Key Lime Pie is my favorite. It’s sweet tartness is very refreshing, specially in the summer.
The first time I had Key Lime Pie was at a small local restaurant in Key West, Florida. It was love at first bite! Of course there it’s a very popular dessert; Key West has long claimed the pie originated on their tiny island using the small thin skin limes associated with the island.
You might be wondering what makes the Key Lime so special. It’s a citrus hybrid that is smaller, rounder, and seedier than the usual larger more oval limes. Key Lime, also known as Mexican Lime, Omani Lime, and West Indian Lime, also have a stronger aroma, more acidic, and thinner rind than its larger counterpart.
Whatever the case may be as the famed ingredient in Key Lime Pie it’s delicious! Of course you can substitute other limes to make Key Lime Pie, but seriously it isn’t quite the same. But in many places finding fresh Key Limes is not always easy. However you can buy Key Lime Juice in some stores and definitely on Amazon. Living in Hawaii I rarely find fresh Key Limes and must resort to using the bottled juice. I do garnish my pie with a slice of fresh lime, whatever type I manage to find.
There are many Key Lime Pie recipes out there, and believe me I’ve tried more than a few. But for me easy is best. This mean I do not like to make pie crust, it’s one chore I avoid whenever possible. Now Key Lime Pie is usually made with a Graham Cracker crust, of course you can make your own, there are many recipes for this, or be like me and use store bought Graham Cracker Crusts.
You also need Whipped Cream, which of course you can buy spray cans of in your grocer’s dairy section. That would be the easiest. But although I’m always looking for the easy way, I make my own whipped cream. I prefer homemade whipped cream simply because I love the taste of freshly whipped cream. I like to pipe the whipped cream on top of the pie using a large star tip, or sometimes just around the outer edge and a large dollop in the middle. But if you don’t what to make your own whipped cream the spay cans will do just fine, you won’t even need a star tip and piping bag to decorate the top of your pie.
So having said all that here’s my recipe, it includes instructions on homemade whipped cream.
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients:
1 9″ Graham Cracker Pie Crust (homemade or store bought)
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
3/4 Cup Key Lime Juice
1 Cup Fresh Heavy Whipping Cream – cold
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla
Fresh Lime Slice
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk condensed milk, sour cream, and lime juice together in a medium bowl.
Whisk until smooth.
Pour into prepared crust.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on counter for about 30 minutes.
Chill pie in refrigerator at least 3 hours.
Before serving make whipped cream:
Using the whipping attachment to your standup mixer or the beaters of a hand held mixer beat cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Looking for a quick and easy cookie recipe? Try these Caramel Bar Cookies. They’re so easy to make, require basic ingredients you probably have in your kitchen, and are really good.
I love cookies but am not really thrilled about baking them. Baking cookies in my opinion are tedious when you have to scoop, drop, press, or place cookie dough on a sheet one at a time. It’s also pretty time consuming when your oven will fit just 2 sheets at a time. You end up baking cookies all day if you’re making a lot of cookies. That’s why I love bar cookies! You spread the cookie dough in a 9″ x 13″ pan, bake, and cut into squares or rectangles. You can bake dozens of cookies in just an hour or so.
Here’s a hint about cutting bar cookies, I use a pizza wheel cutter. The pizza cutter lets you cut quick straight lines smoothly. First I cool the sheet then gently flip it over so the whole thing comes out. To do this I place a cutting board on top of the pan then flip it over slowly, you don’t what the cookie to crack or split. Then I usually start cutting at the midpoint length wise (the 9″ section of the pan) then from the midpoint on the 13″ section of the pan. Then I cut the 2 sections on the 9″ side of the pan in half so I have 4 sections each is 2 1/4″. Then I cut the 2 sections on the 13″ side into 3rds. so I have 6 sections each is just a bit over 2″. This gives me a total of 24 cookies that are almost square shaped, each cookie measures about 2 1/4″ x 2″.
There are many different bar cookies out there but if you’re looking for an easy one then you’ll love these Caramel Bar Cookies! Try them out I’m sure they’re destined to become a family favorite!
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Caramel Bar Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter – melted
2 Cups Brown Sugar – packed
2 Eggs
2 Cups Flour – sifted
2 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Tbl. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
Directions:
Mix Butter and brown sugar with a mixer.
Add Eggs and mix well.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl then add to butter mixture.
Mix until well combined.
Add vanilla and mix in.
Oil a 9″ x 13″ pan very well, be sure you oil the sides as well.
Spread cookie dough evenly in pan.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 25 – 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes the cut into squares.
Mango season in Hawaii is from May to July. When we’re lucky we get a bumper crop of mangoes. During the summers when mangoes are abundant we eat mangoes every which way we can think of, those we can’t eat fresh we freeze and turn into different mango desserts, our favorite is mango bread.
Here is my favorite recipe for mango bread. I’ve been baking them for over 20 years! Bake some for the family and bake extra for friends. They make great gifts!
You can make this bread ahead of time and freeze. Wrap each loaf in foil and place in freezer safe ziplock bags. They will keep in the freezer for 6 months. Just remove from freezer and thaw out before serving.
By the way “Ono” means tastes good in Hawaii!
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ cups sugar
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup oil
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups diced ripe mango
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Sift dry ingredients together, making sure baking soda is distributed evenly, no clumping.
Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Batter will be thick.
Lightly oil 5 – 2 ½ “ x 5” loaf pans OR 2 large ones.
Pour batter into pans til 2/3 full.
Bake for 55-65 mins or until tester comes out clean.
To freeze wrap each loaf in foil, then place in freezer zip lock bags.
I don’t recommend doubling the recipe, the batter gets too difficult to mix. When I’ve doubled the recipe somehow the the baking soda doesn’t get distributed well and some parts of the loaves will be bitter.
The Best Mango Bread Ever
Print Recipe
This is a tried and true recipe for mango bread. I've been baking it for friends and family for over 20 years.
Sift dry ingredients together, making sure baking soda is distributed evenly, no clumping.
Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Batter will be thick.
Lightly oil 5 – 2 ½ “ x 5” loaf pans OR 2 large ones.
Pour batter into pans til 2/3 full.
Bake for 55-65 mins or until tester comes out clean.
Recipe Notes
To freeze wrap each loaf in foil, then place in freezer zip lock bags.
I don't recommend doubling the recipe, the batter gets too difficult to mix. When I've doubled the recipe somehow the the baking soda doesn't get distributed well and some parts of the loaves will be bitter.
Madeleines are those dainty little shell shaped cakes from the Lorraine Region of Northeast France. They get their distinctive shell shape from the specialty pans (Madeleine Pans) they are baked in.
These buttery French cakes are loved at our house. My grandkids love to snack on them just the way they are. But you can dust them with powder sugar or dip them in melted chocolate if you want. I also use them in parfaits and trifles. They are truly very versatile.
I love the shell shape, I feel that they add an elegant touch to tea parties or any dessert. But if you don’t have a madeleine pan don’t worry. You don’t have to rush out and buy one! You can bake your madeleines in mini muffin pans, they’ll look and taste just as good!
As yummy as they are you’d think they’d be difficult to make, but they’re not. Basic Madeleines require just 5 ingredients which you probably already have at home. You can whip up a few dozen in less than an hour. They’re so delicious and impressive that your friends and family will think you spent the day baking them!
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Madeleines
Ingredients:
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Tsp. salt
2 Cups Flour
1 1/4 cup melted butter
Powder sugar or chocolate melts for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In your stand up mixer (or use a handheld one if you don’t have a stand up one) beat eggs and sugar together until smooth.
Beat in vanilla and salt.
Gradually add flour to the egg mixture until the flour is incorporated in the mixture.
Gradually add melted butter using a steady stream. Beat until well combined.
Spoon batter into each shell on the madeleine pan or each cup on a mini muffin pan. You don’t have to spread them they’ll melt into the mold nicely. If you prefer spoon the batter in a large ziplock bag, snip of a corner and squeeze the batter on to the pans.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes then gently remove from pans.
You can sprinkle them with powder sugar or dip them in melted chocolate.
Store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 days or you can freeze them and thaw at room temperature when you need them.
