Pies And Pastries Recipes

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour or 3 Tbs cornstarch (I use the cornstarch)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 9-inch baked pastry shell
(meringue made from the leftover egg whites, optional) 1 1/4 cups of whole milk or half-and-half
pinch salt
pinch pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
9 inch pie pan filled with your favorite crust

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Add milk gradually. Cook, stiring constantly, over medium heat til bubbly. Cook and stir an additional 2 minutes and remove from burner.
Stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks, immediately add egg yolk mixture to hot mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stiring constantly. Remove from heat.
Add butter and vanilla and stir til smooth.
Slice 3-4 bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture and spread meringue (if desired) on top of the pie. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool.

Note:

Pastry:
14 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon, grated
3/4 cup finely ground almonds
1 3/4 cups flour
Filling:
2 1/2 lbs. ripe, firm pears, peeled, cored, and cubed
(or large can of pears drained/cubed, though not as good)
8 Tbsp. Butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup toasted almonds

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg yolks and zest, mix well. Add almonds and flour, mix well. Form into ball, wrap with plastic, and chill 1 hr.
Grease 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer to pan and press to bottom and sides. Line dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 400 degrees(F) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights, bake 3 minutes until golden.
While crust is baking, melt butter in large, heavy skillet. Over medium heat, saute pears until tender.* Sprinkle with the sugar and cook until fruit is caramelized(golden brown.) Place filling in baked crust and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve warm or chilled.
* If using canned pears, don't cook the pears first--add sugar with pears.

Note:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups fresh cranberries (about two 12-ounce bags)
Prebaked Tart Shell

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine the flour and 1 3/4 cups of the sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Continue cutting until the mixture forms nickel sized clumps that crumble easily.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the salt. Add the cranberries and toss to coat well.
Spon the cranberries into the Prebaked Tart Shell, mounding them slightly in the center. Using your fingers, lightly squeeze pieces of the crumb topping and drop them gently over the berries (do not press the topping into the fruit).
Bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edge, about 40 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Note: