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    Vegetarian Eggs Benedict with Spinach and Avocado

    Cooking for Two

    A vegetarian version of a brunch classic you don’t want to miss, featuring creamy sliced avocado, sautéed spinach and an easy blender Hollandaise sauce. Toast up whole grain English muffins and you’ve got a weekend home run the whole family will love!

    Photography Credit: Dave’s Killer Bread Team

    This post is written in partnership with Dave’s Killer Bread.
    A classic Eggs Benedict is a brunch favorite through and through, but if you’re trying to go a bit lighter this season – or you simply don’t eat meat – never fear! We’ve got a simple, veggie-packed version we’re excited to share with you today.
    The key to making a great veggie Benedict is the base, and here we’re using Dave’s Killer Bread Rockin’ Grains English muffins. They’re sturdy yet tender, and accommodate all of the toppings, eggs, and sauce.

    How Do I Make a Veggie Benedict?
    First up: practice your egg poaching skills! If you haven’t poached eggs before, it’s not hard; we promise. Check out our tutorial, and just know that you may mess up one or two, but they’ll still taste great.
    SIMPLY TEAM TIP! Crack your eggs into a little dish before you spoon them into your almost-boiling water to avoid the possibility of getting shells in your water.
    Beyond the eggs, we love sliced avocados for their creamy texture, and sautéed spinach is a dream piled high on multigrain English muffins. Do make sure you add your avocado before the spinach to ensure your English muffins stay crispy.
    Any Quick Tips for Making Great Hollandaise Sauce?
    Hollandaise sauce is actually pretty easy to make, despite its finicky reputation. If you want to minimize your dish load, we love using an immersion blender.
    One thing to know is that hollandaise sauce is technically an emulsion, so there’s always a fear it could separate or break. Stream your hot butter in slowly, and you’ll be good to go.

    If your sauce does break or separate, simply blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons of boiling hot water until the consistency smooths out.

    What Other Toppings Could I Use?
    Of course while this recipe features avocado and spinach, you can get creative with your bennies! Mushrooms and sautéed leeks are wonderful or you could go a Mediterranean route with olive tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes and arugula.
    Want to celebrate fall? Try laying some cubes of roasted squash on top of your Dave’s Killer Bread English muffins instead. The choices are endless! Experiment, and share with us any versions you’re making and loving at home.

    Vegetarian Eggs Benedict with Spinach and Avocado Recipe

    Ingredients
    For the Quick Blender Hollandaise Sauce:
    2 egg yolks
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    Pinch of cayenne pepper
    8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
    For the Eggs Benedict:
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    5 ounces baby spinach
    1 clove garlic, minced
    Pinch of salt and pepper
    1 avocado, thinly sliced
    4 large eggs
    1 tablespoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
    2 Dave’s Killer Bread Rockin’ Grains English muffins
    Chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)

    Method

    1 Make the hollandaise sauce: Add egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne to a blender or food processor and pulse until combined. The mixture should be frothy and light yellow in color.
    Slowly drizzle in the butter and continue to run the blender until the sauce thickens.
    2 Cook the spinach: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and warm until shimmering. Add the spinach and sauté until it wilts and cooks down, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep spinach warm over very low heat until serving.
    3 Poach the eggs: Bring a large pot with a few inches of water to a slight simmer. Add a dash of vinegar (like apple cider vinegar) to the pot.
    Swirl the water with a spoon and gently roll in the cracked eggs.
    Let eggs poach in not-quite-boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until the whites of the eggs are set and the centers are still soft. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a few paper towels.
    4 Assemble the benedicts: Toast the English muffins. Blend the hollandaise sauce one final time to smooth it out.
    Top English muffins with sliced avocado, then spinach, and finally a poached egg. Right before serving, spoon hollandaise sauce over each Benedict and sprinkle with minced scallions.
    Serve immediately.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy. LEGGI TUTTO

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    Pecan Pie

    With a homemade crust and a sweet pecan filling, this is THE pecan pie for your Thanksgiving table! Make it a day or two ahead, or freeze it for even longer.

    What’s your favorite Thanksgiving pie? Mine is a toss up among apple, pumpkin, and this homemade pecan pie. In fact, I love them all so much I make one of each for our Thanksgiving Day feast. (It seems like everyone in our family has their favorite, and if I don’t make them all someone will run to the store to fill the gap!)
    VIDEO! How to Make Pecan Pie

    Pecan Pie: A History
    Pecans are native to North America, so it is entirely fitting that a pecan pie would make an annual appearance at Thanksgiving along with our other native foodstuffs like turkey, pumpkin, and cranberries.
    Pecan pie itself, though, is a more recent invention. While the first printed recipes for the pie started appearing in the late 1800s, the pecan pie classic as we know it became popular through the marketing efforts of Karo in the 1930s, to help sell their corn syrup, a necessary ingredient in the pie.
    How Much Sugar is Best for Pecan Pie?
    Most pecan pie recipes I’ve found call for two cups of sugar—one cup of corn syrup plus one cup of either granulated or brown sugar. I find that just a bit too sweet for my taste, so for this pecan pie recipe, I’ve dropped the sugar down by half a cup. Feel free to reduce further or add more to your taste.
    The molasses, butter, and vanilla bring out the wonderful flavor of the pecans. Nuts go rancid with storage, so make sure you are using the freshest of pecans for this pie!
    How to Tell When Pecan Pie is Done Baking?
    This pie bakes for a little over an hour at 350°F. When done, the crust should be golden brown and the pie should be set around the edges, but still a bit wiggly (like Jell-O) in the middle. It will continue to firm up as it cools.

    Should Pecan Pie Be Served Warm or Room Temperature?
    Once baked, pecan pie should be cooled down completely to room temperature before serving, or the filling will be runny. Once the pie has come to room temperature and the filling is set, if you want you can heat it in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes, but for the most part, pecan pie is served at room temp.
    Does Pecan Pie Need to Be Refrigerated?
    Typically pies with egg-based fillings, such as this pecan pie, need to be refrigerated. That said, I often make pecan pie a day ahead, tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and leave it on the counter, and I’ve never had an issue.
    Leftover pie should be refrigerated, where it will easily keep for up to 3 to 4 days. If you’d like to store your pie for a longer period of time, I recommend freezing it.
    How to Freeze Pecan Pie
    Pecan pie freezes well. Bake it and let it cool completely on the counter. Wrap the pie in a double layer of sturdy plastic wrap, pressing out any air, then double wrap in foil, and freeze for up to a month.
    To serve, thaw the frozen pie overnight in the refrigerator, before bringing it to room temperature. If you like, warm it in the oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.
    Looking for more Thanksgiving pies?

    Updated October 18, 2020 : We spiffed up this post with a new video. No changes to the recipe. Enjoy! LEGGI TUTTO

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    Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

    In bowl of an electric mixture, add warm unsweetened almond milk, yeast, and granulated sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. While the yeast is activating, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt together in a large bowl. LEGGI TUTTO

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    Vegan Pumpkin Bread

    Get all the flavors of fall with this vegan, dairy-free, egg-free pumpkin bread. This recipe makes two loaves so keep one for yourself and give one to a friend. Top it with pepitas to make it extra special, pop it in your oven, and let the scent of cinnamon fill the air.

    Of all pumpkin treats, pumpkin bread is my favorite. Specifically, my heart belongs to this vegan pumpkin loaf. After baking a batch I have to give the loaves away so I don’t go crazy sneaking off with slices throughout the day. It’s one of those recipes you make to confirm to yourself that fall has arrived.
    This recipe started out as Piper Davis’ pumpkin bread from her excellent cookbook, The Grand Central Baking Book. Eventually, I veganized it by replacing the eggs with ground flaxseed, plus a few other tweaks. It’s been my go-to recipe for years. It’s a bit sweeter and cakier than other pumpkin breads, and it reminds me of the slices they sell at Starbucks—except moister. I love it with a cup of coffee.

    THE BEST PUMPKIN TO USE IN PUMPKIN BREAD
    I use canned pumpkin purée. Yes, you can use homemade pumpkin purée, but to be frank, canned pumpkin is unfailingly better and it’s way less work. This recipe uses one whole small can of pumpkin so you don’t have to fret over how to use up a lingering few tablespoons.
    Do not use canned pumpkin pie mix, which has spices and sugar already added to it.

    HOW TO REPLACE EGGS IN VEGAN BAKING
    Eggs play an important role in giving quick breads structure. To make this vegan quick bread, you have two simple plant-based options that help bind the batter and lend the same cakiness that eggs would.
    Flaxseed: Ground flaxseed makes a gel when you mix them with water. This gel acts as an egg replacer to add structure to cookies, cakes, and quick breads. They’re a trusty ingredient in vegan baking. You can find flaxseed in the natural food aisle of most grocery stores. They have a short shelf life, so it’s best to keep them in the freezer.
    Aquafaba: You likely have a can of beans in your pantry, which means you have an existing alternative to a flax egg! Aquafaba is a fancy name for the liquid in a can of chickpeas. Yes, the stuff we usually tell you to drain and rinse off—turns out that goopy bean juice is a fantastic egg replacer.
    To use aquafaba as an egg replacer in this recipe, just add 1/2 cup of the liquid from a can of beans and omit both the water and the ground flaxseed. Liquid from chickpeas works best, but I’ve also used the liquid from canned kidney beans and white beans and had success. Aquafaba stores for up to a week in the fridge, but you can also freeze it in ice cube trays for easy portioning. Pop the frozen cubes out of the tray and store in a zip-top bag.
    SPICE SWAPS AND MIX-INS FOR VEGAN PUMPKIN BREAD
    Out of an ingredient, or want to get creative? You can play with spices and mix-ins for different flavor directions.
    Add up to 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
    Add up to 1 cup vegan chocolate chips. (Many popular semisweet chocolate chips have milk and butterfat.)
    Add up to 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries.
    Add up to 1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger.
    Replace the spices in the recipe with 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder. (I’m currently really taken with this version.)
    Use 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice instead of the spices in the recipe.

    PUMPKIN BREAD SUGAR SWAPS
    The amounts of white and brown sugar here are not set in stone. You can tailor it to your liking.
    Use all white sugar. The flavor of the pumpkin and spices will come through more.
    Use all brown sugar. Your pumpkin bread will have more of a gingerbread flavor.
    Replace 1/2 cup of the sugar with maple syrup. Using only maple syrup will overwhelm the other flavors.
    Reduce the sugar by 1/2 cup. The bread won’t be as moist and tender, but if you prefer less sweet desserts, it’s worth a go.
    FLOUR SWAPS FOR PUMPKIN BREAD
    Feel free to swap the all-purpose flour with any of the following. I’ve made this bread all the following ways, and the texture and flavor remain essentially the same.
    White whole wheat flour for all the all-purpose flour.
    Whole wheat pastry flour for all the all-purpose flour.
    Spelt flour for all the all-purpose flour.
    Half all-purpose flour and half regular whole wheat flour.
    CAN I MAKE GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN BREAD?
    I wouldn’t recommend making this pumpkin bread gluten-free. This particular recipe makes a dense batter, and for it to work as a gluten-free loaf, it would need eggs for added structure. If you use only gluten-free flour in this bread, it will be very dense and gluey.

    CAN I MAKE MUFFINS, MINI LOAVES, OR A SINGLE LOAF?
    Sure! This recipe will yield at least two dozen muffins, or six 5 1/2 x 3-inch mini loaf pans. (I particularly like the way this batter rises in mini loaves, plus they are convenient for giving to friends.) You can also bake this in a standard-size Bundt pan or halve the recipe and make a single loaf.
    THE BEST WAY TO FREEZE VEGAN PUMPKIN BREAD
    I actually prefer this bread after it’s been frozen and thawed. After freezing and thawing, the texture and flavor of this bread improves; it becomes moister and cakier, and it slices more neatly.
    To freeze: Wrap cooled loaves in plastic wrap, then in foil. Freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or on the counter for three to four hours (no need to unwrap).
    MORE SWEET VEGAN TREATS LEGGI TUTTO

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    5 Soul Satisfying Comfort Food Dinners for Hunkering Down

    This month welcome Sara Bir. Sara Bir is the author of two cookbooks, Tasting Ohio and the IACP award-winning The Fruit Forager’s Companion. She also moderates and replies to your comments here on Simply Recipes. Follow her @sausagetarian.
    Once the weather got nice, I initiated my rituals of being outside as much as possible, from setting up a desk on the front porch to pretending mowing our tiny lawn is a workout.
    As the nights get cold and Daylight Savings Time prepares to rear its hateful head, the inevitable shift indoors meets with less resistance. I mean, it’s going to happen anyway, so why not lean in?
    When it starts to get frosty, I want dinners that are simmered and soul-satisfying. Besides, I need extra energy to fuel all the strategic layering it takes to comfortably walk the dog.
    These dinners make me feel warm from the inside giving me, and hopefully you too, the strength to embrace the seasonal shifts of the weeks to come.
    One last thing: Looking for dinner ideas? You’re in the right spot! We just launched our new paid meal plan service. We have delicious meal plans to suit every taste and lifestyle — Healthy Eating, Family Favorites, and Vegetarian just to name a few. These one-week plans are $1.95 and, with them, you get a dessert and weekend prep recipe and a shopping list. They’re beautifully designed and perfect to print and save or simply load and cook right from your computer! LEGGI TUTTO

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    Why I Love Nut Milk Bags (For More Than Just Straining Nut Milks!)

