Banana Cream Pie

Well I may not have gotten a punch recipe created for Selena last year, but I did make up a pie recipe for her! For Selena's bridal shower the girls (her bridesmaids) put on for her we decided to have a variety of pies instead of cake. 

It was kind of a country home theme. We had fresh cut flowers on every table, lace tablecloths, colorful bandanna doilies under the flowers, for drinks we had mason jars full of strawberry-limeade with a wedge of lime and of course a straw, and lots and lots of pie. I think we had about 10 or 12 different pies. It was a lot of fun, I think all the ladies enjoyed it.

I originally wanted to make my Grandma Joy's banana cream pie for Selena, but I couldn't find her recipe. I thought that I had it but it was amiss. I remember helping Grandma make it only a couple of times. She didn't make it very often but it was one of my favorites. I know that my new creation probably isn't even close to the same but it is a pretty quick and simple recipe.

Happy First Anniversary Meachams!

-Jennifer Figgins
daughter of Jesse Figgins and Mary Bryan

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg (4-serving size) banana cream flavored instant pudding & pie filling
2 cups thawed Cool Whip
1 Large banana
1 ready to use graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz)

Beat cream cheese, milk, and dry pudding mix in a large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended.

Gently stir in Cool Whip.

Thinly slice the banana: line the bottom of the pie crust with the slices.

Gently pour the pudding mixture over the banana slices. 

Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.

Optional: top with more  Cool Whip before serving.

Store leftover pie in the refrigerator.

Jen's Blueberry Pie

Well, this is my first attempt at a blueberry pie. This is not an old family recipe, it is one that I created by taking bits and pieces of different recipes that I found with a little of my own ingenuity mixed in. I must say, I think that it turned out pretty excellent!

Now, I know that the first time you make something you should follow the recipe you find, but I have never really been one to follow the rules when it comes to baking. I'm always thinking what could I do different. Sometimes it turns out to be a good thing, as was the case with my experimental blueberry pie! 

-Jennifer Figgins

daughter of Jesse Figgins and Mary Bryan

Jen's Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:
6 cups of blueberries (3 large pints)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar (give or take)
A pinch brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp salt
unbaked single-crust pastry for pie

Crumb Topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus a little
A pinch of cinnamon
1 1/2 stick cold butter
1/2 cup almond slivers

Place baking sheet in oven and pre-heat to 425 degrees. 

Wash and air dry blueberries.

Combine the blue berries with the rest of the filling ingredients. 

With a food processor combine the crumb topping ingredients until small crumbs have formed. 

Pour the berry mixture into the unbaked pie shell. 

Distribute the mixture, heaping it toward the center. 

Evenly coat the top of the berries with crumbs. 

Loosely cover the entire pie with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes at 425 degrees, then remove the foil and bake until the crumbs turn golden brown.

*Note: For a less runny pie add 1-2 tablespoons of powdered instant tapioca to the pie filling.

Lime Chiffon Pie

Let the Jell-O recipes begin! I don't know why but when spring and summer roll around Jell-O recipes are the ones that most come to mind for me. It is a good thing that there is an endless variety of them! 

Today I thought that I would share with you one that I first tried out for Selena's bridal shower. I know it's not a very fancy pie plate, I cheated a little and used a ready made graham cracker crust from the store, but it tastes delicious! 

-Jennifer Figgins

daughter of Jesse Figgins and Mary Bryan

Lime Chiffon Pie

Ingredients:
2/3 cup boiling water
1 pkg (4-serving size) lime Jell-O
ice cubes
1 1/2 tsp lime zest
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cups thawed Cool Whip
1 ready to use graham cracker crumb crust (6oz)

In a large bowl stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix for at least 2 minutes until completedly dissolved. 

Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1 cup.

Add to gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. 

Stir in lime zest and juice.

Add Cool Whip; stir with wire whisk until well blended.

Refrigerate 15-20 minutes or until mixture is very thick and will mound.

Spoon into crust.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Store pie in refrigerator.

Cocoanut Meringue Pie

This is a famous pie in our family, everyone loves to eat it, but it never seems to turn out quite right. My Grandma Joy used to make this pie every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It always tasted really good, it always looked beautiful when it came out of the oven, but you could never count on the meringue to stay fluffy. Inevitably the meringue would fall. 

