Pie Is the New Cupcake

Perhaps by now you have heard that the ever popular cupcake is trending out and making way for PIE!! 
So until pie is worn out as the dessert of choice it is still offbeat if you are going to have it for your wedding.


One of our Offbeat team members, Dionne, from Dionnesimone,  made a great chocolate pecan pie for her daughter's reception. The pies were star shaped. She says pecan pie lasts well and freezes great. You could make them well ahead of time to save yourself the stress of last minute preparation.


Here is the recipe and a few comments from Dionne:


1/2 bag of chocolate chips
2 tbs butter
1 c corn syrup
1/3 c granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg (optional)
1 1/2 cup pecan halves
prepared graham cracker pie crust

Heat oven to 350
Microwave chocolate and butter in a large bowl (using short intervals - you don't want to scorch the chocolate) Stir.
Stir in corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and eggs (make sure that eggs are last - you want the corn syrup and sugar mixture to cool the chocolate a little so you don't cook them on contact) 
Stir in pecans & nutmeg. 
Pour into pie shell.
Bake for 55 min or until knife inserted 1 inch from center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For mini pies simply use the mini pie crusts and cook for aprox 40 min or until the knife comes out clean.

This recipe doubles and triples beautifully.

Package each mini pie in celophane bags purchased at craft store. Add a pretty thank you tag to the top. Use your imagination and accent with ribbon, stamps or flowers. The mini scrapbooking brads make wonderful attachments for the flower petals.

Of course you can't go wrong with good ol' apple pie. Here is a recipe from Better Homes and Garden Cook Book for 


Apple Crumb Pie

1 cup sugar separated in to halves
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp grated lemon peel
6 cups thinly sliced apples (2 lbs)
3 tbs lemon juice
pastry crust
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp mace
1/4 cup softened butter

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbs flour,and lemon peel. Sprinkle apples with lemon juice, add sugar mixture and toss to coat. fill pastry with apple mixture. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour and spices in a seperate bowl. Cut in butter till crumbly, sprinkle on top of apples. Cover crust edges with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake for 30 min more or until topping is golden. 

Makes 8 servings.

Or if you prefer not to make the pie you can order them from Etsy sellers. Here is one from KaysSimplyHomemade.

Michaelann
http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageFrocksOfFancy