Pies, Crisps, & Tarts Archives

October 2, 2018

Basic Apple Pie Recipe (Using Fresh Apples)

Your go-to basic apple pie recipe using fresh apples in a homemade crust with very little added sugar.

A basic apple pie recipe is simple and the end results are just plain tasty. It’s a recipe that everyone should have in their collection. This apple pie doesn’t use a lot of added sugar and you don’t have to cook the apples before adding them to the crust. It has about an inch or inch-and-a-half of sliced apples inside the crust, which I think is a nice amount. I think apple pies that are 3 or 4 inches high and stuffed with apples are gorgeous, but I like a more even crust-to-apple ratio myself. When you don’t have that many apples in the crust, you don’t have to precook the apples because there are a lot less in there to shrink and put out extra liquid.

Need a crust recipe to make your apple pie? I got you covered!

I wrote a huge post all about pie crust! This basic apple pie recipe is a staple in our house and I hope you love it. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

There’s something magical about pulling a pie made from scratch out of the oven. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Butter, flour, and sugar are the building blocks of all things good, and making a homemade pie is a pretty great way to use them. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

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May 21, 2018

Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks with a Pretzel Coating

Delicious crispy baked chicken drumsticks made with a homemade pretzel and spices coating which makes the crispiest chicken legs on the block – no frying needed!

Did your mom ever make you shake and bake style chicken or pork chops when you were a kid? My mom did, and I loved that crispy topping that kept the meat extra moist and gave it tons of flavor. I’m sharing with you today a crispy baked chicken drumstick recipe that uses pretzels in place of bread crumbs in a homemade shake and bake! It’s a fun twist on a classic and you are going to love the results.

You all know I love bone-in chicken. It doesn’t dry out, my kids love it, it’s inexpensive, and it’s so versatile. My super simple baked chicken legs are one of the most popular posts here on Bless this Mess, so I know you all love chicken legs, too. I also like that they can be served year-round. You just change up your sides to go with the seasons! These crispy drumsticks go with just about anything.

Here’s what I’d serve with Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks based on season:

Summer: I’m all about simple and seasonal in the summer. I’d serve this with fresh green beans, corn on the cob, and some watermelon. If I’m wanting to make the meal go even farther, I’d make one of my 8 favorite pasta salads to go with it! Homemade dark chocolate and peanut butter ice cream for dessert, no questions asked.

Fall: No-knead bread is always a favorite in the fall at our house. It smells like home with so little work. I’d also serve it with a fall side salad and some roasted Brussels sprouts. Extra thick pumpkin cake for dessert or sliced apples and our favorite caramel dip.

Winter: The best butter biscuits or sweet potato biscuits OR baked potatoes on the side with a winter salad and some roasted butternut squash (mashed with butter and salt). For dessert, we’d make snow ice cream or have our forever favorite chocolate chip cookies.

Spring: Santa Fe Rice is such a great addition to simple chicken legs. I’d serve it with roasted spring veggies or sauteed asparagus and a spinach salad. For dessert, I’d make rhubarb crisp.

See? So easy to make one main dish a seasonal meal by changing up the sides that go with it.

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May 18, 2018

How to Cook Potatoes in the Oven

Directions on how to cook potatoes in the oven including oven temperatures, times, and how to do it with and without foil.

Baked potatoes are always and forever going to be on my dinner rotation for a few reasons. They are cheap to buy, easy to make, and the family can customize them to their liking. Customizable meals (like tacos, burgers, and other things where the kids can dress the dish up how they prefer) are always a hit in this house. The kids love it, and I love that they don’t fuss about what’s being served.

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing more that I love than a loaded baked potato. Bring on the toppings: butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar, freshly cooked diced bacon, and chives from the garden. That is a complete baked potato in my mind. I also like warming up some leftover broccoli and cheese soup to spoon over the top of my potatoes – so good!

I know this recipe isn’t rocket science, but knowing how to cook potatoes in the oven, the right way, is a game changer. I’m here to tell you to put down the foil and roast those potatoes in their own skin, on a rack, slathered in oil and sprinkled with salt. Sometimes all you need is a few simple ingredients put together in the right order. This, my friends, is simplicity at its tastiest.

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April 13, 2018

Rhubarb Crisp with No Other Fruit

Homemade Rhubarb Crisp made with no other fruit and topped with a pecan, butter, and oatmeal topping, baked to perfection, and perfect with ice cream on top.

Rhubarb is too often combined with other fruit like strawberries, and I think it’s a shame. There is a time and a place for that, but it isn’t a must. This rhubarb crisp with no other fruit really highlights the unique qualities in rhubarb without hiding it with other flavors. It’s sweet with just a bit of tang that makes it a perfect dessert. The richness from the butter and pecans go along great with the tart fruit. There are no dry parts to this crisp either because you melt the butter and stir it right in. That’s my little secret for the perfect crisp.

I think some people are weirded out by rhubarb, but I’m here to tell you that it is awesome! Mine just popped out of the ground and has about 6 inches worth of curly leaves coming out of the ground. It’s tart, like a tart cherry (which is so good in baking) but it cooks down a lot. It’s one of my favorite easy to go perennials on our farm and I look forward to it every spring. And fun fact, it’s super high in vitamin C. We like to eat it raw like celery with a bit of salt on it when we aren’t turning it into our favorite rhubarb desserts. Crisp is always my first choice when it comes to rhubarb desserts. It’s simple to make and people are always really surprised at just how delicious it is once they try it, rhubarb lover or not!

