Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie with Blackberry Preserves

This next recipe is a favorite around our house.  It takes peanut butter and jelly to a whole new level of appreciation and delight.  Of course you can use any type of jelly or preserves, I use blackberry.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie

PB&J Pie

with

Blackberry Preserves Jelly

2 - 9 inch graham cracker crust pie shells

1 – 16 ounce jar peanut butter

1 – 32 ounce jar marshmallow fluff

2 – 16 ounce packs cream cheese

3 – 16 ounce bowls cool whip

1 cup peanut butter chips

½ cup fresh blackberries

Makes 2 – 9 inch deep dish pies

Cream one pack cream cheese with one jar peanut butter and 16 ounces of marshmallow fluff. Fold in one bowl cool whip until smooth. Pour into the bottoms of each graham cracker pie shell.

Cream the second pack cream cheese with 16 ounces of marshmallow fluff and 16 ounces blackberry preserves/jam/jelly ( I prefer the preserves or jam). Fold in one bowl cool whip until smooth. Pour over the peanut butter mixture in each pie shell.

Before serving, mix the one cup of fresh strawberries and ½ cup peanut butter chips with one bowl of cool whip. Spoon over the tops of the pies and serve.

A drizzle of blackberry syrup over the top or even chocolate syrup over the top really sets this pie off. But beware – is extremely rich and addictive!!

My Lower Cost Version

of

PB&J Pie

2 – 9 inch graham cracker pie crust shells

1 – 16 ounce jar peanut butter

1 – 32 ounce jar marshmallow fluff

2 – 16 ounce pack cream cheese

2 – 16 ounce bowl cool whip

1 – 16 ounce jar blackberry preserves (jam or jelly)

Cream one pack cream cheese with the peanut butter and 16 ounces of marshmallow fluff – fold in 16 ounce bowl cool whip. Divide and pour mixture into the two graham cracker shell crusts.

Cream one pack cream cheese with 16 ounces of marshmallow fluff and 16 ounces blackberry preserves – fold in 16 ounce bowl cool whip. Divide and pour mixture into the two crusts.

Chill for at least one hour. Serve with cool whip or ice cream.

Definitely delights the taste buds. I use blackberry preserves in my recipe, however, you can substitute any type of fruit preserves, jam or jelly to your own liking. It's blackberry season right now, and I have blackberries all around me so right now that's the fruit preserves of choice for me. And I really think it's my favorite one to use for this pie!!!

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Graham Cracker Pie Crust Shells can be purchased premade at most grocery retailers – or can be easily and quickly made from scratch!

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

2 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs ( approximately 36 -40 graham crackers)

½ cup sugar

½ cup soft margarine or butter

½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

In medium mixing bowl mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, margarine and nutmeg; blend until crumbly. Press crumb mixture into bottoms and sides of deep dish pie 9 inch pie pans and form rim around the top.

This crust can be baked or uncooked – your choice. If serving a fluffy cream pie, an unbaked crust will normally hold up – chill your crust for an hour before filling. If serving a firmer pie, baking the crust will make it firmer and crunchier. To bake – place in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool before placing filling in shells.

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For A Delightfully Different

Pie Crust Version

for a

Peanut Butter Pie

try the following!

Peanut Pie Shell

1 cup sifted flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 c vegetable shortening

¼ c crushed salted peanuts

3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add peanuts.

Sprinkle cold water over mixture a little bit at a time stirring with a fork until dough is just moist enough to hold together and form a ball.

Roll out on lightly floured surface to a circle to fit pie pan. Flute edges. Prick over surface with tined fork.

Bake in hot oven (425 degrees) 12 to 15 minutes. Cool before filling.