    Kitchen ToolsOne Simply Terrific Thing

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    Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!

    The nut milk bag’s terribly-specific name screams unitasker! but it’s actually an incredibly useful tool that can replace many single-use or clumsy, large items in your kitchen and/or home bar.
    In terms of practical value, it’s right up there with a reliable cocktail shaker.
    The nut milk bag is made of fine, breathable mesh. Because of the airflow, you can use it as a container for drying herbs or edible flowers. It can also replace cheesecloth, fine strainers, coffee filters, and any of the other unwieldy gear you reach for when you need to separate solids from liquid. (And oh yeah, and it strains nut milks, too.)
    These bags come in various sizes, but this wide 12-inch size is the best overall. It can hold quite a lot (I used mine recently to strain chicken stock scraps), but also doesn’t seem excessive for straining smaller items like a batch of fresh ricotta cheese. The wide opening also ensures that you can fold it over a bowl or a measuring glass.

    I’ve had my current nut milk bag for around four years now and only just recently needed to grab an extra one, since quarantine life had me straining cold brew coffee and homemade cheese concurrently. Not only is this a versatile kitchen tool, but if you’re also a home bar enthusiast (like me!), then this also comes in handy for infusing liquors or straining that batch of homemade orgeat.
    The best part of owning one is saying goodbye to so many single use items, and those annoying threads from cheesecloth. And when you’re done with it, it folds up teeny tiny into your drawer until next time.

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Elana Lepkowski
    Elana Lepkowski is a professional photographer, writer, and recipe developer with almost 20 years in the food industry. She began documenting her cocktails in 2011 after mixing drinks in her home bar for years, and her website Stir and Strain is now a widely recognized resource for cocktail enthusiasts. Elana has contributed to Serious Eats, Dinner Party Download, Imbibe, and numerous other publications. When she’s not concocting new syrups at home, you can probably find her at Disneyland.
    More from Elana LEGGI TUTTO

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    Chicken Pot Pie

    1 Cook the chicken: Combine the chicken, carrot, celery, onion and salt into a large stock pot. Add cold water until just covered and bring to a boil over high heat.
    Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool for 15 minutes. While the chicken is cooling, continue to boil the remaining water and vegetables in the pot.

    2 Shred the the chicken: When the chicken has cooled enough to touch, strip away as much of the meat as you can. Place the meat on a dish, set aside.

    3 Finish the chicken stock: Return the chicken bones to the stockpot and continue to boil, on high heat, until the stock has reduced to a quart or quart and a half.
    Set aside 2 1/2 cups of the stock for this recipe. The remaining stock you can refrigerate and store for another purpose.
    4 Prepare the pie crust dough: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse 5 times to combine. Add the shortening and pulse a few more times, until the dough resembles a coarse cornmeal, with some pea-sized pieces of butter.
    Slowly stream in ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough sticks together when you press some between your fingers.
    Empty the food processor onto a clean surface. Use your hands to mold into a ball, then flatten the ball into a disk. Sprinkle with a little flour, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling.

    5 Preheat oven to 400°F.
    6 Prepare the filling: In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, one minute more.
    Whisk in 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Whisk in the milk. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often until thickened and creamy.
    Add the chicken meat, thyme, sherry, peas, parsley, salt and pepper and stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Divide the warm filling among six 10-ounce ramekins.

    7 Prepare the crust: Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a little less than a quarter-inch thick.
    Cut into 6 rounds, slightly larger than the circumference of the ramekins. Lay a dough round on each pot pie filling.
    Fold the excess dough under itself and use the tines of a fork to press the dough against the edge of the ramekins. Cut a 1-inch vent into each individual pie. Use a pastry brush to apply an egg wash to each pie.

    8 Bake: Line a baking sheet with foil, place the pies on the baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling.
    Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. LEGGI TUTTO

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    Chess Pie

    Serve up this Southern classic chess pie to friends and family alike! It’s made with basic pantry ingredients, keeps well, and you can freeze it. The secret ingredient is a little cornmeal mixed into the custard.

    If you’ve never heard of chess pie before, don’t worry, you haven’t been living in the dark. You’ve just grown up outside of the South, where chess pie is ubiquitous.
    I learned about chess pie in my first job out of college, by a coworker who was hosting a Southern-themed picnic. “Make a chess pie. Here’s the recipe,” and I was hooked. I’ve been making the classic pie ever since. The chess pie is similar to most custard pies, sweet and rich with eggs, but with a slight texture because of the addition of the cornmeal.
    In fact, chess pie was actually one of the first recipes that put my blog on the map. I won a pie contest for a blackberry and lemon chess pie, which was then featured on Bon Appetit’s site.

    WHAT IS CHESS PIE?
    Chess pie is a pantry staple pie, made with basic pantry ingredients that can be found in most Southern kitchens. It is an egg custard-based sugar pie, with the addition of a little bit of vinegar and cornmeal.
    Cornmeal is key to distinguishing chess pie from other pies like sugar pie, vinegar pie, and pecan pie. If it doesn’t include cornmeal, even a little bit, it’s not a true chess pie but a regular custard pie.

    WHERE DOES THE NAME CHESS PIE COME FROM?
    There are many theories about where the name originated. Some guess it is a bastardization of cheese pie which looks similar to it, though it tastes completely different.
    Others think it might come from the fact that Southern kitchens often have a very specific piece of furniture called a “pie safe” or “pie chest” where pies go to cool and be stored. Chess pie was so common and easy to make that it was the predominant pie that appeared in those pie chests, and the name “chest pie” evolved to “chess pie.”
    But my favorite theory is the name came about from the idea that the matriarch of the family would be baking pies, and her husband and family would constantly ask what sort of pie it was. “It’s jes’ pie,” was her frustrated answer, which eventually morphed into, “It’s chess pie.”
    WHAT’S THE BEST CORNMEAL FOR CHESS PIE?
    You can find different recipes for chess pie floating about the internet where the filling has anywhere from 1 teaspoon of cornmeal to 1/2 cup of cornmeal.
    I opt for a 1/4 cup with this recipe, as it is enough cornmeal to create texture, help with the thickening of the pie, and lend subtle corn flavor and sweetness, but not so much to be distracting or overly gritty.
    Use whatever cornmeal you have on hand, though stoneground yellow cornmeal is traditional and most commonly used. White cornmeal is also fine to use, though it doesn’t have as pronounced a traditional cornmeal flavor. I usually avoid blue cornmeal, as the color isn’t the most pleasing with this sort of pie, but if color isn’t an issue for you or it’s all you have on hand, it will work.

    HOW TO MAKE A CHESS PIE
    Chess pie is a simple, easy recipe. However, there are a few tips and tricks that will help you make an even better chess pie.
    Chill the pie dough ahead of time: Chill the pie dough for a good hour before rolling it out. This allows the flour to fully hydrate from the water, and for the gluten to relax, making it easier to roll out the dough. It also lets the butter chill and harden, which leads to a flakier crust.
    Once rolled chill the pie dough again: Once you’ve rolled out and fitted the dough into the pan, stick it back in the fridge for fifteen minutes, just enough time to pre-heat the oven. Chilling the dough again allows the gluten to rest, which means less shrinkage and slumping of the dough. It also chills the butter again, to help with flakiness.
    Par-bake the crust: You don’t need to blind bake the crust completely, but baking it for five minutes with pie weights in it, then three to four minutes without the weights allows the crust to get a jump start on the crust baking. If you pour the filling into an unbaked pie crust, you run the risk of soggy crust. Par-baking the crust prevents this.
    Bake until the top is golden brown and the center doesn’t wiggle anymore. This pie is pretty forgiving; once the center of the pie isn’t wiggling anymore, you know it’s done!
    Cover the crust edges: If the pie crust edges brown too fast, just cover the edges with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield to prevent it from burning as the custard filling continues to bake.
    Cool it completely: If you cut into the pie while it is still warm, the filling won’t have time to set. Let the pie cool completely before cutting into it, which will lead to cleaner slices.
    WAYS TO ADAPT CHESS PIE
    Move beyond the basics of chess pie and try a variation of this classic recipe.
    Lemon chess pie: Substitute the vinegar for lemon juice and add the zest of a lemon.
    Orange chess pie: Substitute the vinegar for orange juice and add the zest of an orange.
    Coconut chess pie: Add one cup of toasted coconut flakes to the filling and use coconut milk in place of the milk.
    Chocolate chess pie: Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the filling.

    CAN YOU MAKE THIS PIE AHEAD OF TIME?
    Yes! The high amount of sugar in this pie means it will keep well. Store the pie in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to three days. Bring the pie to room temperature by placing it on the counter for two hours before serving.
    HOW TO FREEZE CHESS PIE
    Chess pie does freeze well. I recommend slicing the pie into individual servings, then placing the pie in an airtight container, with pieces of parchment paper separating the pie slices to keep them from freezing to each other. Once frozen, just take as many slices as you need!
    MORE EASY CUSTARD PIES

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    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy. LEGGI TUTTO