Tarts & Pies

Chocolate and peanut butter might just be the most perfect marriage possible. This dessert is also elegant. Oh, and did we mention easy too?

A startlingly spectacular made-from-scratch cheese Danish that is going to forever change your notion of what a cheese Danish ought to be.

A ridiculously creamy–and relatively simple–homemade caramel filling graces this properly flaky pastry. Salted butter–lots of it–lends this dessert just the right amount of indulgence.

Sugar and spice and everything nice—that’s what you’ll find in this magnificently spiced traditional Southern pie from baker extraordinaire, Cheryl Day.

This un-pumpkin pumpkin pie is made with caramelized butternut squash, spices, and a splash of brandy. It’s subtly different from the classic yet still oh-so-perfect for Thanksgiving.

Pecans. Chocolate. Bourbon. Dunno about you, but that’s sufficient to make us forget all about that other traditional Thanksgiving dessert. Pumpkin who?

Here’s a nifty little trick. Reduce maple syrup until sticky, infuse it with spice, and rely on it to impart its ridiculously intense essence to pecan pie.

Ripe pears and sweet-tart dried cranberries are the stars of this fruit crumble. The topping is an old-fashioned mix of oatmeal, brown sugar, and butter.

A Thanksgiving pie for those looking for something different from last year. Brown butter and caramelized honey give pumpkin pie a whole new twist.

Knowing how to make a pie crust is definitely a skill that will make your life better. And one that’s all butter will make you a hero, whether you use a sweet or savory filing.