Category Archives: Carolyn’s Originals

Bacon, Tomato, and Arugula Pizza

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It all started with a Buy-One-Get-One-Free special at the market.  I don’t normally take advantage of these deals because for two of us its often too much of something and it goes to waste.  But for some unknown reason I bought the grape tomatoes being offered, and got the other one free.  OK, now what to do with them?  Other than put these sweet little tomatoes in salad,  I really don’t  cook with them, although I’m starting to.  Coexisting in my refrigerator there was also half a bag of arugula that I wanted to use up, and four slices of thick bacon.  Put all those items together and they spell BLT.  What could taste like a BLT sandwich but be substantial enough for a Friday evening supper?   How about a  pizza!

I always have a bag or two of frozen pizza dough on hand, so I took one out of the freezer to defrost, and in about 2 hours I was ready to get creative with my pizza.  First I cooked the bacon till crisp, drained it and broke it into pieces.  Then in the drippings remaining in the pan I briefly cooked the tomatoes with a little salt and the red pepper.

I always use a pizza stone to bake pizza,  so I sprinkled a little cornmeal on that and patted and stretched the dough into a 12 inch circle to cover it.  Cornmeal helps to get a crispy crust and keeps the dough from sticking.  Next I spread a little pizza sauce on the dough, topped that with the tomatoes, then the bacon pieces and of course lots of cheese.   Once baked and out of the oven I scattered a layer of arugula over the top.   The smell of this pie baking brought Mr. D. to the kitchen without being called, so I knew I was on to something good.  Mouthwateringly delicious is what it was.   I know I’ll be making this one again–and again!

BACON TOMATO AND ARUGULA PIZZA 

Makes one 12 inch round pizza

Ingredients

  • 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough, preferably whole wheat
  • 4-5 slices smoked bacon
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup jarred marinara or pizza sauce
  • 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup baby arugula

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Sprinkle a baking sheet or pizza stone with cornmeal;  roll or stretch dough into a 12-inch circle, and place on prepared pan.

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove to paper towel.  Break into pieces or crumble.  Add tomatoes, red pepper and a little salt to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spread sauce evenly over dough, leaving a small border.  Top with the tomatoes and bacon.

Sprinkle cheese over top.  Bake at 450 degrees for 17 minutes or until crust is golden.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle arugula over the top.  Cut into 8 wedges and serve immediately.

Source:  a Carolyn Original

Poached Eggs on Polenta with Vegetable Sauce

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

This is a neat little recipe to have handy for when any of these situations might occur:  a)  You forgot to take something out of the freezer for supper, b) You thought you were having dinner alone so you were going to just make a salad, but suddenly everyone’s plans changed and they will all be home for dinner, or c) Its the end of the week and the cupboard is bare, except for a few bits of leftovers.  Fear not!  This recipe will come to your rescue as long as you have a few basics in your pantry.

Poached Eggs on Polenta with Vegetable Sauce

Serves 4

  • 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal or instant polenta
  • 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, plus extra for greasing dishes
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • salt
  • 4-5 slices bacon cut into 1 inch pieces (can be omitted for a vegetarian entree)
  • 2/3 cup grape tomatoes (about 16) halved lengthwise
  • 1 cup chopped zucchini
  • 1/3 cup green onions, chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • freshly ground pepper
  • chopped chives, optional
  1. Generously butter 4 gratin dishes or creme brûlée  dishes, about 4-5 inches in diameter.  Any similar dish will do.
  2. For polenta, place chicken broth in a  medium size, heavy saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, and gradually in a thin stream whisk in the cornmeal.  Stir constantly, until mixture starts to thicken, 3-4 minutes.  Add 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and butter, and stir until melted.  Stir in milk.  Taste and add salt if needed.
  3. Divide polenta evenly among the dishes and smooth the top.  Cover each dish with foil to keep warm and set aside.  I place in a 200 degree oven to achieve this.
  4. For vegetable sauce, heat a skillet on high heat and cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Drain excess bacon fat and discard, leaving a small amount in the pan. (substitute vegetable oil as needed)  Add the tomatoes, zucchini and green onions to the bacon drippings and sauté just until crisp tender. Add the bacon to the vegetable mixture.
  5. For the eggs,  use an egg poacher if you have one, otherwise prepare poached eggs as you normally would.
  6. To serve,  Place a poached egg on top of each dish of polenta. Salt and pepper eggs, then divide the vegetable and bacon mixture evenly among the 4 dishes.  Garnish with more grated Parmesan cheese and chives.

