National Pie Day!

Today is National Pie Day.  I'm always eager for any reason to celebrate with food.  And it's been a while since I've done a cooking blog.  If you're not hungry yet, you will be ;-)

Chocolate Pecan Pie (from my Baylor Homecoming Cookbook - those Texans can cook!)
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs
2 (1 ounce) squares chocolate, melted (I just use semisweet choc. chips)
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup light corn syrup (yeah, yeah, I know...soooo bad)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

Cream sugar and butter.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in next 4 ingredients.

Stir in chopped pecans.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake at 350* for 45-55 minutes.  Cool before cutting.  Serves 6-8 and OH SO GOOD!

Next up:  Blueberry Strawberry Cheese Pie (taken and modified from Treasury of Christmas cookbook)

One baked pastry shell

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.

Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.  Pour into prepared crust.  Hmmm, probably should have beaten this a little longer.

Chill 3 hours.

Blueberry and Strawberry topping:

In medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tbsp. of cornstarch.  Mix well.  Add 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp. lemon uice, 1 cup of fresh blueberries and 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until thickened and clear.

Cool 10 minutes.  Spread over pie and chill.

Enjoy!  These recipes are both easy and so delicious :-)