 c. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed & drained
1 c. Cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and zucchini and saute a few minutes or until tender.  Stir in the tomatoes, chili powder, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper and frozen veggies.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  

Divide meat mixture evenly between four ramekins (or a small-medium casserole dish).  Combine all of the topping ingredients and stir until combined.  Spoon evenly over meat mixture.  Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until hash browns are lightly toasted and brown.  Serves: 4   

Jenn's Notes: The topping gets pretty firm after baking, so I like to use my spoon and break it up a bit.  That way it is easier to eat.  

Linked up at Nifty Thrifty Sunday! and Inspiration Monday!

Aunt Patrecia's Yogurt Pie - No Bake

This was one of my favorite childhood treats and I have so many memories attached to a yogurt pie.

My aunt Patrecia and her family live up in Washington.  When I was younger, we would pile into my Grandma and Grandpa's car and visit them each Summer.  It's probably been 15 years or so since I last went up there.

My cousins and I would have so much fun going boating, riding our bikes, playing video games and just messing around being kids, but . . .

. . . It wasn't all fun and games up there, they would put us kids to work :)  In the front of their house, they had rows and rows of raspberry bushes.  We had to help pick the raspberries in the HOT Summer with bees buzzing around.  I don't know about you, but when a bee flies around me, I become a statue.  I don't even dare blink or I think it will sting me.

As a kid, it seemed like there were millions and millions of never ending raspberries.  

The only good thing was, when we were done, aunt Patrecia would "thank" us with a yogurt pie.

Yogurt pies are DELICIOUS.  The filling is pillowy soft and light and creamy.  All you do is combine yogurt, whatever flavor you like.  You can even mix and match and create your own flavor.  Fold it together with some Cool Whip and spread into the pie crust.  The recipe calls for a graham cracker crust, but you can use a Nilla Wafer crust, shortbread crust, OREO crust or whatever you like.  

ONLY 3 INGREDIENTS and as easy as could be.

This time, I tried Greek yogurt for added protein and fat-free Cool Whip.  It is totally FABULOUS and IRRESISTIBLE.   I would feel good about my kids eating this.  Much healthier than a cream pie, cake or cookies.  You can even use sugar-free Cool Whip if it makes you feel better (I haven't tried a sugar-free version).  

The lighter the Cool Whip you use, the softer the pie will be, but it will still hold its shape just fine, even with fat-free.  You can serve it straight out of the fridge or you can serve it frozen.

Make it, love it!

P.S. this even makes an amazing fruit dip!

Yogurt Pie
From: Aunt Patrecia
(Printable Recipe) and (Printable with Picture)

2 (6 oz.) cartons yogurt, any flavor(s)
1 (8 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 graham cracker crust 

Combine yogurt and Cool Whip and very gently fold together.  Spread into pie crust and refrigerate until set, several hours.  Serve with fresh fruit, if desired.


Jenn's Notes: Both Greek yogurt and regular yogurt taste great.  Regular, light and fat-free Cool Whip all work great too.

Mini Biscuit Chicken Pot Pies

I LOVE Biscuits.  

Just had to get that out there :)

These mini pot pies are super tasty.  

They are extremely easy to make and the biscuit crust holds everything together, which makes them great for transporting for lunches or to a neighbor/friend's house for dinner.  

Once you cut into it, the creamy filling oozes out and the biscuit crust melts in your mouth.  I don't remember pot pies ever having cheese in them, but it was a great touch.

Serve with a side of mashed potatoes or steamed broccoli and you are good to go.

Mini Biscuit Chicken Pot Pies

(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 tube refrigerated biscuits (with 8-10 biscuits)
1 c. cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 c. frozen vegetable mix, thawed
  (peas, corn and carrots)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 c. Cheddar cheese, grated

Spray 8 to 10 muffin cups with cooking spray.  Place a biscuit in each cup and press down and up the sides to form a cup.  In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, cream of chicken soup, thawed vegetables, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and Cheddar cheese; mix well.  Divide filling between biscuit cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until biscuits are golden.  Makes 4-5 servings, 2 pot pies each.

Jenn's Notes: I used jumbo flakey biscuits and leftover rotisserie chicken.  If the filling is too thick for your liking, you can add a few Tablespoons of milk.

Idea from: Gooseberry Patch's Rush-Hour Recipes, submitted by Amy Hunt

Chicken Pot Pies with a Puff Pastry Crust AND Chocolate Filled Puff Pastries with an Almond Glaze

I grew up eating those frozen store-bought pot pies and though I really liked them, I figured it was time for me to make a homemade, from scratch (almost), pot pie.  I have made this recipe several times and I really like it.  I love that it uses puff pastry.  I figure it is way easier than making homemade pie crust.  I used to have a hard time making pot pie for only two people, because a whole pie was way too much food.  Now that I have ramekins it is so much easier to make dinner for a small group, because one ramekin is the perfect serving size for one person.  I love it. 

While I made the filling, Jake cut the puff pastry into strips, so we could make a pretty looking lattice on top! I let the strips hang over the edge, because the more puff pastry the better, in my opinion.  I have also trimmed the edges so that it doesn't hang over and I think both ways look pretty, so do whatever you prefer.  You will have extra puff pastry, so I always cut the rest into triangles and make chocolate filled puff pastries for dessert!! So good. 

 

Chicken Pot Pies with a Puff Pastry Crust

slightly adapted from: here 

(Printable Recipes)

1 1/2 c. cooked chicken, shredded

1 russet potato, peeled and diced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/3 c. frozen peas

1/2 med. onion, finely chopped

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

2 Tbl. butter

2-4 Tbl. flour

1 1/2 c. milk 

1 c. half-and-half

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

pinch of dried rosemary

pinch of Italian seasoning

lemon pepper, opt.  

salt and pepper

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

splash of milk

Place diced potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan with enough water to just cover the vegetables.  Boil until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the frozen peas a few minutes before vegetables are done.  Drain and set aside.  In the same saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add red pepper and onion and saute until tender.  Gradually whisk in the flour until a thick paste forms.  Slowly whisk in milk and half-and-half.  Add the seasonings.  Adjust to taste.  Stir until thickened.  Add the shredded chicken and cooked vegetables.  Divide the filling between four greased ramekins.  Lightly flour work surface and slightly roll out thawed puff pastry.  Using a pizza cutter, cut out thin strips.  Cut each strip into pieces, the length of the ramekin and layer on top of ramekin.  Or you could cut out a circle the size of the ramekin and place that on top, rather than making a lattice.  If you do a solid circle, make sure to cut a few slits on top for ventilation.  Combine egg and milk and brush over the top of the puff pastry.  Bake at 400 degrees until filling is bubbly and top is puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.  Yield: 4 ramekins.   


Jenn's Notes: Depending on how many vegetables you like, you might not want to add all of them to the mixture.  I like a super chunky pot pie, so I might add more vegetables than the average person.   

Chocolate Filled Puff Pastry

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

leftover puff pastry 

chocolate chips

1/3 c. powdered sugar

splash of milk

a few drops of almond extract or vanilla

Cut leftover puff pastry into triangles.  Place chocolate chips into the center and roll up.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.  Brush tops with egg wash.  Bake until lightly browned and crispy.  Meanwhile, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and almond extract until smooth.  Drizzle over the top of warm puff pastries.  Serve.  

Jenn's Notes:  You can really fill these with whatever you like.  Sometimes we do milk and white chocolate chips.  Sometimes we add a little caramel sauce.  Whatever the way, you will have a flaky pastry with a warm gooey center!! What about Nutella?  I am so trying that next.  So good.