Pie

The Beranbaum family fell in love with this pie at a diner called Big Boy in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. We were addicted to this pie, consisting of a crisp crust filled only with fresh strawberries held together by a fruit juice glaze. We would drive fifty miles to Big Boy every weekend just to have it. When I tried to duplicate it in my kitchen, I discovered that a fruit glaze also works well with fresh raspberries or a mixture of raspberries and currants. The glaze preserves the freshness of the fruit for two days.

(Baked in a Tart Pan) For people who find even my less sweet Pecan Pie too sweet, or who are hopeless chocolate lovers, this is the answer. Cocoa perfectly tempers the sweetness of the filling and adds a full chocolate flavor that goes so well with pecans. If correctly baked, the filling, when cut, is soft and slightly molten. The surface of the pie is unusually appealing. Unlike the regular pecan pie where you can see clearly the shape of each nut, this filling cloaks the nuts with a dark milk-chocolaty glisten so you can just make out their shape.

This pie needs no introduction. It probably doesn't even need a recipe—everyone has a favorite way to make it. Here is mine.

This pie crust is light, flaky tender and very crisp. It has a glorious butter flavor and is an ideal container for any pie or tart recipe. I strongly recommend commercial or homemade pastry flour, as it will result in a more tender crust than one made with all-purpose flour.

This delicious dessert uses the Easy Pie Crust .

Ginger and cinnamon give the classic peach pie a makeover.

Top this with dollops of chilled whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream.

To make the toasted coconut for the meringue, spread flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake on the center rack of a 350°F oven, stirring often around the edges, until light golden, about ten minutes.

Well, almost no bake, because the graham cracker crust you buy for this might need to be prebaked. Here again is a pie the kids can make — and I've gone out of my way to keep it as simple as possible, so they can proceed without Mom or Dad needing to hover too much.

To sweeten the whipped cream topping, simply add a little honey instead of sugar.

The cranberries add tartness, color and texture. Serve the pie with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if you like.

I've always found lemon curd too sweet and heavy on its own. Folded into whipped cream, however, it makes a wonderful pie filling.

Do not allow the meringue to overcolor when baking — check the oven often. Chill the pie well before serving.

Save any scraps of this dough to create a decorative design for the top of the pie.