Every year, I bake a collection of different pies for Thanksgiving. And while my mind wasn’t even on November when I did this, it doesn’t matter. This pie is going down in history as one of the big winners.

Even if you don’t use this for late autumn, it’s a perfect transitional pie. It’s got ice cream in it for warmer weather, but pumpkin for autumnal cravings. Oh, and chocolate chips for chocolate lovers with a chocolate graham cracker crust. Have I mentioned that this is the best tart ever?

I really need a win this week. On Wednesday, I’m not allowed to eat or drink (it’s a fast day), and as a girl who nibbles every two hours, that’s not an exciting prospect. To make it even more fun, I’m recovering from some bizarre hybrid virus that acted kind of like a cold, kind of like the flu, and kind of like a stomach flu, all mixed in one. My body needs to recover.

What better way to get strength back than by eating pie? I really can’t think of a better way. Unless there’s sushi around. Oh, suuuuushi.

In addition to battling a virus, I’m also battling my own self-confidence. And if you are anything like me (and I’m thinking that most of you are), it can be hard to keep your sense of self-esteem high sometimes.

I’ve never talked about this, but about ten years ago, I wrote a novel. It was about a topic that admittedly is not very sexy: the disease of testing and standardization in American public schools. The story was told through the lens of a feisty red-headed teacher who seemed bulletproof, but if I’m remembering my plot correctly, she quit at the end of the book. How’s that for a spoiler?

It doesn’t matter, because the book never got published. I think it’s on a flash drive somewhere. Out of the bazillions of literary agents I sent my manuscript to, only a couple wanted to work with me. One of them liked my writing but not my book, so she wanted me to write a book I wasn’t really interested in writing. The other liked the book, but told me honestly that she didn’t think that it could sell, so she asked me to call her again if I ever wrote another book. It was the nicest rejection I’ve ever gotten.

After a year or two trying to sell the book, I gave up. I stopped writing, which I love to do, and focused on building a family and becoming the best teacher possible. And then, the blog happened.

It’s been such a relief to write again. Creating recipes is a joy, and watching them work out is even more fulfilling. But writing about whatever while I share the recipes is my favorite part of blogging. So it’s no surprise that, once again, I have a book in the works.

This time, I’m trying to be smarter about it. But last night as I was cuddled up with my copy of the latest Writer’s Market, that old feeling of insecurity started popping up again. What if this doesn’t work out either?

The only thing I can do is keep going and hope that my work will resonate. I mean, be honest. Can you resist this frozen pumpkin chocolate chip tart? Because I cannot stop eating it.

It’s as easy as easy comes. The base is a chocolate graham cracker crust, which I make by melting chocolate chips along with the butter before adding the graham cracker crumbs. The filling is made of softened vanilla ice cream, canned pumpkin, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Oh, and chocolate chips. It’s simple, but those are the best recipes. My fork keeps heading toward the freezer.

We all hope that our work makes a contribution to the world, and sometimes it’s easy to let fear of being less-than take over. But when that happens, believe in the work you do. It makes for better writing, better pie, and better days!

Seriously, can we get more holidays like this into the books? I love Cinco de Mayo. It’s just great food and great weather and friends. Mother’s Day is also pretty cool. But first things first. Who can resist a margarita?

I still remember discovering margaritas. There was a restaurant a few blocks away from my D.C. apartment, and they had a brilliant sales plan. In order to keep people waiting for tables happy (and there was always a huge wait on weekends, up to two hours), they’d keep the margarita slushy machines moving with frozen margaritas. Some were plain, some strawberry, and the best ones (my favorite) were swirly. Swirled margaritas are just a true pleasure. They came in tall beer mugs with plenty of salt.

Oh, those irresponsible days, slurping away and eating chips with queso dip, enjoying warm spring nights. Now if I drink a margarita, I pay for it when somebody small wakes me up way too early the next morning. So while I still indulge occasionally I can’t do it much. Instead, I’ve incorporated non-alcoholic margarita flavors into this awesome custard pie.

