Lightened Up Peanut Butter Pie

This is adapted from a family favorite. This pie is a dessert my mother-in-law makes for family get togethers. After making it once myself I decided to try and lighten it up so I wouldn't feel so guilty making this without a special occasion. It is still fairly high in calories, but the original recipe was 652 calories a slice!

Lightened Up Peanut Butter Pie
Serves: 10 Serving Size: 1/10th Pie (Slice)
Nutritional Info:Calories 328.6 Total Fat 17.8 g Saturated Fat 5.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.4 g Cholesterol 12.0 mg Sodium 279.4 mg Potassium 18.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 32.0 g Dietary Fiber 1.5 g Sugars 18.3 g Protein 8.7 g

Ingredients
2 tubs cool whip free (8 oz each)
1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces light cream cheese
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 graham cracker crust, store-bought or premade

Directions
Mix 1 and 1/2 tubs cool whip with sugar. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients until smooth. Fold peanut butter mix into cream until well blended. Pour mixture into a graham cracker crust and chill for several hours before serving (Or 1 hour in freezer). Before serving top with remaining 1/2 tub of cool whip.

Adapted from: Food Network

Creamy Mojito Pie (Light)

This pie reminds me of the mojito mix Shane and I used to buy. It's one of those freezer mixes where you can add the alcohol to it. We used to mix it with Sparkling Water and have it with dinner all the time. This dessert tastes much like the popular drink. I have adapted this recipe to make a lighter version, eliminating the heavy cream and substituting with lower fat options where available.

Creamy Mojito Pie
Serves: 8, Serving Size: 1/8th pie - slice
Nutritional Info (per slice): Calories 245.4 Total Fat 12.5 g Saturated Fat 4.4g Cholesterol 14.9 mg Sodium 146.7 mg Potassium 45.8 mg Total Carbohydrate 24.8 g Dietary Fiber 0.0 g Sugars 10.3 g Protein 3.7 g

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
1 refrigerated pie crust, softened

Filling:
1 package (8 oz)reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup 1% milk
1 box vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/2 cup frozen (thawed) limeade concentrate
1 1/2 teaspoons rum extract

Topping:
1 pkg. cool whip (8 oz)
3/4to 1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
Garnishes, if desired: Fresh mint sprigs and/or Lime slices

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 450ºF. Roll pie crust into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Poke bottom and sides to prevent bubbles. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes.
2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed until creamy. Add remaining filling ingredients; beat on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until thickened and creamy. Spoon filling evenly into pie crust.
3. In cool whip container stir in mint extract. Spread topping gently and evenly over filling. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set.
4. Garnish pie with mint sprigs and lime slices. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Adapted from: Pillsbury

Dutch Apple Pie

There is something about the topping on a Dutch Apple Pie that is so addicting! I love this recipe because the filling is just as addicting as the topping. The sour cream gives the pie a "melt-in-your-mouth" flavor that will have you asking for seconds.

Dutch Apple Pie
Serves: 6-8 Serving Size: 1/6-1/8 of pie - slice
Nutritional Info (per 1/8th slice): 481 calories, 21 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 77 mg cholesterol, 194 mg sodium, 67 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Ingredients
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
3 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

CRUMB TOPPING:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold butter

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over pie. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until filling is set and topping is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Source: Taste of Home

Golden Peach Pie

One of my favorites fruits to pick up at the farmers' market are peaches. The Castro Valley Farmers' Market has a stand that always has the biggest and tastiest peaches. Every week I would pick up enough for snacking and occasionally some extra to make this pie. Also, feel free to play around with cookie cutters when making the top. I made this once for a new mommy and used duck cookie cutters and booties for the crust.

Golden Peach Pie
Serves: 8 Serving Size: 1/8 pie - slice
Nutritional Info (per slice): 425 calories, 17 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 267 mg sodium, 67 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Ingredients
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
5 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches (about 5 medium)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Milk

Directions
Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, orange peel and extract. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and salt. Add to peach mixture; toss gently to coat. Pour into crust; dot with butter.
Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; make decorative cutouts in pastry. Set cutouts aside. Place top crust over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Brush pastry and cutouts with milk; place cutouts on top of pie. Cover the edges loosely with foil.
Bake at 400° for 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.


Source: Taste of Home

Classic Pie Pastry

This is the recipe I always use for pie crusts. It is super simple and the dough can always be refrigerated or frozen to use later. Even if I only need a single pie crust I usually make the double so I have another crust on hand for later.

Classic Pie Pastry (Pie Crust)


INGREDIENTS FOR SINGLE-CRUST PIE:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

INGREDIENTS FOR DOUBLE-CRUST PIE:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 to 7 tablespoons cold water

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
For a single crust, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Fill or bake shell according to recipe directions.

For a double crust, divide dough in half so one ball is slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Bake according to recipe directions.


Nutritional Analysis: 1 cooked pie pastry equals 144 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 148 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

An interesting twist on traditional pumpkin pie and a great superfast fall pie recipe.

Recipe Yields: 1 pie, serving size: 1 slice (1/10th of pie)
Nurtional Info (per serving): Calories 320/ Total fat 15g/ Saturated fat 7g/ Cholesterol 0mg/ Sodium 390mg/ Carbohydrate 48g/ Dietary fiber 2g/ Sugars 31g/ Protein 3g

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped PLANTERS Pecans, divided
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

Directions:
1. POUR 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts.
2. BEAT next 5 ingredients in large bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in 1-1/ cups COOL WHIP; spoon into crust.
3. REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, caramel topping and nuts just before serving.

Source: JELL-O Recipes