Additional notes:  I have prepared the sauce for this dish with whatever vegetables I have on hand.  Some others that are good are:  mixed red and green peppers, asparagus, spinach and fennel.

SOURCE:  A Carolyn Original

Mounds Brownie Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Carolyn's Originals and tagged with , , , , , ,

The recipe for these rich and chewy bar cookies came about as a result of a challenge given to me by a dear friend whose  favorite candy bar is a Mounds bar.  If I remember correctly it went like this:  “I wonder if you can make a bar cookie that tastes like a Mounds bar! ” Always up for a challenge,  I replied ” Oh, of course I can!”

The first thing I did was treat myself to a Mounds candy bar in order to examine how it is made, and savor the flavors that go into the total experience of eating one.  I must say this was really hard work, but I had to do it.  What I discovered was that it had a chocolate, chewy base, a coconut layer, chocolate covering and an almond underneath the chocolate.   This will be a piece of cake, I told myself.

And so I began the process of development, which included several attempts at getting the base just right.  Mr. D. was so good about eating my experiments;  he never complained about taste testing several kinds of brownies.  Finally I was satisfied that I had the right texture for the base.  The rest was the easy part:  the coconut layer with a hint of almond flavoring, and a chocolate frosting to cover.   I decided to top each bar with an almond, instead of placing them under the frosting, so each bar would have one,  and for folks allergic to nuts, it could be easily removed.

Here then, is my interpretation of  Mounds candy in cookie bar form.

Ingredients List

Brownie Layer:

  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Coconut Layer:

  • 2 cups flaked coconut
  • 14 0z. can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon almond flavoring

Frosting:

  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk
  • 20-24 whole almonds
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.  In a saucepan, over low heat, melt butter and chocolate; cool slightly.  Add sugar.  Stir in eggs, flour and vanilla.
  2. Pour into a greased  pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Center will not be firm.  Remove from the oven.
  3. Meanwhile, combine coconut with condensed milk and almond flavoring.  Gently spoon and spread over partially baked base.  Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Cool slightly.
  4. Blend frosting ingredients; beating 2 minutes until fluffy.  Spread over warm bars.  Top each bar with a whole almond.
  5. Taste tested and approved!  Oh, and by the way—-I successfully met the challenge.  My friend was duly impressed.   
SOURCE:  A Carolyn Original

Asparagus Popover

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Breakfast, Brunch, Carolyn's Originals and tagged with , , , , , , ,

One of the things I love about living where I do, is the abundance of farm stands selling freshly grown native fruits and vegetables.  Most of them open around the beginning of May, taking advantage of the earliest vegetables like asparagus, lettuces, radishes, and rhubarb.  Once the markets open, I’m there weekly -often more so- and I plan my meals around what’s available and fresh.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved the combination of asparagus and eggs.  My mother frequently served crisp-tender asparagus with scrambled or poached eggs, and home fries along side as a quick supper. SWOON! I still love it today, but I also like to mix things up a little bit and try new combinations.

My thought process in creating this dish went something like this:  Asparagus is very good in quiche, yes? and quiche is basically an egg and milk batter very much like popovers,right?   So how would it be to make a giant popover with asparagus in it?  I didn’t have to twist my own arm to give it a try—-and here is the result.  My husband and I enjoyed it with crisp smoked bacon along side, and toasted English muffins with orange marmalade.

P.S.  My husband says I spoil him.  He’s  right, I do!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound asparagus, washed, and tough ends removed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup  flour
  • salt and pepper
  • pinch sugar
  • 1 cup grated cheese (your choice)
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a saucepan heat enough salted water to reach a depth of 1 inch.  Bring to a boil.  Add the asparagus and cook until crisp tender, about 3 minutes..  Drain, rinse with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.  Cut the spears into thirds.
  2. In a medium cast-iron skillet, (or other dish that can withstand hot oven temperature)  add the butter, and place in the oven to melt the butter.
  3. In a medium bowl, microwave the milk on high for 30 seconds.  Whisk in the eggs, then the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, pinch of sugar.
  4. Position the asparagus pieces in the hot skillet, and gently pour the batter on top.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese and bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18-20 minutes.  Top with remaining cheese and return to oven to melt the cheese. 
  5. Remove from oven and serve immediately, since popovers tend to deflate quickly, and this one is so pretty.
Serves 4
Source:  a Carolyn Original

Cauliflower au Gratin

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Dressings, Sauces, Side Dish, Vegetables and tagged with , ,

When I first tasted this dish I was struck by the combination of flavors and textures that work so well together.  Since cauliflower,  as a vegetable on its own can be rather bland, in my opinion, it needs to be enhanced by other flavors or seasonings to give it some punch.  By preparing it as an au gratin,  cheese in the sauce provides the contrasting flavor, and the smooth creaminess of the sauce adds a strong contrast in texture.  So too does the crunchy breadcrumb topping.