My all time favorite Filipino dessert is Cassava Cake. What you may ask is Cassava Cake? It’s a sticky dessert made from the Cassava (Manihot esculenta) a starchy tuberous root widely cultivated in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. It is a staple in the developing world. When it’s dried its to a powdery or pearly extract we call it tapioca!
In the Philippines cassava is grated and used as the main ingredient for desserts including Suman, a sticky dessert wrapped in banana leaves. I like that too, but my favorite is Cassava Cake the way my grandma used to make. This so called cake isn’t really a cake, at least not in consistency. It is not “cakey” or “spongy” at all, instead is has a sticky consistency similar to “mochi”.
I’ve had several versions of Cassava Cake, made by different friends hailing from other provinces of the Philippines. From what I have observed it seems that different regions prepare it differently. I like our version the best, the bottom part has that same sticky consistency, but it has an almost custardy top layer. My version is also pretty sweet, just perfect for my sweet tooth. I do have to say that Cassava Cake may be an acquired taste, some folks love it and others can’t stand it.
This recipe has been in our family for years! The only difference in we’ve “modernized” it. Back in the day my grandma and aunts would spend a day grating the cassava and coconut, then the evening soaking the grated coconut and squeezing out the milk. These day we buy the frozen coconut milk and grated cassava, so much easier. You can use canned coconut milk instead of the frozen one, but my aunt insists the frozen coconut milk is best. You can buy both the frozen grated cassava and coconut milk at most Asian markets. I hope you like it!
Ingredients:
1 16 oz. bag frozen grated cassava, thawed
1 16 oz. bag frozen coconut milk, thawed
1 Can Evaporated Milk
1 Can Condensed Milk
1/2 Cup Sugar
6 Egg Yolks
1/2 Stick Butter, Melted
Directions:
Mix all ingredients is a large bowl. Stir well to make sure sugar dissolves and milks are well blended.
Pour into 9″ x 13″ baking pan.
Place filled pan into a larger roasting pan.
Fill roasting pan with water until is reaches the half way point of the panning containing the cassava mixture.
Place both pans in a 350 degree oven and steam for about an hour or until the middle is set.
Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate? I don’t know too many people that don’t! I think peanut butter and chocolate are the two most popular comfort foods and when you put them together in a cookie you get something pretty amazing.
We all love these Ganache Filled Peanut Butter Bars. They a just so yummy! You can eat them fresh out of the oven, cold, with ice cream, or better yet fresh out of the oven topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Now that’s divine!
The best thing about this cookie is that it’s so simple to make, ok a bit fussy; but it uses CAKE MIX! Now that’s seriously easy! I think the fussy part is the ganache, but really if you have a saucepan and can melt chocolate you can make this, trust me! You want complicated and yummy? Try my Ganache Filled Bar Cookies, those are super delish!
Anyway here’s the recipe for this super easy, super divine Ganache Filled Peanut Butter Bars. Once you’ve tried them you’ll be making them often.
Ingredients:
Cookie:
1 box Butter Recipe Yellow Cake Mix
1 stick butter – melted
1 cup Peanut Butter – creamy or crunchy that’s up to you
2 Eggs
Filling:
1 (12oz.) bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 stick butter
1 Tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Cookie:
Preheat oven to 325°
In the bowl of your stand-up mixer combine all the cookie ingredients
Mix at medium speed until well combined – batter should be thick
Press 1/2 of the batter evenly into an ungreased metal 9×13 baking pan
Filling:
Combine first three filling ingredients in a small saucepan
Stir constantly until the chocolate and butter are melted and combined evenly in the mixture
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla
Spread chocolate mixture on top of the cookie layer you have in your baking pan
Gently press the remaining cookie dough on top of the chocolate layer
Bake for about 20-30 minutes
Cool completely
Using a pizza cutter (I love using a pizza cutter on cookie bars, it’s easier to make even pieces) or a sharp knife, cut the cookies into rectangular or square bars.
Store in airtight containers at room temperature or in the fridge if you like them cold.
To freeze wrap each loaf in foil, then place in freezer zip lock bags.
