Peach Pie

Home. It is not just a house in which we are raised. It is a feeling. For me this feeling is comfort. I can travel by plane, train or automobile and physically reach this destination. I can also travel there in my mind with the arousal of one or more of my senses--a smell, a taste, a touch or a noise.

Growing up it was a summertime ritual to wake up very early in the morning and go to a flea market/farmers market/auction in a nearby town. As a little girl this meant a lot of walking, a lot of shopping, and most importantly a delicious meal on the way home. Our destination was in the heart of Amish country. The Amish are known for many things--one being their cooking.

A couple of weeks ago I was back in my hometown and wanted to take a stroll down memory lane so I decided to go to back to Amish country. Following tradition, I visited the flea market/farmers market/auction and walked a lot and shopped a lot. But the food that was to come was running through my head all day. Finally I was home. I was at Das Dutchman Essenhaus. The Essenhaus, as I call it, serves some of the best food I have ever experienced. It is standard practice by me and every member of my family to eat a meal...a BIG meal and then eat a piece of pie. For my meal that day I ate beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and rolls with homemade Amish peanut and apple butters. For the first time I had to ask for a box. I knew my limits and I knew that I HAD to save room for pie.

The pie. The Essenhaus offers 29 varieties of pie. Just to make your mouth water I have to list them. They offer: Butterscotch, Apple, Rhubarb Custard, Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb, German Chocolate, Red Raspberry Chocolate Cream, Fresh Peach, Peach, Banana Cream, Old Fashioned Cream, Cherry, Raisin Cream, Custard, Coconut Cream, Fresh Strawberry, Pumpkin, Fresh Blueberry, Blueberry, Praline Pecan, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Dutch Apple, Mincemeat, Chocolate Peanut-Butter-Banana, Red Raspberry Cream, Shoofly, Lemon, Black Raspberry, Chocolate Cream, Pecan. I chose fresh peach. It was melt in your mouth, to die-for, delicious. I have never tasted a dessert made of peaches where the peaches tasted so fresh. The texture of the peach tasted like it had just been sliced minutes before I ate it. The whipped topping was also extremely yummy but I have to admit that I took a lot of it off because the pie was so good that I did not want to "ruin" it with any other taste.

Das Dutchman Essenhaus--a taste sensation like no other. Proving Dorothy right once again that, "there's no place like home".

***To visit the Essenhaus online click here

Peanut Butter Pie

I have only ever made this recipe twice. The first time I made it was three years ago and while it received rave reviews I have not made it recently because my partner in everything food is not a peanut butter fan (except on celery). I recently needed to make a dish for a carry-in luncheon at work and I did not feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. After a lot of stress and contemplation about what to make it came to me...peanut butter pie! This dessert was a hit. Do not let the fact that I have only made this pie twice deter you from making it yourself. I can promise that it is delicious. I am also not afraid to say that this is a perfect summer dessert. Yes, I know, when you think of a summer dessert your thoughts probably go right to a dish containing some sort of berry. Peanut butter seems thick, heavy and unappealing during the summer months right? This pie will prove you wrong. In fact, I would describe it as a light, refreshing dessert. That's right. I said it. Refreshing. C'mon, you know you want to give it a try!

YIELDS 8-10 slices

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• .5 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
• 16 oz cool whip
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (store bought or homemade)
• 1 REESE'S peanut butter cup

Cookware/Utensils:

• 9 inch pie pan
• medium bowl
• electric mixer
• spatula
• grater or zester

In medium bowl add cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter and cool whip. Mix on medium speed until creamy. Using a spatula place the creamy mixture into pie crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Grate peanut butter cup over top of pie before serving.

***While this is a blog dedicated to cooking for two, I feel that it is sometimes important to share recipes that can accommodate a larger crowd. We all find ourselves in situations where we need to entertain or feed a larger group of people. I will confess, this pie is so yummy that it would be easy for two people to grab a couple of forks and enjoy it all by themselves!