Just Desserts #Recipes

Fall is coming.

I hate saying good bye to summer. I love the sun, the warmth, and all of the fun that is summer. But as long as I live in West Virginia, a change of seasons is part of the landscape.

And you know what they say...if you can't beat it, find the good parts and enjoy them. 

For me, one of the benefits of cooler weather is that baking gives the furnace a helping hand. 

So, in honor of being able to bake without challenging the air conditioning, let's talk desserts.  

Here's a couple of tips and a recipe.

Tip #1

Put foil under the pie and wrap. Perfect crust, every time.

To keep crust from getting too dark while the rest of the crust cooks, place foil under the pie and wrap it up over the crust once it's browned. I've bought the foil rings that go around the pie and I hate them. They are never the perfect fit. Or if they come in pieces, it's like trying to put together a puzzle on a piping hot ring. With the foil, I simply bring it up over the crust and press it down with a hot mitt.

Tip #2 

Regular oatmeal in a blender.

Ready to use for cookies!

 Here's a great cookie baking tip. My Aunt Judy is a diabetic, but like many in my family, she has a sweet tooth. In order to bake and keep her carbs low, she told me she replaces white flour with ground oatmeal. I was eager to try it, so I threw a couple of cups of oatmeal in my blender and boom, I had oatmeal flour. I replaced it in a chocolate chip cookie recipe cup for cup with the flour and they were delicious. The cookies were a bit thinner and crispier than the flour variety, but for my family, that's a bonus!

Now, for a recipe. This is my mother-in-law's strawberry pie recipe. Hopefully she doesn't mind sharing. It's too easy to not to share and can be modified for whatever fruit is in season (or you have frozen). Just switch the gelatin flavor to compliment the fruit.

Strawberry Pie

1 1/2 C sugar
1/4 C starch
1 1/12 C water
small box of Jello
strawberries (I use a pound, cleaned and diced)

Mix the water, sugar, and corn starch, cook until clear. Add the Jello.

Pour the strawberries into a pre-baked or no-cooked crust, then pour the hot Jello mix over the strawberries and chill. 

Be sure to pre-cook the crust. Or use a ready-made graham cracker crust.