Mini Tea Party Cheesecakes

 

Crust

3 oz. cream cheese, softened 

½ c. butter, softened 

1 c. flour (can use gluten-free) 

Mix until dough forms. Divide into 24 balls and press into mini muffin tins.

Filling

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 t. vanilla 

1 egg

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg, mixing until blended. Spoon into shells. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool. Top with a dab of lemon curd or jelly. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 

Cooks notes: I make these with Bob’s Red Mill 1to1 gluten-free flour (the blue label) and they turn out great. 

Fresh Strawberry Pie

 

1 c. sugar

3 heaped T. corn starch

1 c. water

2 T. light corn syrup 

1/4 c. strawberry jello (powder?)

1 quart whole strawberries, washed

1 pie shell, baked

Combine sugar, cornstarch, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Cook until thick and clear, stirring continuously. Stir in the jello powder until dissolved. Cool. Add strawberries. Pour into prebaked pie shell. Serve with whipped cream.

Rhubarb Pie

4  c. diced rhubarb

1 c. sugar

1 T. flour

Pinch of salt

2 eggs, beaten

1. 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 t. cinnamon

9” unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rhubarb in pie shell. In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Slowly mix in eggs and cream. Pour mixture over rhubarb. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake for about an hour. 

Peppermint Ice Cream Pie

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips 

6 T. butter

4 c. crisp rice cereal 

1/2 gallon peppermint ice cream, softened 

Melt the chocolate and butter together. Stir into the cereal. Press into 2 small buttered pie pans. Fill pans with softened ice cream. Freeze before serving. (Cut the crust BEFORE pies are completely frozen, because it’s nearly impossible to cut after.)

Recipe Notes: This was one of Grandma Vi’s favorites and her traditional birthday treat. 

Double Layer Chocolate Pie

1 prepared pie crust
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. + 1 T. milk or 1/2 & 1/2, divided
1 T. sugar
12 oz. thawed Cool Whip, divided
2 pkg. (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding

Place cream cheese, 1 T. milk, and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups of  Cool Whip. Spread on the bottom of pie crust. Pour 1 1/2 cups milk into bowl. Add pudding and whisk until thick. Fold in 2 cups of Cool Whip and spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Garnish with remaining Cool Whip.

Blackberry Pie

1 T. gelatin
1/4 c. cold water
scant pinch salt
1 pint blackberry juice and berries*
1 pie crust, baked
1 c. cream or evaporated milk, whipped

Soak the gelatin and salt in cold water for about 5 minutes. Heat berry juice to boiling; add to gelatin. When almost set, add the whole berries and pour into pastry crust. Refrigerate until firm. When ready to serve, cover top with whipped cream. (This can be sweetened and egg whites can be beat with cream to make it very stiff.)

*This recipe is for canned fruit, but fresh fruit can be used adding necessary sugar. Use other berries in the same way.

Lorraine's Lemon Meringue Pie

1 c. sugar
1 T. butter or margarine
1 1/4 c. water
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 T. cold water
6 T. lemon juice
1 t. grated lemon zest
3 egg yolks
2 T. milk
1 pie crust, baked

Combine sugar, butter, and water; heat until sugar dissolves. Combine cornstarch with cold water; add to sugar mixture. Cook about 8 minutes. Add lemon juice & zest; cook 2 minutes more. Beat egg yolk with milk and slowly add to the mixture. Heat to boiling. Cool; pour into baked pie crust.

Meringue:
3 egg whites
6 T. sugar
1 t. lemon juice

Beat egg whites until stiff; add sugar and lemon juice gradually, beating until mixture is stiff and glossy. Pile lightly over cooled filling, spreading completely to edge of pastry. (Grandma O. used to make little peaks across top of the pie that browned as it baked.) Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Angel Cream Pie

1 t. gelatin
1 T. cold water
1 c. milk
 1/2 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
 3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. heavy cream
9-in. pie crust, baked
1 oz. grated chocolate

Soften gelatin in cold water, set aside. Scald milk in a double boiler. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add to milk and cook until thick and smooth. Cook 15 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Separate egg whites from yolks and set aside. Beat yolks well and slowly add milk mixture to them,  a little at a time. Return to double boiler and cook a few minutes longer. Add gelatin and vanilla. Cool. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cooled mixture. Whip cream and fold into the mixture. Pour mixture into baked pie crust; sprinkle with grated chocolate. Chill in refrigerator several hours or until firm.

Blueberry Pie

Crust:
1 c. flour
2 T. powdered sugar
1/2 c. margarine, melted

Mix together and pat into pie plate, no roller needed. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
3/4 c. water
4 c. blueberries, divided
1 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch

Combine the water with 1 1/2 cups of the berries. Cook 5-10 minutes. Combine sugar and cornstarch and add slowly to the hot berries. Cook until thick. Cool. Add remaining berries (uncooked) and pour into cooled pie shell. Refrigerate.

Recipe notes: There are two extremely different temperatures listed to cook the crust.  The 325 degree temperature seems more accurate for baking a pie crust. Also, it seems as if the cornstarch would clump when being added to the hot berries and water, which is why I added the additional instructions.

Grasshopper Pie

1 c. chocolate waffer crumbs
3 T. butter, melted
25 large marshmallows
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. green creme de menthe
1/4 c. white creme de cacao
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
2 T. shaved chocolate

Mix together the crumbs and butter; pat into a 9-inch pie plate; chill. Melt marshmallows in the milk, stirring often; cool. Fold in the liquors and whipped cream. If you like, add a few drops of green food coloring for a pretty pie. Turn the filling into the crumb crust. Freeze. Remover from freezer about 10 minutes before serving.