What comes after the main courses is often the highlight of any gatherings, be they family dinners or community suppers.
Desserts may take a variety of forms, from ice cream and cake to the more fancy concoctions such as fruit or custard pies.
This week’s recipes offer three ideas that will finish off a meal with a special flourish.
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Open Faced Apple Pie
1 unbaked pie shell
5 McIntosh apples
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsps. flour
1/2 cup cream
Peel and core the apples and cut into 8 wedges each.
Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture in the bottom of the pie shell.
Arrange apples in rows around the pie shell until shell is completely covered. Sprinkle remaining flour mixture over the apples.
Pour the cream over the apples and flour mixture in the shell. Do not completely cover the apples.
Bake at 375 degrees F for about 40-60 minutes or until apples are tender.
Remove from oven and let set before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
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Peaches and Cream Cheese Pie
Batter:
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vanilla pudding powder
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 tbsps. butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Filling:
1-14 oz. can sliced peaches, drained (save juice)
1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsps. peach juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch deep dish pie plate.
Combine all the batter ingredients and beat well. Pour into the pie plate.
Arrange peach slices over the batter, one inch from the edge.
For the filling, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and juice and beat until well combined.
Spoon over peaches, keeping the same distance from the edge as the peaches.
Combine 1 tbsp. sugar with the cinnamon and spread over the cream cheese.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Do not over bake. Centre will be soft but will set when cool.
Chill before slicing. Leftovers should be refrigerated.
• • •
Easy Flapper Pie
1 tbsp. flour
2 tbsps. cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 tsps. softened butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
In a large pot, mix dry ingredients together then mix in egg yolks and milk. Gradually add butter.
Cook on low heat until thickened. Stir frequently so mixture does not burn or adhere to bottom of pot.
Remove from stove and add vanilla.
Pour into a graham cracker crumb crust. Refrigerate for 4-6 hurs before serving. Garnish with dollops of whipped cream.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
