Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp flour
dash salt
1-1/2 cups hot water
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
9″ baked pie crust
Meringue (see below)

Directions: In a glass bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually add hot water, stirring constantly. Microwave in 1-2 minute increments until boiling and thickened.
Stir small amounts of hot mixture into eggs, then return to hot mixture. Return to boiling in microwave. Add butter and lemon peel. Add lemon juice. Mix well. Pour into pie crust. Spread meringue over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool before serving

Meringue ingredients:

3 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
6 Tbsp sugar

Meringue directions:

Beat egg whites at high speed with vanilla and cream of tarter until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
5-6 Tbsp water well chilled

Directions:
Cut butter and shortening into flour. Add remaining ingredients. Combine into dough. Roll out to 1/8″. Cut in roughly 6″ circles. Fill with fruit fillings (raspberry, apple, lemon, sweet potato, blueberry, etc.) Before baking, brush with egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 375 on parchment paper or a non-stick baking sheet for about 25 minutes.

Ingredients:
Double pie crust
4 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup cornstarch plus 1/4 cup cold water
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon sweet white wine

Mix corn starch and cold water. In a saucepan, mix 1 cup raspberries, corn starch/water mixture, sugar and wine. Gently heat to boiling or a well thickened consistency. Fold in remaining raspberries.

Alternate microwave method: Mix corn starch and cold water. In a glass bowl, mix 1 cup raspberries, corn starch/water mixture, sugar and wine. Heat for one minute at a time, whisking mixture with a wire whisk between each minute. Continue to heat until well thickened. Fold in remaining raspberries.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake pie crust for about 5 minutes. Pour raspberry mixture in to crust. Top with second crust or lattice top. Bake for about 50 minutes or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool for a couple of hours before serving.

Makes 2 9″ pies

Ingredients:
2 Double pie crusts
6 cups fresh sour cherries
6 Tablespoons Kraft Minute Tapioca
3 and 1/4 to 3 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix cherries, tapioca, sugar, and almond extract. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake pie crust bottoms (2) for about 5 minutes. Pour cherry mixture in to crusts. Top with second crusts or lattice tops. Bake for about 50 minutes or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool for a couple of hours before serving.

Ingredients:
Double pie crust
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup Kraft Minute Tapioca
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix blueberries, tapioca, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake pie crust for about 5 minutes. Pour blueberry mixture in to crust. Top with second crust or lattice top. Bake for about 50 minutes or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool for a couple of hours before serving.

Ingredients:
Double pie crust
5-6 Apples (I prefer a combination of at least 2 apple varieties. My favorites: Fireside, Macintosh, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith)
2-1/2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 plus 1/8 cup sugar (adjust amount based on sweetness of apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Tuaca, Cointreau, or a sweet white wine like Moscato
2-3 teaspoon butter
egg wash
1 tablespoon sugar plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed together

Directions:
Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Peel and slice apples. Mix flour mixture into apples. Mix in lemon juice and Tuaca. Allow apples to sit for a few minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake the bottom crust for about 5 minutes. Pour apple mixture into crust. Put small pieces of butter on top of the apple mixture.

Roll out and cut the top crust into strips, roughly 1/2″ wide. Lay one of the longest strips across the middle of the pie. Lay another strip across the first, segmenting the pie into quarters. Add another strip next to one of the first two strips, continue adding strips, going over and under alternating strips in a “basket weave” pattern.

Brush the crust gently with an egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes uncovered, cover with foil when the crust is browned. Bake for a full hour total. It’s also wise to place a pan on the rack under the pie in case it boils over while cooking.

Ingredients:
Par-baked single pie crust
6 Tablespoons butter cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans toasted and chopped into small pieces

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Partially bake pie shell for about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter in medium heatproof bowl set in a skillet of water maintained at just below a simmer (double boiler method). Once butter is melted, remove the bowl from the skillet of water. Mix in sugar and salt with a wooden spoon until water is absorbed. Beat in eggs, then corn syrup and vanilla. Return the bowl to the skillet with hot water. Stir until the mixture is shiny and hot to the touch. Should be about 130 degrees. Stir in pecans.

Alternate Microwave method: melt butter in microwave, add ingredients as above, but use a metal whisk. Heat mixture to about 130 degrees in microwave by heating about a minute at a time and whisking between each minute.

Once the pie shell is out of the oven, decrease the oven temperature to 275 degrees. Pour Pecan mixture into the hot pie shell. Bake until the center is set, yet a bit soft, like gelatin when gently pressed, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let pie cool completely, at least 4 hours. If you want to serve the pie warm after it has completely cooled and set, place it in a 250 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, before slicing.