Did you say “apple pie?” If you did, I salute you. That’s the expression. But I’m not here for apple pie today. I’m here to talk about an oft-neglected staple of American dessert cuisine: the pecan.

We never really think about something until it’s gone, which I learned with the pecan from my sister-in-law’s mother. She hails from Ecuador, and apparently, the pecan action there is rather lacking. She once told me that when she comes to the U.S., she gets her fill of pecans and chocolate chips. They’re not available everywhere. Remember that next time you turn down that slice of pecan pie!

In general, we try not to take things for granted because they don’t last forever. I was doing my D.C. summer thing today, walking the streets (as opposed to streetwalking, which is very different) and nosing in and out of shops. The problem is, so many of my favorite shops are now gone.

Let me take a moment to pay my respects to Cone E. Island, the ice cream shop near George Washington University. That place got me through graduate school, and now it’s gone. Countless bakeries and restaurants are similarly shuttered, replaced by large chains. I mean, do we really need another Chipotle? And today, I discovered to my horror that a favorite chocolate boutique was also closed.

It’s the way of the world, I suppose. Change. Do I keep having to be reminded that life is short and that all is temporary? I’d rather think that it will all last forever. But everything is in short supply, from sunny sweet days to pecans in other countries.

My initial plan was to bake pecan pie bars, but these are different. I’d call them pecan brownies, but that would be misleading, since there’s not any chocolate here. Essentially, there is a pecan shortbread crust that is topped with a brownie-like (I’m talking consistency) layer of brown sugary pecan goodness. No, I did not copy that tagline from a cereal box, though it sounds as if I did.

The bars are less sticky than traditional pecan pie bars and therefore more durable and portable. In this season of July 4th potlucks, you can carry these around without having to worry about everything falling apart. And you still get a crust. It’s a winner!

If you want to make your life easier, rinse out the mixer bowl after you make the crust and then just combine the filling ingredients by hand in the same bowl. It eases up on dishes and counter clutter. I hate clutter. My grandmother always taught me to clean as I bake!

In the end, you’ll have a perfectly American dessert that everyone will love and be grateful for. I bet you never realized that pecans shouldn’t be taken for granted, did you? Think about all the things you might take for granted and then take some time to appreciate them!

I was reading one of my favorite blogs for peanut butter desserts, Averie Cooks. I’m sure you’re familiar with Averie, but if not, she’s a peanut butter goddess. I own her cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort, and I like to sit around and drool at her pictures.

Anyway, last Friday she posted these Tagalong bars. And as soon as I saw them, I slapped myself on the head and cursed. Because you see, I had a very similar bar cooling on my kitchen counter.

Listen, I’m no Averie. I can’t say that my pictures are better than hers, because they’re totally not. And I don’t know how her bars taste yet, though I’m willing to bet they’re awesome. But I’m actually thrilled that we were on similar wavelengths last week, because that means I’m doing something right.

And as you can see, our recipes are pretty different, despite their seeming surface similarities. When it comes down to it, it’s pretty clear that Tagalongs are fabulous enough to deserve several copycat versions making their way around food blogs.

My intent with these bars was to KISS. You know, to Keep It Simple, Sister. No, that last “S” doesn’t usually stand for “sister,” but I was taught as a kid that you should never call anyone “stupid,” and I hold by that rule. That aside, these bars are very easy to put together.

The base is a quickly assembled shortbread, and the middle layer is just peanut butter and powdered sugar. I ran out of powdered sugar and forgot about it, so when I was making these bars, I had to make my own using a blender. It’s quick and easy, not to mention cheap. I felt very much like Tom Hanks in Castaway when he makes fire. Yes, I actually ran around my kitchen screaming, “I….have made…FIRE!” Luckily, everyone at home is quite used to me by now.

The top layer is simply melted chocolate left overnight to harden on its own, and voila! Tagalong magic without the Girl Scouts to enable me. Not that I’m complaining about that.

Food bloggers often think alike, and if I’m thinking like peanut butter queen Averie, I’m a happy girl. I hope you enjoy all that Tagalong season has to offer on both her site and mine, not to mention the other amazing offerings out there, like this one from Dorothy of Crazy for Crust (a.k.a. one of my favorite food bloggers ever). Eat up!

With the end of the week here, you’d think I would be thrilled. And I am. It’s just that I have fifty thousand research papers looming over my head to be graded this weekend and I’m not looking forward to it. I need to be distracted. And pie is very distracting!

It’s funny, but when it comes to pie, I only get a hankering to get my crust on at particular times of year. Thanksgiving, for instance. I go pie crazy then, making at least five different kinds for dessert after several weeks of research and flavor testing. Something about Thanksgiving makes me want the old-school crust, the pastry kind.

But come early summer, when my pie craving resurfaces with a vengeance, I just want cookie crusts. Graham cracker crust, shortbread crust, or anything else that resembles a cookie holding that pie together. It must be something to do with fruit, and we all know that nothing is nicer with a piece of fruit or sorbet than a nice, light cookie.

No matter what time of year it is, I always want a crumb topping. On pie. On cake. On muffins. In my mouth.

So when the white nectarines start to come out (a.k.a. the best fruit on the planet), it’s pie time! If you want to really impress the people who usually bake with canned peaches, pull this recipe out. It’s easy and perfect for an outdoor picnic. Or an indoor dessert session after a particularly harrowing run-in with a six year-old, a sprinkler, a dead bee and some sidewalk chalk. Don’t ask.

For this pie, I used a pre-made crust. Don’t judge! I keep telling you that. I make my own crust often enough. This time, Keebler’s shortbread crust did the trick quite nicely. If you want to be a crust snob, then make one. I dare you!

If you’d rather spend the extra time eating up the rest of the Ben and Jerry’s in your freezer, then use the grocery store crust. People will still like the pie. Actually, they’ll love it. You see, it’s filled with fresh nectarines (unpeeled, too!) and a sprinkling of vanilla and sugar.

Once you’re done with that, you make a simple crumb topping (easier if you have a pastry cutter, but that’s not a requirement), bake it up, and there you go! Fresh nectarine pie. And you can serve it at whatever temperature you like. I know most people like their pie hot with ice cream on top, but I’m weird. I love cold pie. It’s the best! Especially when it’s warm out.

Forget Pie Day. It’s Pie Season! Grab a fork and get to work!

Ingredients:

• shortbread pie crust (I used Keebler brand)
• 6 ripe white unpeeled nectarines, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (not softened)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Slice six white nectaines into small chunks. You do not need to peel the nectarines; just be sure they are washed well. Place the nectarines into the shortbread pie crust. Drizzle on the vanilla and then sprinkle the sugar evenly over the fruit.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in the butter until the ingredients become crumbly. Press the mixture onto the nectarins filling, being sure the crumbs cover the entire pie.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until the crust is crunchy and browned. Some of the nectarine juice may rise and bubble through the crumbs as well. That is perfectly okay!

Cool if desired and then cut into wedges.