Cheap Eats: My Favorite Cream Pies

Cream Pies are easy, though time consuming, to make. Basically, all cream pies are cooked pudding, poured into a crust and topped with whipped cream.

Cooked pudding:
3 cups of milk or other liquid(more about that later)
2 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1/3 cup corn starch or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine milk, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Heat in microwave on high, 2 minutes at a time until mixture is thick and bubbly. Stir in the vanilla extract and pour into individual sized cups or bowls & refrigerate until firm. This beats Jello Instant Pudding by a MILE and 6 servings cost about $1.50 to make.

The transition from pudding to pie simply involves dumping the cooked pudding into a pie crust instead of serving cups and topping with whipped cream. Voila! Vanilla Cream Pie.

Once those steps are mastered, things can get interesting! Use a combo of Coconut Milk and Evaporated milk, add some flaked coconut and you have Coconut Cream Pie:

Coconut Cream Pie ala Vickie

1 13.5 ounce can Coconut Milk
1 12 ounce can Evaporated Milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup corn starch or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Combine coconut milk, condensed milk, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Heat in microwave on high, 2 minutes at a time until mixture is thick and bubbly. Stir in 1/4 cup of the coconut and the vanilla extract. Pour into pie shell and chill 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.
2. Top with whipped topping, and with remaining 1/4 cup of toasted coconut.
3. Note: To toast coconut, spread it in an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Banana Cream Pie

Peel and chop 3 ripe bananas. Saute the bananas on low heat in1 teaspoon of butter with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar for 3-5 minutes until sugar is completely melted. Pour half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pie crust.

Make the pudding recipe:
1 1/2 cup milk
1 12 ounce can Evaporated Milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup corn starch or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Reserved cooked bananas
1/2 Teaspoon banana flavoring(if desired)
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Combine the milk, condensed milk, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Heat in microwave on high, 2 minutes at a time until mixture is thick and bubbly. Stir in the reserved cooked bananas and the banana & vanilla extracts. Pour into pie shell and chill 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.
2. Top with whipped topping.

Ocean Shores Pie
AKA The Original Sex on the Beach

Chocolate Pudding

3 cups of milk
2 eggs
1 cup Instant Chocolate Milk Mix
1/3 cup corn starch or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine milk, eggs, chocolate milk mix, flour and salt. Heat in microwave on high, 2 minutes at a time until mixture is thick and bubbly. Stir in the vanilla extract and set aside.

2 Cups Whole Small Ripe Strawberries
1/4 cup Caramels, melted
1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, melted
1 tablespoon butter
Graham Cracker Crust
1/4 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Directions:

1. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir in the butter. Dump into graham cracker crust and spread evenly.
2. Melt caramels, dump on top of chocolate and spread evenly.
3. Remove the stems from the strawberries and stand them in the caramel upside down until the floor of the pie is filled.
4. Carefully fill up the pie with chocolate pudding. (There will be some left over...eat that while waiting for the pie to chill.)
5. Chill the pie at least 3 hours. Then top with whipped topping and drizzle Hershey's Chocolate Syrup over the top.


Whipped Cream Topping
Use this simple sweetened whipped cream topping on cream pies, gingerbread, cobbler, and other desserts.

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip cream until almost stiff. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until cream holds peaks. Spread over top of cooled pie or use as a dessert or shortcake topping.


Cooler Whip Recipe

1 c instant nonfat dry milk
1 c ice water
1/4 c lemon juice
1/2 c sugar

Directions

1. Chill bowl and beaters.
2. Whip dry milk with water until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
3. Add lemon juice and beat until stiff, about 4 minutes.
4. Fold in sugar.

Tofu Whipped Topping

10 1/2 ounces package extra-firm or Firm tofu, reg. or low fat
4 tablespoons sweetener of your choice
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Almond extract
Soymilk as needed

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until very smooth. Add more soymilk a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too thick; blend well. Place in a covered container; refrigerate until chilled.