Spiced Apple and Pear Pie with Gruyere Baked into the Crust

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lemon
• 3 pounds baking apples - about 6 apples (Golden Delicious, Corland, or Mutsu)
• 1 1/2 pounds baking pears - about 3 pears (Bosc or firm Barletts)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

• Finely grate the lemon zest and set aside.
• Peel, core, and then slice both the apple and pear into 1/2" slices.
• Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit
• Then toss fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Add the fruit and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and juices simmer, about two minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the fruit softens and the juices evaporate some, about ten minutes.
• Evenly mix the flour into the fruit and stir.
• Then cook about a minute more to thicken the juices slightly.
• Sir in the vanilla and lemon zest.
• Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (Filling should resemble a tight compote)

Notes:

• This recipe made enough filling for two pies.

Assembly:

• Use Mindy's Pie Crust for both bottom and top crusts.
• After assembling the top crust, cut small steam vents into the top of the dough.
• Brush pie with egg and sprinkle with sugar.
• Grate a fine layer of Gruyere cheese onto the crust (can substitute swiss)
• Place pice on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes at 425°
• Reduce temperature to 375° and bake until the crust (both top and bottom) is golden brown, about 50 minutes more.
• If the edges begin to brown too quickly, cut a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil and cover the edges.
• Cool on a rack.

* Recipe is a mix from multiple sources but inspired by Chuck on Pushing Daisies. 

**Homeopathic mood enhancers not included.

Ned's Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup strawberry gelatin powder
• 2 drops red food coloring (optional)
• 1 1/2 quarts strawberries, sliced
• 1 pie shell, baked, 9-inch
• whipped cream or topping

Directions:

• Combine sugar, cornstarch, and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened and clear, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice, gelatin powder and food coloring if used.
• Chill until mixture begins to thicken. 
• Place strawberries in the baked pie shell and spoon slightly thickened gelatin mixture over the top.
• Chill the pie at least 4 hours.
• Top with whipped cream or whipped topping and garnish with reserved strawberry halves.

* From the kitchen of The Pie Hole

Mindy's Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups shortening
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 tbsp ice-cold water
• 1 egg (beaten)

Directions:

• When measuring the flour spoon it into the measuring cup then level off with a knife.
• Cut shortening into flour and salt with a pastry knife.
• Pour in lemon juice, ice water, and beaten egg.
• Mix with a fork from bottom to top until dough barely sticks together.
• Divide into two balls.
• Place one ball between two pieces of wax paper and roll out to 2" larger than the size of the pie pan.
• Fold crust into quarters, place in pie pan with point in center and unfold.
• Trim and crimp crust for one-crust pie, or fill and repeat rolling steps with second ball of dough for two-crust pie, turning bottom edges of crust up over the top crust and crimping.
• For baked one-crust pie shell, pierce crust on bottom and sides with a fork and bake at 475° until light brown, 5-8 minutes.

* I got this recipe from Tianna but I have no idea who Mindy is.

7 Minute Icing

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 5 Tbsp water 
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Cherry Kool-aid
• Shredded coconut 

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients (except vanilla and kool-aid)
• Heat using a double boiler and beat until it stands in peaks (7 minutes)
• Remove from heat
• Add vanilla (cherry kool-aid is optional and amount is subjective)
• Beat until thick enough to spread
• Put over a white cake that is already cooled
• Sprinkle coconut over the top

This is my Grandma Lovell's recipe (Family Favorite)