Preparing this dish is not difficult, but does require several steps.  Plan on about an hour to make it.

To begin wash a head of cauliflower  removing the leaves and tough inner core.  Leave the head whole, and place in a sauce pan large enough to hold it.  Add about an inch of water to the pan, season with a little salt, and bring to a boil.  Cook until just barely tender, so cauliflower will hold its shape.  Drain water and place cauliflower in a baking casserole;  one which has room for the added sauce.

While cauliflower is cooking, begin to make your sauce.  This is a béchamel sauce, or in Italian called balsamella. This is basically a white sauce to which I’ve added cheese.   Mine is a simplified version which is easy to prepare, and if you wish you can make a double recipe and have some left for another use, such as Eggs Benedict,  or asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, or use in a pasta casserole.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

  • 2 2/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups warm milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pinch white pepper
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  1. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  2. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.  Continue to cook over low-medium heat, whisking constantly, until sauce is thick, smooth, and creamy, about 10 minutes.  Do not allow sauce to boil.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg.   Add additional salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
  4. Gradually stir in grated cheese,  allowing each addition to melt in the sauce before adding more.  (Note:  This sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.  Cool, then cover and refrigerate.)
  5. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower in the baking dish.
CRUMB TOPPING
  • 1/2 cup seasoned fine bread crumbs or Panko crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
  1. Combine crumbs with melted butter.  Sprinkle evenly over cauliflower.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until cauliflower is tender and crumbs are nicely browned.

Cauliflower, The Royal Vegetable

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Side Dish, Vegetables and tagged with , ,

How many of you grew up eating ( or not eating) that white vegetable that looked so bland and had a cabbagey taste?  Me, too!  Definitely, not one of my favorites.  Until one day in the cafeteria at work I met Cauliflower au Gratin bathed in a cheesy sauce, with a crunchy crumb topping. AHHH!  That’s more like it.  I fell in love, and became determined to learn how to make it.

Did you know that cauliflower actually has aristocratic roots?  It was first popularized in the Royal Court of France, when Countess Jeanne du Barry, mistress of King Louis, XV, became enamored with it.  On restaurant menus any dish which features cauliflower may be called “du Barry” in her honor.

Like many nobles, cauliflower can be rather fussy.  It gets easily “sunburned” while still growing in the garden, unless the farmer ties the leaves of each individual crown to cover and shield it from the sun, lest it become yellowed.  Once harvested, however, it is less fussy. Easily prepared in a variety of ways, cauliflower can be dressed plain, or fancy to bring out its sophisticated flavor.

Not to be overlooked, is the nutrient value of cauliflower.  It is loaded with a cancer-fighting chemical which can help destroy cancer cells.  Add to that it is low in calories, high in fiber, and contains healthy amounts of vitamins C and K.  All excellent reasons to learn to love cauliflower if you don’t already.  Perhaps I can entice you with my recipe for Cauliflower Au Gratin, which follows in the next post.

Roast Beets with Goat Cheese Salad

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers, Carolyn's Originals, Salads, Side Dish, Vegetables and tagged with , , ,

Beets are one of those vegetables that I never used to cook because I didn’t know how to prepare them to make them tasty and interesting.  Then one evening while having dinner out in celebration of my husband’s birthday, our waiter described the chef’s special salad of the day.  It consisted of  roasted beets on baby greens with goat cheese.  It sounded interesting, but neither one of us was willing to venture out and order a whole one, so we compromised and ordered one, which we shared.  BIG MISTAKE!  We were racing each other in our efforts to have the largest portion.  Right then and there I knew I had to find a way to replicate that salad. 

I experimented with several ways to roast the beets, one being to wrap an unpeeled beet ( or beets) in foil, drizzled  with a little olive oil, and bake for about an hour.  Then cool slightly, peel, and proceed with your recipe.  I am not fond of this method, because it adds to the time spent preparing the dish.  I prefer the following method of preparation instead.