Just Me - Granny D

Rhubarb Delights

Rhubarb

I loved Strawberry Rhubarb pie – until I developed an allergy to strawberries. So then I started experimenting with other recipes for rhubarb pies to see if I could find one I liked as well as the Strawberry Rhubarb Pie or possibly find one I liked even better. I actually came up with three different recipes that I tweaked to my taste buds and suggest others try :

Rhubarb Cheese Pie

1 9” unbaked pie shell

2 lb. frozen Rhubarb in syrup – or 1 quart canned Rhubarb

3 Tbsp. Flour

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Ground Cloves

½ cup Brown Sugar

½ cup White Sugar

4 (3 oz. ) pkgs. Cream cheese

2 Eggs

1 cup dairy Sour Cream

Drain rhubarb ( if using fresh rhubarb, partially cook rhubarb in a light syrup then drain and cool) You should have 1 quart fruit drained. Blend rhubarb with flour, nutmeg, cloves and brown sugar. Turn into pie shell and bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes.

Blend together cream cheese, eggs and white sugar. Remove pie from oven after 15 minutes and spread the cheese mixture over the top of the rhubarb filling. Return pie to oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool. Spread sour cream over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*** Special Note: I absolutely love this pie served with chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce over the top of it!!!!

Glazed Fresh Blackberry Rhubarb Pie

Pastry for 2 – crust pie

1 ¼ c. Sugar

1/3 c. Flour

1/8 tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

2 cups fresh Blackberries

2 cups (1” pieces) fresh Rhubarb

2 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine

1 Tbsp. Sugar

Combine sugar, salt and flour.

Arrange ½ the blackberries and ½ the rhubarb in pastry lined 9” pie pan.

Sprinkle with half the sugar mixture.

Repeat with remaining fruit and sugar.

Dot with butter.

Adjust top crust and flute edges.

Brush top of pie with cold water and sprinkle on 1 Tbsp. Sugar.

Cut steam vents.

Bake at 425 degrees F. for 45 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and crust is browned.

Serve hot with ice cream, or cool and serve with whipped cream.

Delicious with a big glass of milk or cup of coffee!!

Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

1 1 lb.5-ounce can Cherry pie filling

1 1 lb.5-ounce can Rhubarb pie filling (or 1 lb precooked rhubarb in medium to heavy syrup)

½ cup Dried Cherries

1 tsp. Grated Orange peel (optional)

1 cup Flour

1 ½ tsp. Baking Powder

¼ cup Brown Sugar, packed

½ tsp Cinnamon

¼ tsp Nutmeg

¼ cup Butter or Margarine

½ cup chopped Pecans

1 Egg, beaten slightly

¼ cup Milk

Combine cherry and rhubarb pie fillings, cherries and orange peel in a DEEP

10 – inch fry pan or baking pan ( I use a cast iron dutch oven ) ; heat to boiling.

Mix flour, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a mixing bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Add pecans.

Combine egg and milk; add to flour mixture and mix to moisten dry ingredients. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto hot filling mixture.

Bake in covered Dutch oven or deep fry pan in oven at 400 degrees F for 25 -30 minutes. ( This can also be cooked over a bed of coals on a campfire. )

Rhubarb-Orange Conserve

This is really good and it is easy to make. Let the kids help, they'll enjoy cutting up the orange slice candies.

5 c. red rhubarb

1 lb. Orange-slice candy (gum-drop candies)

3 c. sugar

Wash then dice (do not skin) rhubarb into 1/3” cubes. Cut candy slices into 1/8's. (Using scissors, cut length ways first. Dip scissors into cold water to prevent sticking.)

Mix rhubarb and sugar in a wide saucepan, stirring constantly over high heat. When mixture begins to boil, add candy pieces. Continue boiling and stirring until the mixture thickens to a jelly-like consistency.

Ladle into hot jars; seal. Makes 6 half pints.

Just Me - Granny D

Strawberry Recipes

Strawberry Time

&

Fresh Strawberry Recipes

It's time for fresh strawberries and shortcake. However, if you have an abundance of strawberries and want to do something with them besides just serving strawberry shortcake, here are some great recipes for various dishes created with strawberries! (These recipes call for strawberries but can be made with other types of berries substituted if you wish, ie. Blackberries, raspberries, etc.)

