Tarte au Sucre (French Canadian Maple Syrup Pie)

Crust:
1 1/4 c flour
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 c ice water, plus additional if needed

Filling:
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 3/4 c packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c heavy cream
1/2 c maple syrup

Garnishes:
raspberries
whipped cream

Prepare crust: stir together flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until butter is the size of small peas. Stir in 1/4 c ice water. Dough should look shaggy and come together when pressed into a ball. If it's crumbly, add water by the tablespoon until it just holds together but isn't sticky. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out crust, then drape over a 9" pie pan (not deep-dish). Cut excess dough from edge. Crimp edges. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Prepare filling: whisk eggs and yolk lightly in a medium bowl. Add brown sugar, flour and salt, whisking until no lumps remain. Whisk in cream and maple syrup. Pour filling into chilled pie shell.

Bake pie in top third of oven until filling is deeply golden and puffed in the center but still wiggles slightly when nudged, 60-70 minutes. Check after 30 minutes. If edge is browning before center is cooked, cover edge with a foil collar and continue baking.

Cool pie completely, about 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve chilled, garnished with raspberries and/or whipped cream.

NOTES
From Hannaford.
Untried.

Prassopita (Greek Potato and Leek Pie)

3 Tbsp olive oil
4 c cleaned, chopped leek whites and greens (about 4 leeks)
3/4 lb Idaho potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and grated
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp pepper
8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed and refrigerated until ready to use
1 c crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add leeks. Cook until they have softened but are still bright green and have not caramelized, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool about 10 minutes. Put potatoes, egg and milk into a large bowl and mix to combine, then stir in dill and pepper.

Place remaining 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil in a small cup or bowl. Remove phyllo dough from fridge, take sheets out of box and unroll so they're flat. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and then a clean, damp dishtowel.

Place a sheet of phyllo on bottom of baking pan. Using fingers, lightly dot with olive oil. Place another piece of phyllo on top, gently press down, and continue until you have 4 layers. Do not oil the last sheet.

Place half the potato mixture on top and sprinkle with half the feta and half the olives. Top with 1 sheet phyllo and, using fingers, lightly dot with olive oil. Continue until you have 4 layers. Oil the last sheet, too, using up any remaining oil.

Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. May be made in advance and frozen, then reheated at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

NOTES
From Hannaford.
Untried.

Butternut Cheese Pie

4 c coarsely shredded butternut squash (about 1 lb)
1/4 c uncooked bulgur
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
1 c chopped onion
3/4 c (3 oz) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c (2 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 c chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed and divided
cooking spray

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; cover and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add onion, feta and Parmesan cheeses, chopped mint, and black pepper to squash mixture, stirring to combine.

Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), place 1 sheet into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Gently press sheet into pie plate, allowing ends to extend over edges of pan; lightly coat with cooking spray. Place another phyllo sheet across first sheet to form a crisscross design; lightly coat phyllo with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with 2 phyllo sheets and cooking spray.

Spoon squash mixture over phyllo. Place another phyllo sheet over squash, repeating crisscross design with remaining phyllo and cooking spray. Fold in edges of phyllo to fit dish and form a rim. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

NOTES
From Cooking Light.
I like this a lot, but the kids emphatically do not.
I make it without the mint.

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

1 lb chicken, cut into cubes
1/4 c Italian dressing
4 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 c chicken broth
10 oz frozen mixed vegetables
1 pre-made pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet, cook chicken in dressing over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and cook until cheese melts. Add flour and stir well. Add broth and vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour filling into a deep dish 10" pie plate. Top with pie crust; flute edges and slit top.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

NOTES
I think this comes from Kraft.
Not your ordinary chicken pot pie -- creamy and tangy and yum.

Brown Sugar Peach Pie with Coconut Streusel

1/2 pkg refrigerated pie crust dough
2/3 c packed brown sugar, divided
1/4 c uncooked quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 c peeled, sliced ripe peaches, divided (about 3 lb)
1/3 c regular oats
1/4 c sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted

Fit dough into a 9" pie plate. Fold edges under; flute. Line dough with foil; arrange pie weights or dried beans on foil and bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove weights and foil; cool crust on wire rack.

Combine 1/3 c sugar, tapioca and cinnamon; sprinkle over 4 1/2 c peaches. Toss gently; let stand 15 minutes. Spoon into prepared crust. Top with 1 1/2 c peaches. Place pie into 425 degree oven; immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake pie 30 minutes.

Combine 1/3 c sugar, oats, coconut and butter; sprinkle over peach mixture. Shield edges of crust with foil. Bake 30 more minutes or until pie is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

NOTES
From Cooking Light.
Untried.

Linzertorte

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c ground blanched almonds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/4 c cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 c seedless blackberry jam
1 tsp sifted powdered sugar

Combine flour, almonds, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Combine sugar and cream cheese in a food processor; pulse 4 times. Add vanilla and egg; pulse 3 times. Add flour mixture; pulse 10 times or until combined. Gently press 2/3 of dough into a 4" circle on heavy duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes. Gently press remaining 1/3 of dough into a 4" circle on heavy duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll into a 9" circle and chill 30 minutes.

Roll larger portion of dough, still covered, into an 11" circle. Chill 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed. Working with larger portion of dough, remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap and fit dough into a 9" round removable-bottom greased tart pan. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap; fold edges under. Spoon blackberry jam into prepared crust.

Working with smaller portion of dough, remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap. Cut dough into 1/2" strips. Gently remove dough strips from bottom sheet of plastic wrap; arrange in a lattice design over preserves. Seal dough strips to edge of crust.

Place tart on a baking sheet. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes or until crust is browned and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

NOTES
From Cooking Light.
Untried.