Pies

Banana Cream Pie

Pie pastry for single crust 9-inch pie
1 1/4 cups Equal® Spoonful*
7 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

1. Pierce bottom of pie pastry with tines of a fork. Bake in preheated 375°F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool completely on wire rack.
2. Meanwhile, combine Equal®, cornstarch and salt in medium size saucepan. Whisk in milk until mixture is smooth. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute or until thickened.
3. Beat egg yolks in small bowl until smooth. Stir about 1/2 cup hot milk mixture into eggs. Whisk egg mixture back into mixture in saucepan. Cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine chopped bananas and lemon juice. Fold into milk mixture. Spoon into baked pie shell. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until filling is set.
5. Spread prepared whipped topping over filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes 8 servings.

* May substitute 30 packets Equal sweetener

Nutrition Information Per Serving: calories 228, protein 5 g, carbohydrate 34 g, fat 8 g, cholesterol 62 mg, sodium 206 mg.

Food Exchanges: 1 milk, 1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 1/2 fat.

Recipe provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®

Apple Pie

Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup Equal® Spoonful*
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cups peeled, cored, sliced Granny Smith or other baking apples (about 8 medium)

1. Roll 1/2 the pastry on floured surface into circle 1-inch larger than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into plate.
2. Combine cornstarch, Equal®, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle over apples in large bowl and toss to coat. Arrange apples in pie crust.
3. Roll remaining pastry into circle large enough to fit top of pie. Place over apples. Seal edges, trim and flute. Cut a few slits in top of pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake in preheated 400°F oven 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are tender.
4. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings.

* May substitute 24 packets Equal sweetener

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1/8 of pie): calories 253, protein 2 g, carbohydrate 42 g, fat 10 g, cholesterol 10 mg, sodium 224 mg.

Food Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 1/2 starch, 2 fat.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®

Cheery Cherry Pie

1 (15 ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
2 (14.5 ounce) cans pitted tart red cherries, undrained
2/3 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 drops red food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Unfold 1 piecrust; press out fold lines. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions.
   Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup juice; set fruit aside.
3. Combine SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; gradually stir reserved juice into SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice, almond extract and food coloring, if desired.
4. Fold in reserved cherries; cool slightly. Spoon mixture into pastry shell.
5. Unfold remaining piecrust; press out fold lines. Roll to ?-inch thickness. Place over filling; fold edges under and crimp. Cut slits in top to allow steam to escape.
6. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden. Cover edges with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack one hour before serving.

Makes 8 servings.
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

Nutrition Info Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): Calories 290 | Calories from Fat 130 | Fat 14g (sat 6g) | Cholesterol 10mg | Sodium 210mg | Carbohydrates 39g | Fiber 1g | Sugars 10g | Protein 3g

Country Peach Tart

Pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie
4 cups peeled, pitted, sliced fresh peaches or frozen unsweetened peaches, thawed
1/2 cup Equal® Spoonful*
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. Roll pastry on floured surface to 12-inch circle. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.
2. Combine peaches, Equal®, flour, cinnamon and almond extract. Toss gently to coat. Arrange peach mixture on pastry, leaving 2-inch border around edge of pastry. Bring pastry edge toward center, overlapping as necessary.
3. Bake tart in preheated 425°F oven 25 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden and peaches are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings.

* May substitute 12 packets Equal sweetener

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1/8 of tart): calories 161, protein 2 g, carbohydrate 23 g, fat 7 g, cholesterol 5 mg, sodium 100 mg.

Food Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1 starch, 1 fat.

Cranberry-Almond Tarts

1/2 (15-ounce) container refrigerated pie crusts
3/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/3 cup water
1 (12 ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 (8 ounce) carton non-dairy whipped topping
1/4 cup toasted almond slices

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Unroll pastry and roll to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; using a 2-inch square cookie cutter, cut out 24 squares, re-rolling pastry, if necessary. Place squares in ungreased miniature muffin pans. Place in freezer.
3. Combine SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and water in a saucepan, stirring until blended. Stir in cranberries. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly 2 minutes or until berries pop. Pour through a wire-mesh sieve, set over a bowl. Return liquid to saucepan; reserving berries. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Pour sauce over cranberries, tossing to coat. Stir in almonds and almond extract. Spoon mixture into pastry shells.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is set. Carefully remove tarts from muffin tins; cool on a wire rack.

Makes 24 tarts.
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes

Nutrition Info Per Serving (1 tart): Calories 100 | Calories from Fat 60 | Fat 6g (sat 2.5g) | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 55mg | Carbohydrates 9g | Fiber 1g | Sugars 3g | Protein 1g