Fun fact- rhubarb leaves are poisonous.

While it would take ingesting roughly 10 pounds of leaves to kill an average size adult, small amounts will make you sick. Be sure to keep livestock and chickens out of your rhubarb patch, too – it’s not good for them either. Have no fear; the stalks are just fine.

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December 22, 2017

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Healthy pumpkin pie in a whole wheat crust sweetened with real cream and maple syrup. One of my favorite whole food pie desserts!

I LOVE naturally sweetened desserts and this pumpkin pie does not disappoint! The maple syrup pairs beautifully with pumpkin (without tasting too much like maple), and the cream used in this recipe makes the texture of the baked pumpkin filling heavenly. You are going to love this recipe! Want to make homemade pumpkin puree too? You can cook pumpkin in the slow cooker or the oven to make your own pumpkin puree, and it is delicious. I paired this pumpkin pie filling with a whole wheat and butter crust. Real food ingredients never tasted so good. If you are looking for a healthier homemade pie recipe, this is it.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – all things pie! You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are still looking around for something that looks perfect for your Christmas table.

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November 30, 2017

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie made with dark chocolate, fresh cream, and an Oreo cookie crust.

Chocolate and fresh cream – what more do we need? I love making homemade puddings, and they are so much easier than you think. For this recipe, you simply make a homemade pudding with some eggs, milk, and sugar and when it’s done, you stir in chocolate chips to melt and make it chocolate pudding. You can put all the pudding on the bottom of the pie and all of the cream on the top, or do a little mixing and layering like I did here – it’s totally up to you. This is a simple pie that is a lot of fun to make and feels a little bit fancy with chocolate curls on top (I just use a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar to make the curls). This is one of my family’s favorite pies, and you don’t even have to roll out a pie crust.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust recipes, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – delicious Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie to go inside your favorite Oreo cookie crust.

There’s something magical about serving a homemade pie after dinner. It just says love. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

Looking for other great pie recipes? You can check out my post on 8 different pie recipes (including all the classics like cherry pie, apple pie, pecan, and more!) if you need a little more inspiration.

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November 17, 2017

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie is a simple mix and dump pie that produces a rich, thick, sweet custard-like center when baked.

Easy, easy, easy. You only have to make a single crust and then you just mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl and dump them in. You really won’t believe how simple this recipe is. The filling bakes into a nice soft custard and is delicious. It definitely has a lemon flavor to it, too. I love lemon! My family, however, aren’t so much fans, so sometimes when I make this pie, I leave out the lemon zest. It cuts down on the lemon flavor significantly, so you are left with a baked custard pie with only a hint of citrus.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – all things pie! This old fashioned buttermilk pie is a favorite in our house and I hope you love it. It’s fun to make because a lot of people haven’t tried it before. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are still looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

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November 16, 2017

Homemade Coconut Cream Pie

Simple and delicious homemade coconut cream pie in a graham cracker crust topped with real whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Long live simple cream pie recipes! This recipe is a lot like a chocolate cream pie except you use coconut milk (the thick kind in the can) to make the pudding and then you stir in toasted coconut into it and top with more toasted coconut. If you don’t like the texture of the coconut in the pudding, just leave it out and only put some on top. It’s a preference thing. Top with some freshly whipped cream and toasted coconut, and you’re done. This comes in a graham cracker pie crust, which means you don’t even have to roll one out.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust recipes, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – delicious Homemade Coconut Cream Pie to go inside your favorite graham cracker crust.

There’s something magical about serving a homemade pie after dinner. It just says love. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Butter, flour, and sugar are the building blocks of all things good, and making a homemade pie is a pretty great way to use them. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

[Read more…]

November 14, 2017

The Best Pecan Pie Recipe

The best pecan pie recipe is made with a secret ingredient that you have in your kitchen right now – browned butter!

This pecan pie is the best. I’ve made a lot of different pecan pie recipes in my day, and I love this one. You brown the butter a little on your stovetop before adding it to the egg and sugar mixture, and it makes the pie extra rich and caramel-y. If you want to add a few pecans to the top, they won’t sink to the bottom. Also, the filling won’t overflow the pie crust (I have a problem with that for some reason and it makes such a mess in my oven). It is delicious and the only pecan pie recipe you’ll need.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – all things pie! This really is the best pecan pie recipe and I hope you love it. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are still looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

[Read more…]

November 8, 2017

Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

Simple dutch apple pie recipe made with fresh apples, a homemade crust, and a streusel topping with a secret ingredient: cornmeal!

The best part about this Dutch apple pie? You only have to make a single crust and there’s STREUSEL! Some Dutch apple pie recipes have cream and raisins in their fillings, but I wanted to make this one extra simple and use the same easy apple pie filling I use for traditional apple pie. The streusel on top is so quick to make, has a nice crunch to it, and tastes like pie perfection. Dutch apple is one of my favorites because it’s pretty simple and the top is casual, so there’s a lot less pressure to make the pie crust look fancy. This is a pretty, rustic, and simple pie, but it tastes so good.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. This simple Dutch apple pie recipe is one of my brother’s favorites and so I like to surprise him with one every so often. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are still looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

There’s something magical about pulling a pie made from scratch out of the oven. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Butter, flour, and sugar are the building blocks of all things good, and making a homemade pie is a pretty great way to use them. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. Plus, you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

[Read more…]

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