Now that you’ve learned how to make a quick and easy pie crust, what is your preference?  Pumpkin or Peach?

Also, when fruit harvest time comes around again, this is a great way to stock your freezer for the winter. My mouth is watering now.  There is nothing better then a slice of warm pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.  Well, maybe there is, this Pumpkin Pecan Crunch is just amazing and is as easy to make as serving cold cereal for breakfast.  Enjoy!

Peach Pie
Yield:  two 9-inch pies

6 cups of peeled, sliced peaches
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place sliced peaches in a bowl with sugar, tapioca, and nutmeg. Toss until peaches are evenly coated and sugar is mostly dissolved.

Line 2 pie pans with foil. Put 3 cups of  filling in each pan. Top the pie with foil and loosely fold it around the pie, freeze until firm. When filling is frozen solid, remove from pans and wrap tightly in plastic. Label 375 for 45 minutes and return to freezer until ready to use.
On pie baking day, for each pie, remove the wrappings, place frozen pie filling in pie shell and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top pie with an additional pie crust (cut several slits in the top crust to vent steam), seal well, and bake for 45-50 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven.

Pumpkin Pecan Crunch

Yield: two 9 inch pies

1 large can of pumpkin

3 eggs

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup powdered milk*

1 Cup and 3 Tablespoons of water*

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 box dry yellow cake mix (16-18 oz)

2 cubes (1 cup) butter or margarine, melted

1 cup chopped  pecans or walnuts

Mix the pumpkin, eggs, powdered milk, water and spices in a bowl and divide between two 9 inch pie pans. Sprinkle half of a dry yellow cake mix on top of each pie.  Melt 2 cubes of  butter or margarine and pour it over the cake mix.  Sprinkle chopped nuts over the melted butter.   Bake one pie at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Wrap the other pumpkin dessert in layers of plastic wrap. “Label 325, 1 hr” and freeze.

To serve:  remove wrappings from the frozen pie and place it in a 325 degree F  oven,  for 1 hour.

I like to serve this dessert cold with whip cream on top.  My husband prefers it warm with vanilla ice cream.

*If you do not have powdered milk on hand, you can use a 1 (6 oz) can of evaporated milk in place of the powdered milk and water.