You could sit and watch it slowly deflate as the pie cooled. I remember my Grandma trying everything to get that silly meringue to work. Sometimes it worked better than others but never like it should. My Mom told me that my Uncle Max and Aunt Shirley even got her a copper bowl to use to make it in. I guess that it is supposed to help but it must not have worked all that well because by the time I came to be the meringues still were an issue. 

I remember my Mom and Grandma discussing the issue but they never figured out the mystery of the falling meringue. It has always been kind of a joke in our family that when the pie comes out of the oven everyone has to look at it quick before it falls.

My first attempt at baking a Cocoanut Meringue Pie ...it deflated.

The year before last was the first year that I made this pie, usually my mom makes it. Despite my efforts, my pie fell to the same fate that all the others before it did. It deflated. I even read up on how to do it on the internet before I made it...room temperature eggs, the right utensils... but to no avail. I then decided that it had to be a flaw in the recipe. If Grandma couldn't get it to work it had to be the  recipe.

In my search for a reliable meringue recipe I did some troubleshooting with one of my foodie friends at work and she gave me her Grandma's meringue recipe. She told me that she has never had it fail and that it turns out beautiful every time. I was excited! 

So this year I tried it out and it turned out awesome! It stayed fluffy, had great flavor, and had a smooth texture. It didn't even form those little dew drops on top, which I used to think was way cool when I was little but I guess its not a good thing. I now know that it means you added too much sugar to the meringue. Who knew!?! I will use this meringue recipe from now on. 

-Jennifer Figgins
daughter of Jesse Figgins and Mary Bryan 

This years attempt, it is cooled and still fluffy! Woo HOO!

Cocoanut Pie

Mama (Margaret Ridlen)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups milk divided
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoanut
4 tsp cornstarch
2 beaten egg whites
1 tsp butter
vanilla extract
pinch salt

Cook 1 1/4 cups milk, sugar, and cocoanut in a sauce pan until it bubbles form around the edge of the pan.

Add the cornstarch to remaining 1/2 cup of milk.

Then add the mixture to the hot mixture.

Continue to cook until it starts to thicken.

Remove from heat.

Continuously beating the egg whites slowly add the hot mixture.

Add vanilla, a pinch of salt, and butter.

Pour into baked pie crust.

Top with a 2-egg meringue.

*Note: This year I also added 1-2 tbsp powdered instant tapioca balls to thicken the filling. It helps a lot and doesn't change the flavor or the texture just absorbs the juice and helps firm up the filling. 

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(this is the recipe my Grandma used - Do not use this one!)

Meringue 

Cappers Weekly

Ingredients:
3 egg whites 
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar

Beat 3 egg whites until light and frothy.

Slowly add baking powder and sugar.

Beat until stiff peaks form.

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New Meringue recipe!

Nicole Russel's Grandma's Meringue

Nicole Russel's handwriting, Grandma Russel's recipe

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 tbsp sugar

Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 min.

In a large bowl combine egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar.

Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until soft peaks form (tips curl).

Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 4 minutes more or until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks (tips stand straight) and sugar dissolves.

Immediately spread meringue over hot pie filling, carefully sealing to edge of pastry to prevent shrinkage.

Bake as directed in individual recipes, usually 325 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Four Egg White Meringue

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

Prepare same as above.

Beat about 5 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form.

Jen's Apple Pie

Pictured with crumble topping.

Apple pie is one of my favorite baking memories with Grandma Joy, and probably one of the first things I was ever allowed to help her bake. :)

I remember when I was itty-bitty Grandma let me peel the apples with her super cool apple peeler. It was one of those that clamps onto the side of a table or counter and it has a handle that you crank to spin the apple round and round. I am guessing that I got this job because it was a little tedious but loads of fun! 

Probably the funniest part of the whole event for Grandma was me trying to eat the peel as fast as I could peel it. I remember Grandma laughing at me and asking me what I was doing... I am sure it was quite the sight! What can I say, I love tart apples and you couldn't let a good thing go to waste! She finally told me that we could save the peels until I was done peeling all the apples and then I could eat as many or as much of them as I wanted. In retrospect I must not have been as fast as I thought I was! LOL

Jen's Apple Pie

Ingredients:
2 lbs apples
Juice of 1 small lemon
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp ground cinnamon (I tend to use more)
Unbaked double-crust pastry for pie

Glaze:
1 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Optional crumble topping:
cinnamon
granulated sugar
butter

Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

Quarter, core and peel apples.

