• Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Best Coconut Cream Pie

    Tuesday was my fiancé’s birthday, so I prepared a romantic meal for the two of us with one of his favorite desserts. He mentioned recently that he loves coconut cream pie, so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to make this much-loved treat for the first time. I have the most delicious recipe for Coconut Cream Pie… it starts with a flaky homemade crust and is filled with a creamy, custardy filling bursting with fragrant, toasted coconut. Finally, a heaping golden brown mountain of meringue is piled on top. The pie is comforting and refreshing and perfect for any time of year. 

  • Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Margarita Cheesecake

    Last week the fiancé and I were tasked with cooking dinner for one night at our family shore house in beautiful Ocean City, New Jersey. Before I even thought about what I’d make for the main dish (post coming soon…), I thought long and hard about what to bake for dessert – my favorite course of any meal. With the abundant sunshine and beachside location, I thought a Margarita Cheesecake would be perfect for this occasion and hoped our family would enjoy it. You start out with a recipe for a traditional, creamy cheesecake with a graham cracker crust as a base and then add tequila, triple sec and lime in true margarita style. The cheesecake is finished with a thin layer of tangy sour cream topping. It’s light, refreshing and a fantastic variation on a timeless favorite. By the end of the night, the whole cheesecake was devoured… except for the piece I hid for myself 😉

  • Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Perfect Key Lime Pie

    Tart and creamy, my recipe for Perfect Key Lime Pie is the perfect finish to a summer meal. Key limes are native to the Florida Keys and luckily there are delicious bottled key lime juices out there that are just as good as squeezing fresh key limes by hand. My favorite is Nellie’s, one of the “originals” bottled right in sunny Key West, Florida. This pie has a crunchy homemade graham cracker crust, custardy key lime filling and fluffy whipped cream topping. Perfection! 

  • Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Happy Easter!

    Wishing all a very Happy Easter!  I just baked this traditional Italian Easter pie and had to share. With layers of flaky, buttery phyllo surrounding a creamy ricotta center, flavored with fresh orange zest, vanilla and pine nuts.

    Check out the recipe for this delicious pie here, courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.

  • Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Chocolate Cream Pie

    If you are looking for the perfect chocolate pie to bake this holiday season, look no further than my Chocolate Cream Pie. A family-favorite, this deliciously creamy and chocolately pie is a guaranteed hit. Start out by baking a homemade pie crust made with Wondra for a more tender, flakier crust than regular flour. Then, prepare 3 boxes of cook & serve chocolate pudding for the pie filling. Top with fluffy homemade whipped cream and you have a delicious, beautiful and easy pie. A Chocolate Cream Pie is a welcome treat during the holidays when tables are usually full of the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies. Enjoy! 

  • Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Traditional Italian Easter Pie

    My favorite dessert for the Easter holiday has always been Italian Easter Pie. An Italian tradition, Easter Pie is made by mixing cooked rice with fresh ricotta, eggs, sugar and toasted pine nuts and wrapping the mixture in layers of crispy, buttery phyllo. Orange zest is added to take the ricotta and rice mixture to the next level. The pie browns beautifully in the oven and comes out with a golden brown top and sides.