Flat Bottom Fruit Pie

Makes 12 servings

• 1 refrigerated ready-to-use pie crust (1/2 of 15 oz pkg)
• 1 tsp cinnamon sugar (3/4 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon)
• 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
• 1 pkg (4 serving size) Jell-O Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
• 1 cup thawed whipped topping
• 1 1/2 cups fresh peach slices (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.  Unroll pie crust onto baking sheet; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned; cool completely. 
2. Meanwhile, pour half-and-half into medium bowl.  Add dry pudding mix.  Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended.  Gently stir in whipped topping; cover.   Refrigerate until ready to use. 
3. Spread pudding mixture over crust just before serving; top with fruit.  Cut into slices.  Store leftover dessert in refrigerator. 

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Apple Crumb Pie

Serves 12

• 1 prepared refrigerated pie-crust (from a 15 oz package)

Crumb

• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch ground cloves
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

Pie Filling

• 6 Golden Delicious apples (about 2 3/4 lb), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 3/4 cup packaged light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch ground cloves
• 1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar

1. Arrange a rack in the lowest slot of your oven.  Heat oven to 375°F.  Fit pie-crust into a 9″ pie-plate and decoratively crimp edge.  Refrigerate until you are ready to add filling. 
2. Crumb: Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and cloves in bowl.  Rub in butter with fingertips until crumbly. 
3. Filling: In a large bowl, toss together apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and cloves. 
4. Spoon filling into pie shell, mounding slightly in the center.  Top filling with crumb topping.  Place on small foil-lined baking sheet. 
5. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.  reduce temperature to 350°F; bake 30 minutes more,  until fruit is tender.  Loosely tent pie with aluminum foil during last 20 minutes.  Let cool for at least  1 1/2 hours.  (Can be made a day ahead.  Cover pie and store at room temperature.)  Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving. 

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Strawberry Salad in Puff Pastry Shells

Makes 6 servings

• 1 qt strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp finely minced fresh tarragon or mint, plus more for garnish
• 1 pkg frozen puff pastry shells
• 1 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp strawberry jam

1. In a bowl, stir strawberries, 2 tbsp of the sugar, the vinegar and minced tarragon; refrigerate 1 hour. 
2. Heat oven to 400°F.  Brush tops of pastry shells with milk; sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp sugar.  Bake at 400°F for 22 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Carefully remove tops with a fork; set aside. 
3. Return shells to oven for an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush insides of shells with strawberry jam. 
4. Spoon 1/2 cup strawberry salad into each shell.  Rest top on the side, garnish with fresh tarragon sprigs and serve. 

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Luscious Cream Puffs

Serves 9

• 1/2 pkg (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pkg (4 serving size) Jell-O Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
• 1/2 cup thawed whipped topping
• 1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface; roll pastry out to 10″ square.  Cut into 9 (3 inch) rounds using cookie cutter or rim of a glass.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes; cool completely. 
2. Meanwhile, pour milk into large bowl.  Add dry pudding mix.  Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended.  Gently stir in whipped topping.  Cover.  Refrigerate 15 minutes. 
3. Cut cream puffs horizontally in half.  Spoon pudding mixture evenly into bottom halves of cream puffs; cover with tops.  Drizzle with melted chocolate.  Serve immediately.  Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

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Sweet Cherry Strudel

Makes 6 servings

• 3 cups pitted sour cherries, drained if canned
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 2 tbsp dark rum or strong brewed tea
• 1 tsp grated orange peel
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 5 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
• 5 tbsp butter or margarine, melted and divided

1. In a large bowl, combine cherries, granulated sugar, apricots, rum, and orange peel.  Let steep until softened, covered and refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. 
2. Preheat oven 375°F.  Grease a baking sheet.  In a small bowl, combine almonds and brown sugar.  Add 3 tbsp of almond mixture to cherry mixture; mix well. 
3. On a clean, flat work surface, unfold phyllo sheets.  Place 1 sheet on a pieces of plastic wrap; brush with butter and sprinkle with almond mixture. 
4. Place a second sheet of phyllo on top of the first sheet; brush with butter and sprinkle with almond mixture.  Continue layering pastry until all phyllo sheets and almond mixture have been used. 
5. Mound cherry fillings along a short side of pastry.  Using plastic wrap as an aid, roll pastry up over cherry filling to form a log.  Carefully transfer strudel to prepared baking sheet. 
6. Brush strudel with remaining butter.  Bake until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. 