Slice them, toss with lemon juice, then with the sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch.

Put the apples into the lined pan. 

Distribute the slices, heaping them toward the center.

Brush rim of the pastry with a little milk. 

Cover with the remaining piece of pastry. 

Gently press the edge with thumb tips.

Cut off excess, holding the knife at a slight angle.

Flute the edge with your fingertips, then brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Cut a 1/2 inch steam hole in the top crust.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes. 

The pastry should be golden and the filling soft when pierced.

Classic Pecan Pie

One of my favorite pies at Thanksgiving is the pecan pie! ...well besides apple... and coconut meringue .. and ...okay so I like pie! This recipe, however, is one of the funny ones. My mom uses family recipes for just about everything, but one of the exceptions is her pecan pie ...well I guess I can't exactly say that it isn't a family recipe because Grandma made her's using the same recipe. I know it is hard to believe, but for the pecan pie my mom uses the recipe on the back of the package. Now mind you, it is not just any package, it has to be the recipe from the back of the Karo Syrup bottle. 

The brand is very important. You can't just use any old brand. LOL I asked her one time why she used that specific brand and she said that she had tried a bunch of recipes and that particular one always turned out the best, and besides that was the recipe Grandma always used. I guess you can't argue with that logic. So Karo Syrup it is!

-Jennifer Figgins
daughter of Jesse Figgins and Mary Bryan

Pecan Pie

As printed on the back of the Karo Syrup bottle.

Ingredients:

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup light or dark corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/4 cups pecans

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

Place baking sheet in oven on center rack and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first five ingredients until well blended. 

Stir in pecans. 

Pour into unbaked pie crust. 

Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. 

Cool for 2 hours on wire rack. 

Store pie in refrigerator.

*Tips: Pie is done when center reaches 200 degrees.

Tap center surface of pie lightly; it should spring back when done.

If pie crust is over-browning, cover edges with foil. 

Makes 8 servings. 

Mulberry and Rhubarb Pie

Last night I waited up to meet my egg fairy, well everyone else might know him as my cousin Mike! He and his wife, Chris, raise free-range laying hens and there is nothing like farm fresh eggs! The best part is he delivers right to your refrigerator! LOL As we are in the middle of Mulberry season I was processing mulberries when he arrived. We then got to talking, as Millers often do, about picking mulberries. I told him how I picked them the hard way the first round... you know the painstaking way of one ripe berry at a time. 

I had to laugh because a couple of days later I went to my brother's and picked more with Sara. She taught me how to use old sheets and shake the tree. We lined the ground under the tree with old sheets and then grabbed the branches above them and shook them until the ripe mulberries stopped raining down on us! In a matter of minutes you are left with sheets covered with ripe mulberries and then all you have to do is grab the corners of the sheets and pour them into your buckets. So simple and fast! 

The truly funny part of that is that it was my mom who told her how to do it that way. I guess she remembered Auntie and Grandma Spratt picking them that way, but somehow she neglected to tell me about it. :) Mike then laughed and said that he could remember picking mulberries when he was younger with his parents. He told me that they used rope or something like that to loop around the tree so that you could shake the living daylights out of it. LOL He said that he even remembered his dad using the tractor to shake the tree! I guess it worked great and there wasn't a ripe berry left on the tree when they were done! LOL Kind of makes me think of the old cowboy motto only modernized by replacing the horse with a tractor... if you can't do it from the seat of your tractor then it's not worth doing!

-Jennifer Figgins
daughter of Jesse Figgins and Mary Bryan

Mulberry and Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups mulberries with green stems removed
1 cup chopped rhubarb
2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
unbaked double-crust pastry for pie

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Combine mulberries and rhubarb with salt, sugar, flour and lemon zest.

Pour the filling into the lined pan.

Distribute the filling, heaping them toward the center.

Brush rim of the pastry with a little milk. 

Cover with the remaining piece of pastry. 

Gently press the edge with thumb tips. 

Cut off excess, holding the knife at a slight angle. 

Flute the edge with your fingertips, then brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Cut a 1/2 inch steam hole or design in the top crust. 

Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.

