MAKES: ONE 9-INCH PIE
PREP: 20 MINUTES
1 store-bought 9-inch pie crust, thawed if frozen
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon salted or unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE MERINGUE
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Transfer the pie crust to a glass pie pan if you wish or leave in its aluminum foil pie pan. If it’s not a preformed pie crust, fit it into a glass pie plate.
Make the brown sugar pie:
Bake the pie crust following the directions on the package until it is light brown. Let the crust cool on a wire rack while you make the pie filling. Leave the oven on, adjusting the temperature if necessary, to 400 degrees.
Place the brown sugar, flour and salt in a medium-size saucepan and stir to combine. Slowly whisk in the milk. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the filling begins to thicken and is bubbly, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the filling until it has completely thickened, 2 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat.
Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a medium-size stainless steel or glass bowl. Se the egg whites aside for the meringue. Beat the egg yolks with a fork to combine. Add 3 tablespoons of the hot filling to the egg yolks and stir well to combine. Then whisk the egg mixture into the saucepan of filling. Place the pan over low heat and cook, whisking, until the yolks are well combined and the filling is thick, creamy, and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour the filling into the baked crust.
Make the meringue:
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating on high speed. Gradually add the granulated sugar. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy and the sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes.
Pile spoonfuls of the meringue on top of the pie filling. Using a spatula, push the meringue to the edge of the crust to seal in the filling. Smooth the top of the pie.
Bake the pie until the meringue is just lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 3 hours before serving.
Do Ahead Tip:
Let the eggs come to room temperature, taking them out of the refrigerator half an hour before you plan to make the pie.
MINI CINNAMON ROLLS
FOR THE ROLLS
2 cans (8 ounces each) refrigerated reduced-fat crescent roll dough
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
FOR THE GLAZE
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk or orange juice
Makes: 40 mini rolls
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 20 to 25 minutes
1. Make the rolls: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Open a can of dough and separate it into 4 rectangles. You will see the dough stamped into triangles, but instead of tearing those triangles, press the perforations in the dough together, joining the triangles to form 4 rectangles. Repeat with the second can of dough for a total of 8 rectangles. Spread the butter on the dough rectangles.
3. Place the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the buttered rectangles of dough. If desired, press the raisins into the dough. Starting from a short end, roll each rectangle of dough up into a cylinder. Cut each roll into 5 equal slices.
4. Place the slices cut side down in an un-greased 13-by-9 inch metal baking pan. Bake the rolls until they are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the rolls cool in the baking pan while you make the glaze.
5. Make the glaze: Place the confectioner' sugar in a small bowl and whisk in the milk or orange juice. Using a knife or spoon, drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. Serve the cinnamon rolls warm.
Do Ahead: Bake the cinnamon rolls ahead of time and freeze the unglazed rolls in the baking pan covered with aluminum foil for up to 2 months. Reheat the unglazed rolls, covered, in the oven at 350 F until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Uncover the rolls and glaze them before serving.
MARIONS'S PUMPKIN BREAD WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS
Vegetable oil spray, for misting the loaf pans
4 large eggs
11/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the loaf pans
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Makes: 2 loaves
Prep: 15 to 20 minutes
Bake: 50 to 55 minutes
Cool: 45 minutes
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with vegetable oil spray and dust them with flour. Set the loaf pans aside.
2. Place the eggs, sugar, and oil in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium and beat until thickened and the mixture doubles in size. Add the applesauce and pumpkin and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
3. Place the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a separate bowl and stir to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed until the flour is well combined, 30 to 45 seconds.
4. Spoon the batter into the 2 prepared loaf pans and smooth the tops. Bake the loaves until they test done, 50 to 55 minutes; when you press the tops of the loaves lightly with your finger they will feel firm.
5. Let the loaves rest in the pans on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges of the pans, loosen the loaves by gently shaking them, and turn them over, placing the loaves right side up on the rack to finish cooling for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Do Ahead: The pumpkin bread loaves freeze beautifully for up to 6 months. Wrap them in aluminum foil and place them in plastic freezer bags. Let thaw on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours.