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Meatball Calzones

Serves 4

• 1 can (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
• 1 jar (24 to 26 oz) mini-meatball pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

1. Heat oven to 425°F.  Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil. 
2. Unroll crust on a cutting board and stretch dough to a 12 inch square.  Cut into quarters (you’ll have 4 squares).  Transfer to lined baking sheet.
3. Pour sauce into a bowl.  Using a slotted spoon, equally distribute meatballs to centers of squares.  Top each with 1/4 cup cheese.  Fold corner to corner to form triangles.  Press edges with tines of a fork to seal; poke holes in top with fork. 
4. Bake 10-13 minutes until golden.  Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce to serve on side.

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Apple Turnovers

Makes 6 servings

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 sheets (17×12 inches each) frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Spray a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add apples; toss to coat.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.
3. Unfold phyllo pastry sheets and lay flat.  Layer sheets, one on top of the other, spraying each remaining sheet with vegetable cooking spray.  Using kitchen scissors, cut pastry into six 6 inch squares.
4. Place 1/4 cup apple mixture in center of each square.  Brush edges of squares with water.  Fold each square diagonally in half to form a triangle.  Pinch edges to seal. 
5. Place turnover on prepared baking sheet.  Press edges firmly to seal.  Brush turnovers with melted butter.
6. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.  Place baking sheet on wire rack and cool slightly.  Transfer turnovers to rack and cool completely.

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Bite-size Fruit Pies and Berry Shooters

Makes 24 pies (12 servings)

Fruit Pies:

• cooking spray
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 (11 oz) box pie crust mix
• 1 lb container strawberries, hulled
• 3/4 cups water
• 10 drops liquid red food coloring
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 pint raspberries

Berry Shooters

• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1 cup raspberry sorbet
• reserved 1/3 cup strawberry glaze from fruit pies
• 1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Fruit Pies:

1. Coat 24 mini-muffin-pan cups with cooking spray.  Stir zest into entire package of pie crust mix and prepare according to package directions.  Divide dough into 24 balls.  With floured fingers, press dough into prepared pans, evenly lining cups with crust edges slightly higher than top of pan.  Prick bottoms and sides of dough all over with a fork.  Freeze pans 15 minutes.  Heat oven to 450°F.
2. Remove pans from freezer.  Bake 15 minutes, or until crusts are golden.  Cool completely in pans on rack.  Remove crusts from pans.
3. Reserve 12 of the smallest strawberries for garnish.  Cut some of the remaining strawberries into tiny dice to measure 1 cup; reserve.  Mash remaining strawberries in a small saucepan with a potato masher; add water and food coloring.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Simmer 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Scrape strawberry mixture though a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (you’ll have 1 cup strawberry liquid; if not add more water); discard strawberry pulp and seeds.  Wash saucepan and dry.
4. Whisk sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan until blended; stir in strawberry liquid.  Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes longer.  Glaze will be thick.  Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.  Reserve 1/3 cup of the glaze for making Berry Shooters.
5. To finish pies, fill crusts with reserve diced strawberries (a scant 1/2 tsp each).  Spoon some strawberry glaze over diced berries just to cover (about 1 tsp each).  Top 12 crusts with reserved whole strawberries, hulled sides down; top remaining 12 crusts with raspberries, about 3 per crust.  Gently brush berries with glaze.  Refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving. 

Berry Shooters:

1. Combine in a blender chopped strawberries, raspberry sorbet, strawberry glaze, yogurt and fresh lemon juice.
2. Blend until smooth.  Pour into shot glasses.  Serve with pies.

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