Holiday baking as easy as pie

photo by kimberlykv

Christmas celebrations are the perfect time for pie. You probably have a favorite that you look forward to during the holidays. Making piecrust can be intimidating, but the secret to a good crust is not to overwork the dough. You roll it out once gently. Lard provides a flakier crust and should be cold and cut in until you get pea-sized parts. Water should be ice-cold and added gradually. You want your pan cold and your dough chilled, too. To prevent edges from burning, cover them with foil. If you still want to take a shortcut, the following recipes can be made with pre-made crusts. Enjoy!

Coconut-Cream Pie

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks
1 cup coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter
1 prepared piecrust
1 (8-ounce) tub whipped topping

In medium saucepan, mix the sugar, flour, milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat, and add the coconut, vanilla and butter. Pour into crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for three hours. Top with whipped topping. Optional: Use the graham-cracker crust, real whipped cream and top with toasted coconut. — Robin, Illinois

Vinegar Pie

1 cup water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon butter
1 9-inch baked piecrust

Mix the water, eggs, vinegar, sugar and flour in the top of a double boiler. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove the mixture from the heat, and stir in the lemon extract and butter. Pour into the baked piecrust, and let cool. — Kathryn, Tennessee

Apple-Crumb Pie

5 cups peeled tart apples
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 unbaked pie shell

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cold butter

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; spoon into the pie shell. Topping: Combine the sugar and flour; cut the butter in until the mixture resembles crumbles. Sprinkle over the pie. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 F; bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the topping is browned and the apples are tender. Cover the crust edges with foil during the last 15 minutes if needed. Cool completely before cutting. — Nancy, Virginia

Walnut-Cream Pie

14 ounces sweetened, condensed milk
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup cold water
1 (4-ounce) package vanilla pudding mix
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup broken pecan or walnut pieces, lightly toasted
1 graham-cracker piecrust

In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk and cream cheese, beating on medium speed until smooth. Add the water and pudding mix, stirring well. Wash and dry the beaters. In a small bowl, beat the whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream and 3/4 cups of the nutmeats into the other ingredients. Pour into the pie shell, mounding gently. Garnish with the remaining nuts. Chill for at least two hours before serving. — Dianne, Mississippi

Butterfinger Pie

7 Butterfinger candy bars, crushed
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 (12-ounce) tub whipped topping
1 graham-cracker crust

Mix the first three ingredients together. Put the mixture in the piecrust. Sprinkle the top with the crushed candy bar. Chill.
If you like, substitute chocolate crust and chocolate whipped topping. — Anne, e-mail