Raspberry Rhubarb Pie

Refrigerated pie dough makes preparing this tasty dessert a snap. Cornstarch and tapioca ensure a velvety filling by thickening the fruit juices.

Yield 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Nutritional Information

• 2 tablespoons uncooked quick-cooking tapioca
• 4 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (about 24 ounces)
• 3 1/2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb (about 6 stalks)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons crème de cassis (black currant–flavored liqueur)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place tapioca in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Combine tapioca, raspberries, and next 5 ingredients (through 1/8 teaspoon salt) in a bowl; toss well. Let raspberry mixture stand 10 minutes; stir to combine.

3. Roll 1 (9-inch) dough portion into an 11-inch circle. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, draping excess dough over edges. Spoon raspberry mixture and any remaining liquid into dough. Fold edges under; flute. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

4. While pie bakes, place flour and remaining ingredients in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

5. Increase the oven temperature to 375°.

6. Sprinkle topping evenly over pie. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is thick and bubbly. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 248

Fat: 7.9g (sat 3g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.5g)

Protein: 2g

Carbohydrate: 43.3g

Fiber: 4g

Cholesterol: 7mg

Iron: 1.1mg

Sodium: 146mg

Calcium: 65mg

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

Pumpkin Pie Cake

If you like pumpkin pie, you'll love this cake's subtle spice flavors and velvety cream cheese frosting. The slightly sweet and mild pecans add a pleasant crunch to the smooth frosting. Pumpkin-pie spice is a combination of warm spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and mace. Use it to enliven applesauce, vanilla ice cream, or tea.

Cake:
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Orange slices (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Dust pans evenly with 2 tablespoons flour.

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute and eggs; beat until well blended. Add pumpkin, beating until blended.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until blended (do not overbeat). Add juice, stirring until blended.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over layer, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with pecans, and garnish with orange slices, if desired.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 318 (30% from fat); FAT 10.6g (sat 3.5g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.8g); IRON 1.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 40mg; CALCIUM 42mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.8g; SODIUM 284mg; PROTEIN 5.2g; FIBER 1.4g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue

Crust:

* 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (made from about 7 1/2 ounces graham crackers, finely ground in processor)
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 6 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


Filling:

* 3 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
* 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon salt


Marshmallow Meringue:

* 1 7-ounce jar Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
* 3 large egg whites
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup sugar

Preparation

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add 6 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding 1 tablespoon melted butter if crumb mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish, building up sides 1/4 inch above rim of dish. Bake crust until set and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack. DO AHEAD: Pie crust can be made 2 days ahead. Cover pie crust and let stand at room temperature.

For filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potatoes all over with fork; place potatoes on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are very tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes open and scoop out pulp. Transfer pulp to processor and puree until smooth. Set aside 2 cups sweet potato puree for filling; cool completely (reserve any remaining puree for another use). DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine 2 cups sweet potato puree, sweetened condensed milk, and all remaining ingredients in large bowl; whisk until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into crust. Bake pie until puffed around edges and set in center, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Refrigerate pie at least 4 hours or overnight.

For marshmallow meringue:
Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Using rubber spatula, scrape marshmallow creme into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form. Add 1/2 cup beaten egg whites to marshmallow creme and stir with rubber spatula or spoon just until incorporated to lighten (marshmallow creme is very sticky and will be difficult to blend at first, but blending will become easier as remaining whites are folded in). Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions just until incorporated. Spread meringue over top of cold pie, mounding slightly in center and swirling with knife to create peaks.

Bake pie just until peaks and ridges of marshmallow meringue are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until meringue is cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let pie stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

From Epicurious.com

Pumpkin Pie Cake

If you like pumpkin pie, you'll love this cake's subtle spice flavors and velvety cream cheese frosting. The slightly sweet and mild pecans add a pleasant crunch to the smooth frosting. Pumpkin-pie spice is a combination of warm spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and mace. Use it to enliven applesauce, vanilla ice cream, or tea.

Yield 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
Ingredients

* Cake:
* Cooking spray
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 1/2 cup egg substitute
* 2 large eggs
* 1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin
* 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
*

Frosting:
* 2 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
* 3 cups powdered sugar
* 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
* 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
* Orange slices (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Dust pans evenly with 2 tablespoons flour.

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute and eggs; beat until well blended. Add pumpkin, beating until blended.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until blended (do not overbeat). Add juice, stirring until blended.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over layer, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with pecans, and garnish with orange slices, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:318 (30% from fat)
Fat:10.6g (sat 3.5g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.8g)
Protein:5.2g
Carbohydrate:51.8g
Fiber:1.4g
Cholesterol:40mg
Iron:1.6mg
Sodium:284mg
Calcium:42mg

Liz Rhoades, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Harvest Pie

Butternut squash stands in for pumpkin in this pie, which received our Test Kitchens' highest rating. Prepare a day in advance, and store at room temperature.

Yield 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Ingredients

* 1 large butternut squash, halved and seeded (about 2 1/4 pounds)
* Cooking spray
* 1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup egg substitute
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
* 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
* 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
* 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
* 10 tablespoon fat-free whipped topping (optional)

Preparation

Position oven rack to lowest setting. Preheat oven to 400°.

Place squash, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Cool slightly, and peel. Mash pulp to measure 2 1/2 cups. Combine the pulp and milk in a food processor; process until smooth. Add granulated sugar and next 5 ingredients (through cloves); process until smooth.

Increase oven temperature to 425°

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl; cut in butter using two knives or a pastry blender. Add pecans; toss to combine.

Roll dough into a 13-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under; flute. Pour squash mixture into prepared crust. Place pie plate on bottom rack; bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Remove pie from oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over filling; shield edges of piecrust with foil. Return pie plate to bottom rack; bake an additional 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool on a wire rack. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon whipped topping, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 294 (34% from fat)
Fat: 11g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.9g,poly 1.5g)
Protein: 4.6g
Carbohydrate: 46.2g
Fiber: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 7mg
Iron: 1.7mg
Sodium: 200mg
Calcium: 97mg

Jackie Mills, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2006