Fourth of July At Grandma Joy’s

The cousins left to right: Beth Herzberg, Will Figgins, Kevin Herzberg, Jennifer Figgins

There were so many things that I loved about going to Grandma’s house for the Fourth of July, but my all-time favorite part was seeing the whole family. Every year the whole family would get together for a picnic outside. The day’s events usually started off with the guys spending the better part of the afternoon in the garage taking turns cranking away on the ice cream maker. Every once in a while if we were lucky the guys would let one of us kids have a turn, but that never lasted very long!

While the guys were cranking away on the ice cream the ladies would be setting up a table outside in the yard, filling it with fix’ins for the wiener-dog roast and the most wonderful side salads. We would have coleslaw, potato salad, sometimes if you were lucky banana salad, deviled eggs, celery sticks, carrot sticks, and it wouldn’t be complete without a variety of Jello salads! Yumm! Not to mention an array of delicious desserts!

The kids always had the job of gathering up sticks for the fire and readying the roasting sticks. When we had enough sticks stacked up by the old willow tree the guys would light the fire. I always thought that the best part of the wiener-dog roast was that you got to pick your own stick. I didn’t even have to share it! It was so cool! It was also the one time that you were allowed to play with your food. It’s not everyday that you get to stab a hotdog with a stick and swing it over a fire!

Marie, Mary, Marlin, and Max roasting hotdogs (1966)

After we successfully burned all of the hotdogs and stuffed ourselves to the gills it was marshmallow time! Stuffed or otherwise there is always room for s’mores, they just smoosh and melt into the cracks! Donna was always in charge of supervising the s’more making, after all she is the expert marshmallow burner. Still to this day I have never seen a blacker marshmallow than hers! I remember asking her one year why she always burned them to a fluffy crisp and she replied it was the only way they were good, and besides that how else did I think she kept her hair so dark and curly!?! You know after all it was the black coffee that shrunk her… she used to be over 6’ tall… and it was the burnt marshmallows that turned her hair black and curly! LOL

Barb roasting marshmallows. (1969?)

Then around dusk the guys would gather together at the end of the lane and assemble the fireworks show for the night. While they were getting ready the rest of us would set up lawn chairs and spread blankets at the top of the lane. While everyone waited us kids would put on a sparkler show. We would scroll our names through the air and spin around and around until we were too dizzy to stand! Mostly I think our show kept us busy and somewhat served as a bug deterrent …although, I don’t recall it ever working very well on the Junebugs. Nasty little critters!

Once the large fireworks were done we got to light our glow snakes. Oh, and just for the record if your much older cousins tell you it's okay to stomp the snakes when they are all done growing… don’t listen to them! Mom had a much different idea about that! She wasn’t too excited to find us covered head to toe in black soot! After the fireworks were said and done the party would move indoors for a night full of pinochle. Then to finish off the night, well before us kids went to bed, everyone would have a nice big bowl of homemade ice cream! Yumm!

- Jennifer Figgins
daughter of Jesse Figgins and Mary Bryan

Homemade Ice Cream (Uncooked Vanilla Ice Cream)

Now this isn't Grandma Joy's recipe, I'm still looking for it, but this year we used the following recipe and it turned out just delicious!

Ingredients:
5 pasteurized eggs
2 cups sugar
3 cups cream
3 tbsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
5 1/2-6 cups milk

Beat eggs until light and lemon-colored; gradually add sugar.

Continue adding cream, vanilla extract and salt; chill.

Pour mixture into the chilled container of a 1 gallon dasher type freezer.

Add milk, filling container two-thirds full; cover tightly.

Churn-freeze according to manufacturers directions.

Yield: 1 gallon

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Apple Pie  (Mrs. Shellberg)

Recipes by Mrs. Shellberg, Joy Miller's handwriting.

Ingredients:
6 medium sized apples
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tbsp flour
cinnamon & butter as desired
cream or milk

Mix 3/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tbsp in pie shell.

Place Sliced apples on top.

Mix the remaining flour and sugar together and sprinkle over apples

Drop butter and cinnamon on top of apples.

Cover with crust and brush crust with cream or milk before baking in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

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Dutch Apple Pie  (Mrs. Shellberg)

Ingredients: 

6 medium sized sliced apples

3 tbsp flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Mix flour, sugar, and sour cream together.

Place apples in pie shell.

Pour sour cream mixture over apples.

Sprinkle remaining sugar and cinnamon on top.

Cover with crust and bake same as above Apple Pie recipe.

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Here’s to a Happy 4th of July!