Vintage Recipe--Old Fashioned Apple Pie

To make old-fashioned apple pie:

Enough pastry for two crusts

6 to 8 tart apples, peeled and sliced

1 cup sugar

2 tsp flour
Dash of nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out half the pastry to 1/8 inch thick. Line a 9-inch pie plate and trim 1/4 inch from the rim. Arrange the apples in the shell. Mix sugar, flour and spices; sprinkle over the apples. Dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry 1/8 inch thick. Cut slits for steam to escape. Adjust pastry over apples and trim 1/2 inch from the rim of the pan. Fold edge of top pastry under the edge of the lower pastry. Press edges together with the tines of a fork. Bake 45 minutes or until the apples are tender. Makes 1 pie.

Deep Dish Apple Pie: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and core 6 tart apples. Cut in eighths. Place in a 9 inch square greased baking dish. Combine 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed, a dash of nutmeg, dash of cloves, grated zest of 1 lemon and grated zest of 1 orange. Mix well and sprinkle over the apples. Dot with 3 tablespoons butter. roll out 1/2 recipe of pastry. Adjust over the apples. Prick with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes or until apples are tender.  Makes 6 servings.

Vintage Recipe--Butterscotch Banana Pie

To make butterscotch banana pie:

2 cups milk
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Baked 9-inch pie shell
3 ripe bananas
Sweetened whipped cream

Heat milk in the top of a double boiler. Combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir slowly into milk, mixing thoroughly. Cook over rapidly boiling water until thickened, stirring constantly. Cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks; then pour back into remaining hot mixture while beating vigorously. Cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Cool thoroughly. Cover bottom of pie shell with a small amount of filling. Peel the bananas. Arrange alternate layers of sliced banana and filling in the pie shell, using filling for the top layer. Top with sweetened whipped cream and additional banana slices, if desired.  Makes 1 pie.

Vintage Recipe--Strawberry Custard Pie

To make Strawberry Custard Pie:

3 eggs, slightly beaten
6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Unbaked 9 inch pie shell

1 quart strawberries

1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups water
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar and salt.  Slowly add the milk; stir in the vanilla. Pour into the pie shell. Bake for 40 minutes, or until knife inserted near rim comes out clean. Chill.  Wash strawberries and hull. Simmer 1 cup of the berries, sugar and 1 cup of the water for 15 minutes. Mix remaining water with cornstarch; add to cooked berries. Cook until thick, stirring constantly; cool. Add uncooked berries. Spoon over the pie. Chill. Makes 1 pie.

Holiday Recipe--Early American Pumpkin Pie

To make early American pumpkin pie:

1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin, canned or fresh

1 cup whole or 2% milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Fresh currants (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients except pie shell, cream and currants in large bowl; blend well. Pour into pie shell. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted into filling comes clean. Cool completely. Serve with whipped cream and garnish with currants, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 6 to 8 servings.