Pie

Vibrant berry flavor and a buttery crust accented with grated orange peel are the hallmarks of this outstanding pie.

Pay de Limón At our cooking classes in Oaxaca, I guide our students through the markets, buying tastes of the thick cream (it's like milky butter with a cheesey flavor and unctuous texture), the perfumey, greenish-yellow key limes and exotic tropical fruit like guanabana, chirimoya, guava, black zapote and papaya. In order to offer more than a simple taste of these traditional foods after one trip to the market, I combined that incredible cream and lime into a simple pie for our class meal, serving it with an assortment of pureed fruits. Even with our American homemade cream (or crème fraîche) and less-tart hybrid Persian limes, the pie makes a lovely special-dinner finale.

Apple cider vinegar makes the crust extra flaky. Offer eggnog ice cream (or vanilla ice cream sprinkled with nutmeg) alongside.

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.

Susan Zubert of Rochester, New York, writes: "Whenever my husband and I get to Maui we make a point of eating at one of our favorite restaurants, David Paul's Lahaina Grill. During our last visit, my husband ordered a fabulous berry pie. He enjoyed it so much that I was concerned he was going to pick up the plate and lick it clean. I would love to have the recipe." Fresh berries and crème de cassis (made with black currants) fill this flavorful pie. The addition of sour cream makes the crust exceptionally tender.

This is it, the decadent pie that seduced the seductive Marilyn Monroe. She simply couldn't get enough of it. Patch brought this recipe with him from Arkansas, where it was named for his sister Milton.

A "wee dram" enhances the lovely filling.