Pineapple Pie

FOR THE PIE:
* ¾ cups Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 2 whole Eggs (separated)
* ⅓ cup Cornstarch
* ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
* ½ cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Of Water
* 8 ounces, Canned Crushed Pineapple
* 1 whole 9-inch Pre-baked Pie Crust

FOR THE MERINGUE:
* 2 whole Egg Whites (from Separated Eggs Above)
* ⅛ teaspoons Salt
* ¼ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
* 6 Tablespoons Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the pie, cream sugar, butter, and egg yolks in a saucepan. Add cornstarch and vanilla. Add water and crushed pineapple. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Pour into a 9″ baked pastry.

For the meringue, whip egg whites until they begin to get foamy. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to whip until the meringue has reached soft peak stage and is smooth and glossy. Place the meringue over the (somewhat) cooled pie. Brown at 400ºF for just a few minutes. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

NOTE: Instead of making a 9" pie, I used a greased muffin tin to make 12 "mini" pies. Worked great, they slid right out...

Strawberry Pie

A good strawberry pie is hard to beat. This pie does not last long whenever it is made! Served with cool whip, it's amazing! Depending on how sweet your strawberries are, adjust the sugar accordingly. The measurements below seem to be a good rule of thumb.

pastry for 1 - 9in. pie.

4c. strawberries, tops cut off and halved (I do heaping cups)
2/3c. water
2/3c. sugar
3Tbsp. corn starch (I do a *heavy* 3 Tbsps.)
1 egg white, slightly beaten
(optional: a few drops of red food coloring)

Make your crust for the pie, but before you bake it, brush the inside with the egg white. This keeps the strawberries from soaking the crust and turning it to mush. Works like a charm. Bake the crust and let it cool. In a bowl, measure out a heaping cup of the strawberries and mash them (I use the food processor), add the sugar to the mashed strawberries. Place this mixture in a small sauce pan. Next, whisk together the water and corn starch. Set aside. Bring the strawberries in the sauce pan to a boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Pour in the corn starch, continue to stir until thick (normally takes about 3-4 minutes), at this point,you could add a few drops of red food coloring if your sauce isn't as red as you want it. Pour your strawberry sauce over the remaining 3 cups of halved strawberries, let cool for a bit (so the hot mixture doesn't steam your crust). When cooled a bit, pour into crust and refrigerate - it's best to wait for about an hour to give it a chance to cool... BUT, we've eaten it right away, too! Serve with cool whip.