recipes

Among life's many pleasures is an extraordinary homemade Banana

Cream Pie! My favorite sweet pie crust recipe is one that even an amateur baker can prepare perfectly and it takes only a minute to make in the food processor. Remember to make time for the pie to chill, to make it easier to cut.

For the Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 egg

For the Filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

We love overripe, sweet bananas in pancake batter, smoothies, banana breads and of course cupcakes. These light cupcakes are made rich and delicious by the Mascarpone Frosting. Mascarpone is an Italian triple-cream cheese made from crème fraîche that is traditionally used when making Tiramisu. It is delicious spread on scones or incorporated into cheesecakes and custards; Tyler Florence even taught me to place a sweetened spoonful on top of warm rice pudding for “The Ultimate” treat!

For the Muffins
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

With fresh peaches in season this is the perfect summer cocktail! The Bellini was created in 1943 at Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy in honor of the painter Geovani Bellini. The original recipe was made with fresh pureed white peaches with a bit of raspberry or cherry juice to give the drink a pink glow.