My son's swim team exchanged names for Secret Santa. The gift spending limit was $5. My son got the best gift - a homeade pie.
I was a little surprised when my son came home with his homemade pecan pie. Not many teenagers make pies these days. This pie even had a wonderful homemade crust. Even my son noticed. He asked if the crimped edges were done by hand.
Pies scare some cooks, but pies are really not that hard to make.
The crusts are the most difficult part, and there are some nice ready made crusts on the market now. I particularly like the PIllsbury "just unroll" pie crusts that are in the refrigerator section. They are much better than the frozen pie crusts, although the frozen crusts are OK too.
Keebler ready made crumb crusts are also good. Those are in the baking section. They come in graham cracker and in chocolate. If you buy graham cracker crusts, you can whip up Super Easy Key Lime Pies in nothing flat. If you want a great pre-made chocolate crust recipe, then try Southern Peanut Butter Pie.
As far as other easy but yummy pie recipes, these are our family favorites:
Southern Pecan Pie - Most everyone loves pecan pie. There are many variations, but this is a classic southern version with a rich filling and lots of nuts. And, yes, you can use walnuts in place of the pecan pies if you want.
Magic Christmas Pie - This is a fun pie to make especially with kids. It's a basic coconut pie, but it's whipped up in the blender. The pie then separates and turns out like a pie.
Crumble Top Apple Pie - Another southern classic. The crumble topping is delicous, and it's easier to do a crumble top than a lattice
Southern Pumpkin Pie - A favorite on the holiday table, this is a yummy pie and can be served with whipped topping.