  1. Peel about 4 medium beets and cut each in half.  Then cut into 1/2 inch wedges.
  2. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  I like to use a seasoned/flavored olive oil, like one used for dipping bread.
  3. Season with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder.
  4. Toss all together so beets are lightly coated. then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet or shallow baking dish, coated with no-stick cooking spray.
  5. Roast at 450 degrees, stirring once or twice, until crisp tender,  about 35 minutes.

At this point you could serve these beets hot as a side dish, and they are delicious as is:  lightly browned on the edges, and already seasoned; or use them in the salad.

Once cooled, transfer to a bowl; toss with 4 chopped scallions and 2 teaspoons lemon juice.

To assemble the salad,  place a serving of mixed baby greens on each of 4 – 6 serving plates. 

Drizzle with a little of the seasoned olive oil used to season the beets, then top with the beets, and lastly top with crumbled goat cheese.  Feta cheese is also a good substitute for the goat cheese.

Making Homemade Pizza

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish, Quick Meals, Snacks and tagged with , , , , ,

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like pizza.  Do you?  But it’s hard to please everyone as they all have their favorites.   Well, with my family I have pretty much solved this problem.  I make pizza at home, and everyone can choose their own topping.  Depending on what I have on hand, I present them with 3-4 choices, and we go from there.

Today, I am going to share with you the three most commonly chosen pizzas at my house.  They all start the same way with the basic crust. Depending on how much time I have to prepare, I use one of the following types:

  1. Made from scratch pizza dough.( Please see separate post for my dough recipe)  Again, I rely on my bread machine to make a basic dough, which produces about  2 pounds.  I do this periodically, and freeze it in 1 pound balls.  Defrost at room temperature, stretch to fit your pan, and you’re ready to build your pizza.
  2. Frozen dough from the grocery store.  Defrost and use as described above.
  3. Preformed pizza shell like BOBOLI.  This gives you the option of making one 10″ pie, or choose a package with 4 smaller individual pies.

Always prepare your pan in advance.  This can be a pizza pan, a pizza stone, or large baking sheet.  Mist or brush with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. This is optional, but it gives the crust a nice crunch.  Roll or stretch the dough to fit the pan.  Note:  yeast doughs like to fight you; the more you stretch them the more they seem to shrink back. To  win this fight, take it slow.  Stretch a little, wait, let it rest.  Stretch some more,wait, let it rest.  Be patient, and you will win.   Try to have as uniform a thickness as possible.  There will be some air bubbles throughout. They are what give lightness to your crust.  Before layering on the toppings, mist or brush the crust with olive oil, especially the outer margin, so it will brown nicely.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pizza Deluxe

  • 2-3  links Italian Sausage, hot or sweet, casings removed
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into strips
  • 1 large onion, cut in half, then into wedges
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto
  • 1  cup marinara sauce
  • 1 cup shredded cheese ( pizza blend is good, or any combination you prefer)
  1. In a large skillet crumble the sausage and ground beef together, and cook until browned.  Remove meats to a bowl, and drain pan, leaving a small amount of drippings.
  2. Place peppers and onions in skillet over medium heat and saute until beginning to soften.  Add mushrooms. and cook 2-3 minutes more.  Remove from heat.

.

3.  Spred the basil pesto evenly over the dough. Top with the marinara sauce.

4.  Add the cooked meats over the sauce.

5.  Top evenly with the vegetables.

6.  Before topping with the cheese, I like to sprinkle a little dried oregano, and red pepper flakes over the vegetables.

      Top with cheese(s).

7.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Kickin Chicken Pizza

  • 5-6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and broken into small pieces
  • 1 tesp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup barbeque sauce–your choice
  • 4 oz. pepper-jack cheese
  •  1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded.  (Rotisserie chicken is good here)
  • 8 oz. Mexican cheese blend
  • 1/2 tesp. red pepper flakes, optional
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Follow directions given above for pan preparation.  Mist dough crust with olive oil.  Set aside.
  2. Heat a medium skillet on med-high, cook bacon, drain and crumble.  Reserve 1 teaspoon bacon drippings, add 1 teaspoon olive oil, swirl to coat pan.  Saute onions and peppers until tender crisp, add garlic and continue sauteing for 40-45 seconds or until garlic is aromatic.
  3. Remove from heat and set aside.  Spread BBQ sauce over crust, leaving a small margin at edges. Layer ingredients in the following order:  pepper-jack cheese, shredded chicken, onion-pepper mixture, Mexican cheese blend, top with crumbled bacon and red pepper flakes, if using.
  4. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

Hawaiian Pizza

  • 1 cup Alfredo Sauce with Cheese  (like Classico)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 cup cooked ham steak, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple, in chunks
  • 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp, and broken into small pieces

 Prepare pizza crust and pan as directed above, misting with olive oil, especially the edges.

