Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

From: Foodnetwork.com

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional

1 piece pre-made pie dough

Whipped cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Lemon Cream Meringue Pie

1 8-inch pie crust

Filling:

2 c. milk

2/3 c. sugar

4 medium lemons

1/4 c. cornstarch

4 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)

2 T. unsalted butter, softened

Meringue topping:

4 egg whites

2/3 c. sugar

pinch of salt

1. Combine milk and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan (i.e. enamel coated).
2. Zest lemons (scrape off only the yellow part of the peel using a grater, the white part of the lemon tastes very bitter). Add zest to the milk and bring to a simmer over low heat.
3. Remove from heat for 5 min and strain out the zest.
4. Squeeze 1/2 c. of juice from the lemons and combine it with cornstarch and egg yolks.
5. Reheat the milk to a simmer over low heat, and add about 1/3 of the lemon/egg mixture to the saucepan.
6. Add some milk mixture to a cool bowl and mix the rest of the lemon/egg mixture in with a whisk. Combine mix from the bowl with the mix in the saucepan and bring it to a boil for 30 seconds.
7. Remove from heat and mix in the butter.
8. Pour the filling into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the top of the filling until the filling reaches about room temperature.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
10. Poke holes in the crust with a fork at 1/2 inch intervals. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, until the crust is a light golden color. Cool crust on a rack.
11. Spread cooled filling on cooled crust.
12. Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
13. Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Lower heat so that water simmers.
14. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heat proof bowl.
15. Place bowl over pan with simmering water and whisk eggs until sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
16. Remove egg whites from heat and beat them at medium speed with an electric mixer until the meringue has cooled and can hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted from it.
17. Spread meringue over the cooled filling to cover the entire top surface of the pie and touches the edges of the crust.
18. Place pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 10 min until the meringue is evenly covered.