Sour Cream Cheesecake

This is my dad's favorite kind of "cake" :)

Crust:
2 c graham cracker crumbs
6 T melted butter
1 t cinnamon

Mix together. Press into deep pie pan. Chill.

Layer 1:
2 eggs
3/4 lb soft cream cheese
1/4 honey
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat eggs well, then combine all. Pour into crust. Bake 20 minutes. Dust top with cinnamon. Cool to room temperature.

Layer 2:
1 1/2 c thick sour cream
2T honey
1/2 t vanilla

Heat oven to 425F. Combine all. Pour over cake. Bake 5-10 minutes to glaze. Cool to room temperature, then chill at least 6 hours.

Pie Crust

Bettie labeled this "Perfect Pie Crusts" but I can't really promise that, because my mom never quite got them to work and I've never tried, so I can't tell you what the secret is. Good luck!

2 c flour

1 1/2 t sugar

1 t salt

1 scant cup Crisco

1 1/2 t vinegar

1 egg

1/2 c water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl with fork. Add Crisco and mix with fork until crumbly. In a small bowl, beat together water, egg, and vinegar until foamy. Combine with the dry ingredients, stirring with fork until it forms a ball. Break in half and wrap each ball in plastic. Chill for 30 minutes, then roll out. Makes 2 crusts. Double batch makes 5 crusts.

Taco Bake

1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c shredded lettuce
1 1/2 c chopped tomatoes
1 3/4 all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rise or dry yeast
1 T sugar
2 t finely chopped onion
3/4 t salt
1/3 c warm water (120-130F)
2 T oil
1/2 c crushed corn chips
 Mexican Beans (replaces 1 lb taco-seasoned ground beef)

Preheat oven to 375F. In medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, onion, and salt. Mix well. Add warm water and oil. Mix by hand until almost smooth. Stir in corn chips and enough remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Spread in well-greased 10-inch pie dish, forming a ridge around the edge. Cover, let rise in a warm place 10 minutes for quick-rise yeast or 20 minutes for active dry yeast. Spread beans over dough. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until edges of dough are crisp and light golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Easy Freezy Pumpkin Pie

I think this recipe must have arrived to our house in a cookbook one of us made at school, because the girl who works at the video store knew exactly what we were talking about.

img via: food.com

2 graham cracker pie crusts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 t cinnamon
4 cups (1 quart) vanilla ice cream

Set the ice cream out to soften a bit. In a bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add the ice cream and combine until thoroughly mixed. Divide evenly between the two crusts. Freeze until serving.

Pecan Pie

Another recipe from Grandma. The first set of measurements is for a 9" crust, the ones in parenthesis are for an 8" crust.

1 pie crust
3 eggs (2)
2/3 cup sugar (1/2)
1/3 t salt (1/4)
1/3 cup melted butter (1/4)
1 cup dark syrup (3/4)
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Put the crust into a pie dish. Beat together eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and syrup. Put pecans into the crust, then pour mixture over. Bake 40-50 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cherry Pie

My grandma was a big fan of baking, and she gave my mom a lot of sweets recipes. Thanksgiving, of course, is pie season.

2 cans sour pitted cherries (not cherry pie filling - look in the canned fruit aisle)
1 cup sugar
1 t salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 T butter
1 t almond extract
2 pie crusts

Put one crust into a pie dish. Use a knife or small cookie cutter to make steam vents in the other crust, then set it aside to be the lid. In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch, and the liquid from the cherries. Stir constantly until the liquid becomes thick and clearish (about 15 minutes). Add the butter, almond extract, and cherries. Mix, then pour into the pie dish. Cover with the top crust, seal the edges, and sprinkle with sugar. Cover the edges loosely with a strip of tin foil to keep the crust from burning. Bake 30 minutes at 425. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes.

Quiche

This is a very easy dinner, good with rice. You can make it with pretty much any vegetables you have around. We usually use thawed frozen spinach or steamed broccoli, but experiments with asparagus, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocados have gone well too.

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 T flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg or dry mustard
1 pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cups vegetables, chopped

Beat together eggs, milk, flour, salt, and spices to make the custard. Put the crust into a pie pan and cover the bottom with the cheese. Lay the vegetables and onion into the crust. Pour the custard over the top. Bake 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees.