Quick-Fix Peanut Butter Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Your only problem with this pie will be deciding when you're going to serve it. Because it is so creamy, you'll find it difficult to transport, and it's way too rich for a morning meeting or after dinner dessert. It does, however, lend itself to dessert parties or late night get-togethers where dessert and coffee are the order of the day. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a dessert that is easier to make than this one. I found the recipe on the blog, Bake or Break, and while the original recipe can be made in 30 minutes or less, I've made a few changes that make it simpler still. Using a store-bought Oreo crust and  commercial whipped topping I can have the pie ready to refrigerate in about 10 minutes. To keep its shape, the pie needs to chill for about 4 hours before cutting, though you can reduce that time by several hours if you freeze the pie before taking a knife to it. Teens love this pie and I must admit, that while I'm at the other end of the continuum, it is also a favorite of mine. I suggest you keep portions small because the pie is so rich. If you like peanut butter, this pie could well be your downfall. It's ridiculously easy to make and it's drop-dead delicious. Here is how it's made.

An Encore Performance - Lemon Cheesecake Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Tucked into my bag of garden tricks is the use of pansies to span the seasons. I plant them as soon as the fall mums fade and our window boxes are begging for spots of color to break the monotony of winter gray. I've done this for years and actually keep cardboard boxes to cover them when temperatures drop to freezing levels. We've lived lots of places and, except for areas of heavy ice and snow, I've found I can protect them from most of winter's vagaries. My goal is to keep them alive until my favorite red begonias become available for summer planting. As a child, I loved pansies. Their vibrant colors and soft velvet touch fascinated me. The moth-like imprint on their petals opened other doors for me as well and for a time I was a bug-brat with a pretty impressive collection of insects and spiders. I was the pansy person in the family and from the time I was four or so, I was responsible for their planting and general care. In those early years, I'm sure my stature was nearly dwarfed by the size of the watering can, but I refused to use the hose because it beat my beauties down. I was convinced they thrived because of the care I gave them. It never dawned on me that they were nearly to impossible to kill.

This cheesecake pie is not unlike my pansies. It is easy to make and it has a soft velvet texture that is hard to beat. However, I must be honest and tell you that if it weren't for those two qualities, I wouldn't bother making this cheesecake again. I found the cake on Pinterest and was charmed by its appearance. The original recipe came from the Real Simple site, so I was fairly certain the cake would be fine, if not top drawer. It uses a pre-baked pie crust and the filling can be made in 5 minutes if you have your ingredients at room temperature. The filling is quite tangy due to the lemon juice and cheeses that are used to make it, but I think the addition of lemon zest would have greatly improved the flavor. I also think you'll enjoy the cake more if you allow it to ripen for a full day before you serve it. I am keeping the recipe because the cake is so easy to make and I have been known to have days when time forces something less than ambrosia from my kitchen, There is nothing wrong with this cake, but it is not a standout. I let you decide for yourself. Here is the recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...On Thanksgiving day, somewhere between the assembly of the apple and pumpkin pies, my perverse nature surfaced and that small child that hides within me, became insistent in her demands for a peanut butter pie. This happens to me, in one form or another, every year. If I make turkey, she wants pork, if I make sprouts she wants beans. There is no pleasing her and it is a clear sign of my perversity. It is also as predictable as the rising sun. The yen generally passes before the holiday ends, but this year the child was relentless in her demands and I had to bake the pie to stop her nagging. The pie she wanted is the creation Of Buddy Valastro from Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, and while her timing is terrible, I must admit that mini-me has marvelous taste. The pie is bloody fantastic, and while it is a bother to make, it is so good that you won't mind the time it takes to prepare. The one downside is the cost of the guard I need to keep me away from it once I've had a slice. If you love peanut butter and chocolate dessert combinations, you are about to enter paradise. There is no need to thank me, but if you see Buddy, tell him Mary sent you. Here is how his extraordinary tart is made.

Very Cherry - My Recipe Rotation - Millionaire's Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When I first saw and skimmed the ingredients list for this pie, my response was a quite decisive, "No way!" The problem is the recipe was found by the Silver Fox who thought it looked pretty good. Now you may or may not know about his tenacity, but suffice it to say, the Fox is like a shark and once he has an idea or yen, he bites and simply will not let go. He also lurks while waiting to strike. He remembered the recipe when I was puzzling how to entertain a young visitor who was housebound for the day. Guess what we made? Now, I must admit I was really surprised at how good this pie turned out to be. It comes together easily and it's good enough to hold a spot in my permanent recipe rotation. While not at the top of the list, it's there because it is as delicious as it is different and kids of all ages love it. I probably should be ashamed of myself, but I've actually come to like the pie. Here's what I had to say about it when it was first featured on my blog.

Handsome Is As Handsome Does - My Recipe Rotation - Apple Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Sometimes there is more to handsome than a pretty face. As of late, there have been a slew of recipes that produce dishes that look beautiful, but fail miserably when subjected to taste tests. My intent is not to take anyone down, so, rather than focus on the negative, I've decided to shout from the roof tops when I come across a recipe that actually delivers the promises it makes. This recipe, developed by Patricia Wells, is in my permanent rotation and I make it whenever I can. It is making an encore performance on One Perfect Bite because it is so very, very good. As we prepare for our trip to the mountain kingdoms of Asia, I wanted to put together a collection of recipes that I think are outstanding. Some produce gorgeous dishes, others do not, but any recipe that appears in my permanent rotation is delicious and, if you are even slightly adventurous, I know you and you family love them. I wanted to start the month with this magnificent Golden Cream and Apple Tart. Here is what I had to say about the recipe when it first appeared on my blog.

Lemon Cheesecake Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Tucked into my bag of garden tricks is the use of pansies to span the seasons. I plant them as soon as the fall mums fade and our window boxes are begging for spots of color to break the monotony of winter gray. I've done this for years and actually keep cardboard boxes to cover them when temperatures drop to freezing levels. We've lived lots of places and, except for areas of heavy ice and snow, I've found I can protect them from most of winter's vagaries. My goal is to keep them alive until my favorite red begonias become available for summer planting. As a child, I loved pansies. Their vibrant colors and soft velvet touch fascinated me. The moth-like imprint on their petals opened other doors for me as well and for a time I was a bug-brat with a pretty impressive collection of insects and spiders. I was the pansy person in the family and from the time I was four or so, I was responsible for their planting and general care. In those early years, I'm sure my stature was nearly dwarfed by the size of the watering can, but I refused to use the hose because it beat my beauties down. I was convinced they thrived because of the care I gave them. It never dawned on me that they were nearly to impossible to kill.

This cheesecake pie is not unlike my pansies. It is easy to make and it has a soft velvet texture that is hard to beat. However, I must be honest and tell you that if it weren't for those two qualities, I wouldn't bother making this cheesecake again. I found the cake on Pinterest and was charmed by its appearance. The original recipe came from the Real Simple site, so I was fairly certain the cake would be fine, if not top drawer. It uses a pre-baked pie crust and the filling can be made in 5 minutes if you have your ingredients at room temperature. The filling is quite tangy due to the lemon juice and cheeses that are used to make it, but I think the addition of lemon zest would have greatly improved the flavor. I also think you'll enjoy the cake more if you allow it to ripen for a full day before you serve it. I am keeping the recipe because the cake is so easy to make and I have been known to have days when time forces something less than ambrosia from my kitchen, There is nothing wrong with this cake, but it is not a standout. I let you decide for yourself. Here is the recipe.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Pantry Cherry Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Mary has a wonderful recipe for a sour cherry tart that has a streusel topping. I was going to make the pie as a surprise for her on President's Day, but when I read the recipe I decided it was more advanced than I am. Not one to give up, I let my fingers do the walking and found this much simpler recipe on the Pillsbury website. This pie is nearly effortless to make and it is good for something so simple to make. You will like it. Here is the recipe.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Walnut Fudge Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have five desserts that I can make, and most of them use ice cream as their main ingredient. This one is a bit different. Mary found the recipe for this pie and passed it onto me. It is really simple to make because it uses a frozen deep dish pie crust to hold the fudgy filling. If you like rich chocolate desserts you will like this quick mix pie. You can serve it with whipped cream or ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Here is the recipe.

Buttermilk Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This wonderfully light and airy pie is a creation that comes from Fine Cooking magazine. The pie is simple to make and when served with berries or macerated fruits, it is the perfect way to bring a bit of summer to your winter table. The custard-like filling has some bite thanks to an infusion of buttermilk and lemon, while the topping, which lightly caramelizes as the pie bakes, adds the perfect touch of sweetness to this unusual pie. I like to serve this dessert while it is slightly warm with whatever soft fruit I have on hand. On the odd chance that you have leftovers, be sure to refrigerate them. I know those of you who give this pie a try will love it. Here is how it's made.

Caramel Pumpkin Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Some foods are so closely associated with the holidays that it seems crass to overlook them. Every time I try to retire one of our holiday pies, the ghosts of Thanksgiving past come back to haunt me. Mincemeat gained a permanent place at our table because it was Grandpa Andy's favorite, and despite the fact that no one eats it, everyone insists we have one for the holiday. I go through the same dance with pumpkin pie. It has never been anyone's favorite, but it's so much a part of Thanksgiving tradition that it, too, always appears on our table. I do have a confession to make. I play with pumpkin pie, as a matter of fact I shamelessly play with pumpkin pie, and every year I give a new recipe a try. This year I came across a version that uses hot caramel syrup to sweeten the pumpkin custard. Given my track record and the fact the recipe came from Food and Wine magazine, there was no question as to what this year's version of the pie would be. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised with the results. This pie is less spicy than most, but what could be bland pumpkin comes alive with notes of butterscotch flavoring the custard. I think you'll like this and those of you who enjoy butterscotch might even love it. Be sure to use a large saucepan when making the syrup. It will foam and bubble furiously when cream is added to it and you are going to want a pan large enough to contain it and prevent burns. This pie is a bit more involved to make than most, but if you are looking for a modern take on an old favorite, you might want to give this one a try. Here is how the pie is made.

Sour Cherry Tart with Streusel Topping - Away A While Recipe Favorites

Sour Cherry Tart with Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The highlight of Bob's birthday celebration was a parade of his favorite pies. The first, of course, was the blueberry icebox pie featured here a day or so ago. Today, I want to highlight a sour cherry pie. It's one of the best pies I've ever tasted and it was a regular feature in the summer kitchens of my Midwestern childhood. Bob's family lived about a mile from my own and we were exposed to many of the same foods as children. We both love this dessert and share memories of pitting cherries for the pie. We are of an age when it was not unusual to see children sitting on stoops helping to prepare fruit or vegetables for the dinner table. That means we shelled peas and learned to string beans at a very young age. We also had impressive paring knife skills. For a long period of time, folks my age reveled in the development of frozen food and thought that Clarence Birdseye deserved a special place in heaven for his part in making food preparation so much easier than it had been. The grand irony is that we have come full circle and are now back to shelling peas and stringing beans for our tables. To make this pie you are going to need frozen tart or sour cherries that have been pitted. If you opt to use fresh cherries make sure you weigh them after pitting to assure the proportions in the recipe remain the same. I'd also suggest adding an extra tablespoon of tapioca because they will release more liquid as they cook. You will need enough pastry to form a one crust pie. While a homemade short crust is ideal, a commercial product will also work well. This is an easy pie to make and the streusel topping makes it a bit unusual. The recipe can be found here.

                    

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       Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce                                             Pickled Pepper Relish

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This very old-fashioned pie is as delicious as it is rich. Back in the day, not much in the kitchen was wasted, and if egg yolks were used, frugal housewives found someway to use the whites as well. Refrigerator space was limited, and if you were making a custard-base dessert, meringue was the easiest and most logical way to use them up. This pie is simple to make, but it can be made easier still by substituting whipped topping for the meringue, and while this is a near effortless dessert, there are time constraints that you have to keep in mind should you decide to make it. It needs to chill for at least 6 hours before it can be neatly sliced. I suggest you keep the slices smaller than usual, because this is a very rich pie and one that can give credence to the old saw, "too much of a good thing". If you like peanut butter desserts, I suspect you will love this one. Here is how it is made.

My (Damn Fool) Hero - As American as Blueberry Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have my very own Captain America. Many of you, I know, live in communities where temporary camps for the the homeless occasionally spring up. Our community is no different. I was, however, startled today, when my (damn fool) hero, better known to all of you as the Silver Fox, brought the car to a screeching halt in front of one such camp. He charged out of the car and started what could best be described as a confrontation with a group of men in the camp. Now you must understand that the Fox, while liberal in the extreme, is a veteran who has strong feelings about honor, duty and the American flag. As it happened, this group was flying the American flag upside down. To them it is a symbol of distress. To him it was a symbol of disrespect. No punches were exchanged, but a very heated discussion took place before the flag was taken down and rehung in the proper fashion. It was not a bad day's work for my old codger. It definitely was a day deserving of an all- American dessert. I thought this pie would be a perfect treat. It is simple enough for a child to make and yet it is delicious. I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how it is made. 

Child's Play - Millionaire's Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had an unexpected visitor this weekend, and our unseasonably rainy weather meant my 5 year old guest would have to be entertained indoors. I floated the idea of a tea party, but she thought Shirley Temples would be a better way to go. Now, I'll let her mom and grandmother deal with the long term implications of that, but short term she and I had a mocktail party that left me with a rather large jar of opened maraschino cherries and lots of time to kill. Those awful cherries brought this pie, which has gone through waves of popularity, to mind. It's most outstanding feature is the ease with which it comes together and I thought it would be a perfect project for my guest. Now, whenever I cook with children this young, I stack the deck in their favor. That means I pre-chop and repackage ingredients that they can then measure and fold into the mix. I also try to find dishes that require no cooking and have the children rename them. This dessert, called Millionaire's Pie in the real world, quickly became Pink Princess Pie and it was a great project for a five year old to undertake on a rainy afternoon. She did well! I had to freeze the pie to get it to set before she had to go home, but the kitchen gods were on our side and she got to have a slice with extra cherries of it before she left. If you make sure the pineapple and cherries used in the pie are well drained, you will have no problems with this dessert. It is truly effortless and those of you who like maraschino cherries will be in red-dye heaven. Here is how the pie is made.

Apple and Blueberry Pudding Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While it is delicious, it's really hard to categorize this dessert. It was first developed for Martha Stewart's site and then adapted for a feature on Serious Eats. They both described the creation as a pie/cake that resembled a deep dish apple pie with a streusel topping. To further confuse the issue, I think it is more like an apple pudding cake that a deep dish pie. No matter. Whatever you decide to call this dessert, I suspect you'll use delicious as an adjective to describe it. Once the apples are sliced, this is a simple dish to assemble, and, as long as it is baked until it's set, you simply can't go wrong. I like to serve the pudding warm with a dollop of ice cream on the side. I do have one caution to share with you. This is a very moist dessert that gets goopy if it sits too long. Try to serve it a couple of hours after it's made to avoid that problem. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the cake/pie/pudding is made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Old German Cream Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every so often, I like to search out a dessert that I can share with you on Frugal Friday. I was thrilled when I found this one in the Recipe Lion Recipe Collection. It is for an old German cream pie that uses just 5 ingredients, and, I'm happy to report, that it is delicious and relatively inexpensive to make, especially if you make your own pie crust. While I'm really happy with the recipe as it is presented, I did make a few changes that I want to share with you. I thought two cups of heavy cream would make a pie that would be too rich for my taste, so I substituted one cup of whole milk for one cup of the cream. I also add a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the filling. I found my pie needed an extra ten minutes in the oven to reach the custard-like consistency I was looking for,  so do make sure the filling has set before you remove the pie from the oven.  The pie should be thoroughly chilled before you slice it, so you'll want to make it about six hours before you plan to serve it. I thought the pie, while sweet and delicious,  was a little one note, so I spooned a healthy serving of macerated strawberries over each slice to perk it up a bit. This is a rich dessert that I think you will enjoy. It is made with ingredients that are readily available and it is definitely budget friendly. Here is how this simple pie is made.

Wet Bottom Shoo-Fly Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Today, the universe cruelly conspired to remind me that I am no longer young.  The first revelation was an  obituary for a star whose name I'd never before heard. The second, and far more unkind, was the discovery that my favorite perfume, Shalimar, is no longer being made. I was also reminded, by a child who shall remain nameless, that I have cracks in my face. He refused to buy my smile line gambit and went on to count my cracks. Fortunately, he can't yet count past ten, so we were able to part amicably. All in all, it turned out to be a great day to bake another of those old-fashioned desserts that are going the way of the dinosaurs. The Silver Fox wanted something really sweet and shoo-fly pie came to mind. This is a Pennsylvania Dutch dessert that has tap roots linking it to German settlers in Lancaster country. The name has intrigued folks for years, and while it is a very sweet pie, it's named after a molasses company rather than the flies that may be drawn to its treacly sweetness. A wet bottomed shoo-fly pie has a gooey bottom, cake-like middle, and crumb topping. If you prefer a dry bottomed pie, simply cook it for a longer period of time. The pie is surprisingly good to eat when warm and it is painlessly easy to make. Here is how it is done.

Child's Play - A Greek Yogurt, Lime and Honey Pie the Kids Can Make for Father's Day

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... The most treasured of my gifts are those that have been made especially for me. I hope that mine are not singular treasures and that you, too, appreciate gifts that speak of thoughtful time and care. I know that many of you will be hosting gatherings next Sunday and I thought it would be nice to share a recipe that the kids can make for Father's Day. This simple dish is truly child's play, and as long as it is allowed to chill for several hours it can't go wrong - unless, of course, it's dropped on the floor. If the kids are going to make the pie, you'll want to provide some type of pre-baked pie shell, and if your assistants are very young, you'll want to oversee the transfer of boiling water from pot to pan. They really can make this pie themselves, so, while you'll want to keep the eyes in the back of your head focused, let them have at it. It won't look as pretty as yours, but I guarantee that Dad will think it's beautiful. Here is how this light and airy dessert is made.