1. In small sauce pan, heat Alfred0 Sauce, thinning with 1/4 cup milk.   Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and mix until smooth.

2. Spread Alfredo Sauce mixture on pizza crust, leaving a small margin at the edges.

3. Top with ham pieces, pineapple chunks and bacon pieces.

4. Sprinkle on remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until browned.

 

 

Molasses Wheat Bread With Raisins

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bread, Rolls, Carolyn's Originals and tagged with , ,

Most of us eat bread in some form every day.  Breakfast:  toast;   Lunch:  a sandwich;   Dinner:  rolls or bread of some kind.   If so much of your daily intake is devoted to one kind of food, then shouldn’t it be nutritiously good for you as well as tasty?  I believe that the answer to that question is definitely YES.  If you agree with me, then you might want to give this recipe for Molasses Wheat Bread with Raisins a try.

In developing this recipe, my goal was to incorporate as many high fiber ingredients as I could and add some  sweetness, without a lot of sugar. Using a bread machine makes it easy and quick.  While the machine is doing all the work for you, you can be doing other things…multi-tasking at its best.  Of course, you may also put the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, and make the bread in the traditional way. 

The children in my family are very fond of this bread.  They call it “Nan’s Lassis Bread”, and love it toasted with a spread of peanut butter.  Considering  the high quality carbohydrates, and protein in this duo, you only need to add a piece of fruit for a complete breakfast, or lunch.

 

Molasses Wheat Bread With Raisins

This recipe makes a 1 1/2 pound loaf.  Set your machine for ‘sweet” cycle.  Put the ingredients in the baking pan in the order recommended by your machine and press START.

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup dry milk powder
  • 1/4 cup whole bran cereal ( like All Bran or Bran Flakes)
  • 2 tablespoons vital gluten, optional. ( This helps the dough rise and strengthens the crumb because some of the ingredients are heavy.)
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 3/4 cups bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons yeast

1/2 cup raisins.  Add these slowly, about half way through the mixing cycle, allowing the machine to incorporate them into the dough.

Your house will smell wonderful while this is baking!  I find it hard to resist having the end piece spread with a little butter while it is still warm.  YUM!

Categories:  Bread, Rolls

Source:  Carolyn Original

 

How to Make the Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Pies, Pastry

I always associate lemon meringue pie with Easter, but in the past whenever I  made one, I was always dissatisfied for one reason or another.   Either the filling didn’t set up well, or the meringue was “weepy”, the  crust got soggy, and any leftover pie turned to liquid.  Alas, I gave up and turned to lemon squares instead.

This year was different!  I made a lemon meringue pie that was perfect in every way.  Everyone said so!  How, you ask?   In one of my many food related magazines, I read a tip about how to get a stable meringue that whips up really stiff and doesn’t deflate.   The secret is Marshmallow  Cream added to the egg whites.

Here is the recipe for my version of Lemon Pie with Mile-High Meringue

1  prebaked 9″pie shell,  or graham cracker crust.

Filling

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 egg yolks ( save whites for topping)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup boiling water

Topping

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 jar ( 7 oz) marshmallow cream

In a medium saucepan, slightly whisk the egg yolks.  Whisk in the sugar, cornstarch, salt, pineapple and lemon juices.  Combine thoroughly.  Place on medium heat, stirring gently, but constantly, until mixture comes to a simmer.  Add butter and boiling water;  continue heating, stirring, until thickened and bubbling.  Remove from heat and pour into prepared pie crust.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Whip egg whites in a large grease-free bowl with an electric mixer until white and foamy.  Add marshmallow cream; whip until very fluffy.  Spread onto pie, making sure to touch all edges of crust to seal.  Using a knife or spatula, create  swirls and peaks for a pretty texture.

Bake until lightly browned on top, about 5 minutes.  Allow to cool, then chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Categories: desserts, baked goods, pies and pastry, Carolyn’s Originals