Chocolate Chip Pie

(courtesy of Paula’s Home Cooking)

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened)
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Get Cooking!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two nine-inch pie plates; set aside.
Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. In the bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Next, add one egg at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix until fully combined. Fold in three cups of chocolate chips and if desired, walnuts. Divide the dough between the prepared pie plates and smooth the tops with a spatula.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until pies are golden and slightly firm to the touch, but still soft. Tip: If the pies begin to darken too much before they are baked through, cover with foil and continue baking. Let pies cool completely on a wire rack.

Summer Blueberry Pie

This is practically a no-bake pie, as it doesn't go into the oven once you've filled it with the berries. This leaves the blueberries firm and sweet, but not syrupy, and the pie is light and delicious, and gentle on the palate. With the addition of a little whipped cream, this is a perfect summer desert.

Ingredients
2 T cornstarch
2 T & 1 C water
1 C & 4 C of fresh blueberries (frozen will not do)
3/4 C sugar
1 pre-baked pie crust (yours, or your local grocery store's)

Directions
In a bowl , dissolve cornstarch and water and set aside.
In a saucepan , boil 1 cup of blueberries with 1 cup water, pressing fruit to make puree
Add sugar and the dissolved cornstarch and boil 5min or until mixture becomes a clear syrup. Remove from heat and add 4 cups of blueberries.
Pour berry mixture into 1 pie crust baked and refrigerate for 2 hrs before serving
Garnish with whipped cream or ice cream