Good choices! You've asked for two of my favorites. Here ya go . . .
Happy Thanksgiving!
French Silk Pie
Tastes like chocolate fudge in a pie shell.
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter (
not margarine)
3 squares (3 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
Baked Pastry Shell (see below)
In a bowl beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed about 4 minutes or till fluffy. Stir in chocolate and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on high speed after each addition and sraping sides of bowl constantly. Transfer to baked pastry shell. Cover chill for 5 to 24 hours or till set. If desired, top with unsweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls. Serves 10.
Lemon Meringue Pie
A refreshingly tangy dessert.
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 T. all-purpose flour
3 T. cornstarch
3 eggs
2 T. margarine or butter
1 to 2 t. finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 c. lemon juice
Baked Pastry Shell (see below)
Meringue for Pie (see below)
For filling, in a medium saucepan combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, and dash salt. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 c. water. Cook and stir over medium-high heat till thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Separate egg yolks from whites; set whites aside for meringue. Beat egg yolks slightly. Gradually stir 1 c. of the hot filling into yolks; return all to saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in margarine and lemon peel. Grradually stir in lemon juice, gently mixing well. Pour hot filling into baked pastry shell. Evenly spread meringue over hot filling; sseal to edge. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill to store. Makes 8 servings.
Meringue for Pie
3 egg whites
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cream of tartar
6 T. sugar
Bring egg whites to room temperature. In a mixing bowl combine egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or till soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, 1 T. at a time, beating on high speed about 4 minutes more or till mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks and sugar dissolves. Immediately spread meringue over pie, carefully sealing to edge of pastry to prevent shrinkage. Bake as directed in pie recipe.
Four-Egg-White Meringue: Prepare as above, except use 4 egg whites, 1 t. vanilla, 1/2 t. cream of tartar, and 1/2 c. sugar. Beat about 5 minutes till stiff, glossy peaks form.
Pastry for Single-Crust Pie
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1/3 c. shortening or lard
3 to 4 T. cold water
In a mixing bowl stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening or lard till pieces are the size of small peas.
Sprinkle 1 T. of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat till all is moistened. Form dough into a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands. Roll dough from center to edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll onto a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry.
Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate; fold under extra pastry. Make a fluted, rope-shape, or scalloped edge. Do not prick pastry. Bake as directed in individual recipes.
Baked Pastry Shell: Prepare as above, except prick bottom and sides of pastry generously with the tines of a fork. Prick where bottom and sides meet all around pie shell. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Luckily, I had backed most of my recipes up to disk. I was pretty panic stricken, though, till I remembered where those disks were.
Don't you just love Betty 's cookbooks? I have