Strawberry Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ginger

2 cups sugar, divided

2 pints (1 quart) fresh strawberries, chopped

4 eggs, beaten

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped pecans (best with pecans, almonds can be substituted)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and 1 cup sugar. Set aside.

Sprinkle 1 cup sugar over chopped berries and stir to mix. Set aside and allow juice to form – approximately 1 hour.

Add berry and sugar mixture to dry mixture along with eggs and oil. When mixture is thoroughly moist, gently stir in chopped pecans.

Pour into greased loaf pans ( either 1 – 10x6x3 loaf pan, or 2 – 8x9 loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour and 20 minutes for large loaf or 1 hour for smaller loaves. Cool before cutting.

Strawberry Alaska Pie

Chocolate Pastry Shell: makes one 9-inch pie crust

1 ½ c. all purpose flour

1/3 c. sugar

¼ c. cocoa

¼ tsp. Salt

½ c. shortening

3-4 Tblsp. Water

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa and salt – cut in shortening – gradually add 3 4 Tablespoons water till holds in a dough ball. Roll out between wax paper. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 8 – 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Pie Filling:

1 c. chopped fresh strawberries

1 quart soft strawberry ice cream

Spread the fresh strawberries in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Place soft strawberry ice cream over the strawberries, filling the pie crust. Freeze until very firm. When ready to serve, make the meringue topping.

Meringue:

3 egg whites (room temp.)

½ tsp. Vanilla

¼ tsp. Cream of tartar

6 Tblsp. Sugar

Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until it peaks.

Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and meringue is glossy and stiff. Spread over frozen pie, spreading to and sealing the edges to the crust all around the pie. Bake in preheated oven at 500 degrees F. until golden brown. ( Ice cream will stay firm as it only takes a very few minutes to brown the meringue. ) Serve immediately.

For all who enjoy the distinctive taste of chocolate and strawberries, here is another recipe which delights and amazes the taste buds! The main secret to this recipe is the chocolate candy crust and the chocolate mallow whipped cream topping – with the strawberries and strawberry filling in the center, each bite of this pie is like eating strawberries dipped in chocolate and whipped cream!

Strawberry Pie

with

Chocolate Candy Crust

Chocolate Candy Crust:

1 12 oz. Pkg. Semisweet chocolate pieces

2 tblsp. Shortening

2 tblsp. Sifted confectioner's sugar

12” square Heavy duty aluminum foil

Place 12” sq aluminum foil in 9” pie pan. Press down and form a foil pie pan liner for pie pan. Cut off excess foil around rim of pie pan. Gently remove liner and place liner on baking sheet. Spread the chocolate pieces (or chips) in the bottom of the liner.

Place baking sheet with liner in oven at 250 degrees F. for 5 minutes. Set alum. Liner back in pie pan. Add shortening and blend (using back of spoon) with melted chocolate, then add confectioner's sugar and blend. Once blended, spread mixture evenly on bottom and up sides of pie pan liner. Chill until firmly set. Peel foil liner from chocolate shell and then place shell back into pie pan. Fill and refrigerate. (shell is crispy hard, will soften to cut if at room temp for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving)

Strawberries w/ Glaze Filling:

1 quart fresh strawberries

¼ cup Strawberry jelly (or jam)

1 10-ounce pkg frozen strawberries, defrosted

½ cup sugar

3 tblsp. Cornstarch

Press defrosted strawberries through a sieve to remove seeds. Mix ½ cup sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan, stir in sieved berries and jelly. Cook and stir until mixture thickens.

Arrange fresh strawberries in chocolate shell – cut large berries in half or quarters. Spoon over strawberry glaze; chill.

Chocolate mallow whipped topping:

2 cups Miniature marshmallows (I use chocolate marshmallows)

¼ cup Chocolate milk

1 cup Whipping cream ( I use chocolate cool whip)

Heat milk and marshmallows until mallows dissolve. Cool. Fold in whipping cream. Place on top of strawberry pie and serve.

YouTip: can use chocolate marshmallow cream in place of the miniature marshmallows and milk. Just fold the whipping cream into the marshmallow cream.

Just Me - Granny D