Fourth of July means
Pie! Pie! Pie!
No Independence Day celebration is complete without Pie. From Apple to Apricot and Lemon to Pecan - here’s a list of delicious pie recipes that are sure to be party pleasers!

Apple-Pear Pie      Apple-Raisin Cream Pie       Blackberry Pie
Cherry Pie       Fresh Apricot Pie      Lemon Pie      Texas Pecan Pie

Apple-Pear Pie
By Teresa Johnson

1 recipe Double-Crust Pastry
2 baking apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar (or part white and part brown sugar)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 medium pears (red or green), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Roll half of the pastry onto a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness; fit into a 9-inch pie plate.  Brush edges of crust with egg wash or melted butter to get a better seal when you put the top crust on.  Chill remaining pastry.  Arrange apple slices in pastry shell.
Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon; sprinkle half of mixture over apples.  Top with pears, arranging evenly so top crust will lay flat.  Sprinkle pears with remaining flour mixture.  Pour lemon juice and melted butter over pie.
Roll out remaining pastry to ¼ inch thickness, and place over filling. Trim edges, then seal and flute. Cut several slits in top crust.  Bake pie at 375% or less depending on the type of pan you are using for 45-50 minutes.  I top my crust with melted butter, except the edges, and some extra granulated sugar.  The pie is done when the top crust is golden brown and the pie filling bubbling. 

Buttered Rum Sauce:
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup water
½ teaspoon rum flavoring
2 tablespoons butter

Combine first 2 ingredients in a small saucepan; gradually stir in water.  Cook over medium heat until mixture is thickened and clear, stirring occasionally.  Stir in flavoring and butter.  Serve warm. Yield - 1 ¼ cups.

Apple-Raisin Cream Pie
From the ‘Homemade Cooking – Good ‘nuff for Sharing’ Cookbook published by the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista, CA.

Pastry for 2-crust 10-inch pie

Filling:

7 to 8 Cups tart apple slices, 1 inch thick
1 Cup sugar
½ Cup flour
¾ Cup raisins
¾ Cup heavy cream
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbs. (rounded) butter
1 to 2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash salt, if desired

Make favorite pie pastry; line bottom of pie tin with 1 crust and set aside. Combine apple slices, sugar, flour, spices, raisins, salt and lemon peel – mix together well. Spoon filling into pastry lined pan; dot with butter.
Cover with top crust decorated with steam vents; and seal edges. Cut a 1 inch circle from dough in center of top crust.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove pie from oven; slowly pour cream into center hole of top crust. Return to oven; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Refrigerate leftovers.

Blackberry Pie
By Andrea Peterson, Innkeeper of Blue Heron Farm Bed & Breakfast in Fallbrook, CA.
You can use whatever berries you have.  Ours here are a type of loganberry.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare your favorite pie crust for a top and bottom of pie.
Combine:
1-1/4 sugar
2 t. corn starch or I use tapioca flour

Mix in and mash slightly:
About 3 C. berries.

Fill the bottom crust with berries, cover with top crust.  Prick and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake until slightly brown

Cherry Pie
By Teresa Johnson

Pie Filling:
2 cans (16 oz. each) cherries packed in water
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
Red food coloring (optional)

Prepare a 9-inch piecrust for a double crust pie or make the top crust a lattice top.  Make this yourself or purchase ready made. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drain 1 cup of liquid from the cherries and pour into a saucepan.  In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together, then stir into the liquid. Add the butter.  Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Then, cook stirring until thickened, for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries and enough food coloring for desired color (optional).  Baste the inside top edges of the piecrust with butter or egg wash and your top crust will crimp together and hold better.  Pour the cooled pie filling into the crust. If the pie filling is hot the pie will not cook properly. Prepare the top crust, if using a lattice top, baste it with butter before putting on top of the pie filling.  After placing top crust on pie filling, crimp edges.  If using a double crust, make five slits in the crust to allow the steam to escape. 

Bake in the 350 degree oven until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 60 minutes.  If the crust begins to brown too quickly around the edges, cover loosely with aluminum foil.  Remove to a wire rack.  Serve warm or chilled.  Ice cream or freshly whipped whipping cream is delicious on warm cherry pie!

Fresh Apricot Pie
By Teresa Johnson

Here is a delicious recipe for using fresh apricots.  Fresh peaches or nectarines would also combine well with the apricots as part of the amount of fruit the recipe calls for, as an added treat.  Adjust the sugar according to the sweetness of the fruit. Egg-wash the top of your pie crust, then sprinkle coarse sugar on top for a crispy top crust.

1 cup sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Dash ground nutmeg
2 pounds fresh apricots, pitted and sliced (4 cups)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter

Line a 9 inch pie plate with half the pastry.  Combine sugar, all-purpose flour, and ground nutmeg; stir into sliced apricots.  Stir in lemon juice.  Turn fruit mixture into prepared pastry shell. Dot the top of the filling with butter. Adjust top crust.  Seal and flute edges; cut slits in top crust for escape of steam.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until golden brown and the filling is bubbling.  Adjust the temperature down 25 degrees if using a glass pan.  Enjoy!

Lemon Pie
From the Arizona Grown Cookbook – compiled by Yuma Heritage Festivals.

1 (6 oz.) tub Cool Whip
2/3 Cup Lemon Juice
2 Graham Cracker Pie Crusts
1 can Eagle Brand Milk

Mix all together. Pour into pie crusts.
Put in refrigerator until chilled.
Makes 2 pies.

Texas Pecan Pie
By Mary Lou War, published in the Amado Territory Ranch Cookbook.

Mix ¾ cups sugar, 2 Tbsp. flour; 1 tsp. salt.
Stir in 1 cup dark corn syrup.
Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time.
Mix in ½ cup evaporated milk, 1 cup pecans, and 1 tsp. vanilla.
Pour into 9-inch unbaked pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until firm.