My oh My! How I love pie!

Get excited...I have not ONE but TWO pie recipes to share with y'all today! I made these Easter weekend when I was the (self appointed) dessert chef for our family Easter lunch. On our dessert menu we had Strawberry Cream Pie, Buttermilk Pecan Pie, and Carrot Cake. They were all fantastic, but today it's about the pies!

Sadly, I don't have the best pictures to show you of these delightful desserts because I was too ready to dig in, to actually take the time to get a decent picture. However, I do have the recipes to share with you and I think that's even better!

Strawberry Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (9-oz.) package chocolate wafer cookies * I used oreos because I couldn't find the wafers
• 1/2 (4-oz.) semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 qt. fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup red currant jelly
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur

Directions

1. 1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients and 2/3 cup sugar in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Whisk together half-and-half and next 2 ingredients in a small bowl; gradually add to cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly.
2. 2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl; cover and chill 4 to 24 hours.
3. 3. Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse wafer cookies and chopped chocolate in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until finely crushed. Stir together cookie crumb mixture, melted butter, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar; firmly press mixture on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate.
4. 4. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
5. 5. Spoon chilled half-and-half mixture into prepared crust. Cut 8 to 10 strawberries in half, and arrange around outer edge of pie (leaving tops on, if desired); hull and slice remaining strawberries, and arrange in center of pie.
6. 6. Cook jelly in a small saucepan over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until melted. Remove from heat, and stir in liqueur. Brush jelly mixture gently over strawberries. Chill, uncovered, 30 minutes.

This pie was very pretty and tasted great as well. I will say that with all of the time I put into making it I really wanted it to knock my socks off. It was very good, but my socks stayed on!

Buttermilk Pecan Pie 

This little wonder, however, knocked my socks right off! It was absolutely fantastic! This recipe comes from one of  P. Allen Smith's cookbooks. If you don't know who P. Allen Smith is then I suggest you google him right now! I'm serious! Do it right this minute!!! Then print off this recipe and go make this pie. You won't be sorry!

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecan halves
• ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup dark corn syrup
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil, and lightly grease the foil.
2. Stir the pecan halves, light brown sugar, and dark corn syrup together in a small bowl. Spread the mixture out on the jelly-roll pan, and bake, stirring every 4 minutes, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the glaze thickens.
3. Remove the pan from the oven and spread the pecans in a single layer on wax paper. Let the pecans cool completely, separating them a spoon as they cool.
4. Lower the oven to 325 degrees F.
5. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, and pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Scatter the chopped glazed pecans evenly on top of the pie filling.
6. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until set. Let the pie cool on a wire rack before serving at room temperature.

 Enjoy!!