Pie for breakfast

Our grandson, Ethan, loves coming to the farm and hanging out with Grandpa, but spending the night hasn’t been on his priority list. Earlier last month, there was a week-long break in his action-filled summer schedule. The girls were heading to a camp with their other grandparents.

Would he like to spend some time by himself at the farm? He wasn’t quite sure, that is until his dad told him a grandma secret. She serves pie for breakfast. He was hooked. Ethan ended up spending three nights with us, and yes, we served pie for breakfast every morning. I think of it as glorified cereal (crust) with lots of fruit (filling).

Ethan helped me whip up strawberry pie, chocolate pie and his requested banana cream pie. He was thrilled to be old enough to slice bananas and dip them in lemon juice to prevent browning.

Ethan’s favorite breakfast pie was either chocolate or banana cream, but it was the graham cracker crust that captured his appetite and made these his favorites.

Some of my favorite summer desserts are strawberry or raspberry pretzel dessert. I’ve shared my sister-in-law’s recipe but realize there are some people in the family that can’t tolerate red dye. With that in mind, I found an alternative that uses real and simple products. It may take a bit longer, but it is very simple. Enjoy.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 11 sheets of crackers)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

7 tablespoons butter, melted

In a food processor or using a rolling pin, crush and pulverize graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add both sugars to crumbs. Add melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients until crumbs are all moistened. Pour mixture into a pie plate or springform pan. Use the clean bottom of a measuring cup to firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. You may have to use your fingers to pack the crumbs tightly into the sides of the pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.

CHOCOLATE PIE FILLING OR PUDDING

1 1/2 cups sugar

10 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 1/4 cups milk

6 egg yolks, whisked

4 tablespoons butter, cubed

1-2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix sugar, corn starch and salt together in heavy bottom pan. Add milk and whisk together. Over medium-high heat stir constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat and slowly pour some hot mixture (1-2 cups) into bowl with egg yolks. Whisk together. Pour back into saucepan and return to heat for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, vanilla and chips. Stir until melted. Pour into pie crust and extra into bowls. Cool and refrigerate.

To make banana or vanilla filling, eliminate the chocolate chips and add extra vanilla extract. Make sure to add lemon juice or some type of citric acid to the banana slices to prevent them from browning. Place bananas on crust and pour pudding/filling on top.

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD    Judy Schmitt Borgerding

1 1/2-2 cups coarsely crushed salted pretzels (not too fine)

3/4 cup butter, melted

4 tablespoons sugar

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

8 ounces whipped topping, thawed

2 cups boiling water

1 6-ounce package strawberry gelatin

16 ounces frozen strawberries

Combine pretzels, butter and 4 tablespoons sugar to form a crust. Press into a 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly. Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar together until smooth. Fold in whipped topping; spread over baked crust. Add boiling water to gelatin; stir until dissolved. Add frozen strawberries and stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese filling. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Longer is better

If red dye and whipped topping are not in your kitchen, try the option below to make the same great-tasting dessert. You can always swap strawberries and raspberries.

ALTERNATIVE STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD     Feast and Farm

2 pints (16 ounces) fresh strawberries

5 tablespoons honey

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 cups water

3 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make crust same as above. While baking, start on strawberry gel. In a food processor, add 1 pint strawberries, honey, lemon juice and water. Blend until totally smooth. Pour through a strainer into a pot and press with a spoon to get out as much of the juice as possible. Bring mixture to a simmer (it doesn’t need to boil), then add gelatin and whisk vigorously to remove lumps. Set aside to cool slightly while making the cream cheese mixture.

In a small bowl beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Set aside. In a medium chilled bowl, beat whipping cream, remaining sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks, about 5-6 minutes. Fold half the whipped cream into the cream cheese to loosen it, then add the remaining half and fold until everything is combined. Spread over slightly cool pretzel crust.

Slice remaining pint of strawberries into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the cooling strawberry gel. When just barely warm, pour over the cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight until totally set.

As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark Schmitt are exploring new adventures on the farm outside of the milking barn at their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.