Pie

Lime and grapefruit juices enhance the creamy white-chocolate filling in this treat.

The key to a good flaky pie crust is using a combination of butter for flavor and vegetable shortening for flakiness. This recipe makes enough for one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies.

Allow at least three hours for the pie to chill in the refrigerator.

Oreos have been popular since Nabisco introduced them in 1912, and they are still the best-selling cookie in the world. There are those folks who twist the cookies apart and eat the filling first, and those who dunk the entire Oreo into a big glass of ice-cold milk. In this recipe, Oreos make a great pie crust that's filled with cookies and cream ice cream. Die-hard fans won't think this dessert is overkill at all.

Dried cherries from Michigan add their bright sweetness to winter baking.

The pecan pie of Texas and the luscious chocolate of Mexico make excellent partners in this rich dessert.

It takes a bit of practice to make a pie crust, just as it does to hit a tennis ball. Take a cool Saturday morning and make several batches, testing them by cutting off a strip and baking it, until you come up with the one of your dreams. Note on your recipe what you like, then write your own recipe. The size you cut fat into whether you use shortening or butter can both make a difference. Remember, however, that different flours absorb water differently, and flours absorb water differently according to the weather, so your crust will be different in measure each time—you need to learn the feel.

(Dark Chocolate Mousse Pies)

When cleaning any fresh berries, place in a strainer, rinse very lightly with the sink spray hose, shake the strainer to drain water and gently pat dry with paper towels.

(Pastiera Napoletana) "My mother, who is a native of Calabria, Italy, but now resides in Brooklyn, learned to make the Neapolitan specialty, pastiera napoletana, from her sister-in-law when my parents were married, in 1941," writes Marie Pacella of Howard Beach, New York. "Since then, our family and close friends look forward to having this pie every Easter. My mother and my daughter and I still get together to make them—it has become a family tradition.

For a shiny finish, brush the warm tart with melted apricot preserves.

This crust is an excellent choice for double-crust fruit pies. For a single-crust pie, simply divide the recipe in half. The dough may also be used for tartlets

Both the use of butter and shortening make for a flaky pie crust. It is best to refrigerate the dough overnight if possible for ease in rolling it out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper.

Serve this slightly warm or at room temperature. Either way, it's fantastic with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.