Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

Happy Fall Y'all!

I am so glad it's FINALLY fall!

The temps are cooling,

the leaves are beginning their decent

and Pumpkin Spice Latte's are back!

Whoop Whoop!

Speaking of pumpkin ...

the very first card I removed
from my grandmother's box

read:

Say, what!?!

This recipe combines

my two fall loves - Pumpkin

and the fabulous center of pecan pie!

Ingredients
Pie Crust
1/4 cup Butter, cold
1/4 cup Crisco, cold
1 1/4 cup King Auther Flour, all purpose
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup Ice Water

Pie Filling
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Sugar {I used half brown, half white}
1/2 cup Karo Syrup
1 cup Mashed Pumpkin
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp.Ground Ginger
1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1 cup Pecans

Method
For the crust:
In a food processor, pulse butter, crisco, flour and salt until little balls of dough form. Slowly add water until one large dough ball comes together. Chill for 30 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface and place in a pie dish. Refrigerate until the filling is made.

For the filling:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add Karo and pumpkin and stir until combined. Season with listed spices and stir in pecans to coat. Pour filling into pie shell and bake for approx. 40-50 minutes, or until center has set. Serve room temperature with whipped cream.

I do not remember mygreat-grandmother 

making this particular pie ...

{I am sure it was a Church Pot Luck dish!}

But, man what a combination!!

The moment I opened

the oven, a billow of

fall scents took over my kitchen!

Ahhh-mazing!

The center is still

ooey-gooey

like pecan pie,

it's just kicked up a notch!

The pumpkin gives it a 

creamy texture

and the spices add such a

great flavor to the pecans!

I'm thinking this will be

replacing my traditional pies

this year for Thanksgiving!

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Citrus Meringue Pie

Summer just SCREAMS citrus!

And, with the end of summer

only a few weeks away, I thought

what better time to pull this recipe out!

It's so rich

and tart...and simply fabulous!

Here's to my last stab 

at a summertime sweet!

Ingredients
Pie Crust
9 inch Deep Dish Store bought
-or-
your favorite homemade recipe
will work great!

Citrus Filling
Two 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Lime Juice
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
6 Eggs
Zest of both lemon and lime, to taste

Meringue
6 Eggs Whites
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Splash of Vanilla Extract

Method
For the filling:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Whisk condensed milk and juices together in a medium size bowl. Add eggs, one at the time, until combined. Zest citrus into mixture and stir in. Pour batter into pie crust and bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the meringue:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat egg whites on low with the whisk attachment on a stand mixer. Once it starts to froth, slowly add in sugar, tartar and vanilla. Crank the mixer up to a medium speed. When it starts to thicken, turn all the way up to high and beat until stiff peaks form. {For perfect meringue tips, click HERE.}
Spoon meringue over cooled pie and bake for 18-22 minutes, until browned on top. Let cool on the counter and refrigerate over night.

Get ready to

pucker up

gurlfraaans!

This pie 

explodes

with cool and creamy

tart-someness!

{Ohhh, yeah! I just made that word up!}

Before you know it,

summer will be over...

and everyone will be making

pumpkin this and pecan that.

So, get inspired 

for one more round of crisp, 

summertime treats before 

autumn leaves start to fall!

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

PARTY TIME:
Foodie Friday - Little Brick Ranch
Sweets For A Saturday - Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Weekend Wrap Up - Tatertots and Jello
Sundae Scoop - i {heart} naptime
Shindig Saturday - Kims Kandy Kreations
Sweet Indulgence Sundays - A Well Seasoned Life
Recipe Sharing Mondays - jam hands
Mingle Monday - Add A Pinch
M.M.M. - C.R.A.F.T.
Amaze Me Monday - Dittle Dattle
Topsy Turvy Tuesdays
Show Me What Ya Got - Not Just A Housewife

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Mason is on this apple kick.

Like, two apples a day kind of kick.

And his interest has peaked mine

to re-think Apple Cupcakes.

There are so many different recipes

out there in bloggy world ... 

my biggest challenge was 

creating something unique.

My favorite part of 

a pie is the crust!

So, I wanted there to be a little

in each bite.

This, my friends, is how they turned out:

Warm spice cake with pie crust bits baked in and a cinnamon-apple filling. The cupcake is topped with crunchy pie crust bits and vanilla spice cream cheese frosting "ice cream."

This cupcake

BURSTS

with american apple pie flavor

and is cute-as-a-button to boot!

Ingredients
Refrigerated Pie Crust
2 tbsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

2 Green Apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup White Raisins or Dried Cranberries {optional}
3 tbsp. Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
Juice from 1 Lemon
1/2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp. Cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp. Water

2 1/2 cup Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Allspice
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 stick Butter, room temp.
1 1/4 cups of Light Brown Sugar, packed
3 Large Eggs
1 1/4 cup Buttermilk
1 Vanilla Bean, split to expose insides

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Break pieces of the pie crust off and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden. Set aside.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add apples {and raisins, if using} and cook for 1 minute. Add sugar, lemon juice and seasonings and coat apples.  Let apples cook on low until tender - add cornstarch/water mixture and stir in immediately. When thickened, pull off of heat and set aside to cool.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl for the cupcakes and set aside. Cream butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until light and fluffy - add eggs one at the time until combined. Alternating the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, slowly add both to egg mixture. Once the batter forms, add the insides of the split vanilla bean and the baked pie crust pieces. Spoon batter into muffin cups, 1/2-3/4 full. Dollop a tbsp. amount of pie filling in the center of each. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the cake has set. Let cool on a wire rack.

To finish, I dolloped a "scoop" of my favorite vanilla cream cheese frosting with a dusting of cinnamon on top and more crumbled pie crust. This recipe makes 24 mini cakes.

These are truly an Apple Pie

in CUPCAKE form!

Mmm, mmm! 

The cake is super spicy.

The filling is sticky and juicy.

The frosting is light and sweet.

And, the pie crust gives the cupcakes a perfect crunch.

Move ova Apple Pie -

there's a new kid in town

and he ROCKS!

PS: These pictures were taken with my NEW camera!! Whoop, Whoop!! :)

Parties I Linked To:
What I Whipped Up Wednesday - Sugar and Dots
WOOT WOOT Wednesdays - The Tootsie Wootsie
Savvy Homemade Mondays - Savvy Homemade A-Z
Whatever Goes Wednesday - Someday Crafts
This Chick Cooks 
Cast Party Wednesday - Lady Behind The Curtain
Show Off Your Stuff Party - Fireflies and Jellybeans
Under $100  Linky Party - Beyond The Picket Fence
Sweet Treat Thursdays - Something Swanky
Foodie Friday - Little Brick Ranch
Sweets For A Saturday - Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Weekend Wrap Up - Tatertots and Jello
Sundae Scoop - i {heart} naptime
Shindig Saturdays - Kims Kandy Kreations
Sweet Indulgences Sundays - A Well Seasoned Life
Recipe Sharing Monday - jam hands
Topsy Turvy Tuesdays