Recently, Edy’s (they’re called Dreyer’s in other states) premiered a frozen custard line. The second I saw a container in the freezer section, the light bulbs started going off everywhere in my brain.

One of the first things I wanted to do with the custard was incorporate it into a frozen pie. And what better way to begin than with margarita? Now, there is no margarita in here. I mean, no tequila, no margarita. That simple. But the sentiment is there!

You begin with my tricked-out graham cracker crust, which has white chocolate chips melted into the base. Plenty of lime zest, lime juice, and custard later, you’re ready to roll.

This custard softens quickly, which makes it an ideal base for the pie. It’s as basic as baking gets. The lime zest and lime juice play against the sweet custard perfectly, and the graham cracker base provides the same addictive crunch that those little cookie pieces in the best ice cream cakes incorporate.

There are so many options for Cinco de Mayo, but it should be a holiday that comes with ease and sunshine, not hard work and hours in a hot kitchen. This recipe is easy, cool and quick. When you’re done, you might even have time for a real frozen margarita.

And if you can’t get your margaritas the traditional way, there’s always frozen custard. In hot weather, it’s just as good, if not better. Have a great holiday, and I’ll be back Wednesday with a super easy Mother’s Day recipe that anyone, even a child, can bake. And it’s impressive! How’s that for a cliffhanger?

Every now and then, I also like to bake a summery dessert to raise the brightness in the kitchen. Nothing is more summery to me than citrus, especially anything yellow. So these Meyer lemon pie bars are perfect for cheering up the landscape!

If you’ve never used a Meyer lemon, you need to try it out. They’re rounder, smaller and sweeter than regular lemons, with a much thinner skin. And while they don’t have as high an acidity level as regular lemons, they can still be used in savory dishes. I made a Cornish hen the other night and put half a Meyer lemon in its cavity while squeezing the other half over the skin. It turned out really well.

For baking, of course, Meyer lemons are ideal. If you can’t find any, though, don’t sweat it. This recipe can be made with regular lemon. But when given the choice, go Meyer!

These bars are a riff on a classic key lime pie. If you’ve had a good key lime pie, then just picture that filling, but with Meyer lemons. I also prefer my pie in bar form. It’s easier to eat, more portable, and you can have more servings without feeling like you’re overdoing it.

When it comes to the graham cracker crust, I melt white chocolate into the base to contrast more sharply with the tang of the citrus. The sweetness of the crust against the filling is pretty dramatic.

And this recipe is astonishingly easy, not to mention a real crowd-pleaser. Lemon is the dark horse of baking. It’s more addictive than chocolate, though nobody realizes that until they’re eating their third lemon pie bar square. I dare you to eat just one!

Since this is the time of year that people usually count their blessings and express thanks, I have to think about the amazing teachers I work with. I don’t write about my job much here, but as many of you know, I’m a full-time, National Board certified high school English teacher. It’s a very intense job and my days are anything but relaxing, especially since my downtime is nonexistent with three small kids at home. But man, do I love it.

I’m lucky to work with some amazing people. For years, I’ve developed friendships in the trenches of teaching and as I get older, my department feels like a second family. A lot of my baking goes to these wonderful teachers, so many of whom are underappreciated. And boy, when we get together, we know how to party.

This German chocolate pie is a product of Friendsgiving, hosted by one of my best work buddies. She’s amazing, and her favorite treat is anything in that flavor. So, of course I had to go all mashup with this pie.

I’m just gonna say this: a woman I don’t even know was at the dinner and when she tried the pie, she walked across the room and hugged me. It was definitely a high point. I used a graham cracker crust and a dense, fudgy brownie base. The frosting is a simple stovetop concoction that I got from a fabulous blog, Two in the Kitchen. Check it out!

I might be done with pie for a little while, but I’m sure not done with my buddies at work. They make even the roughest days one laugh after another, and baking them treats is just one way to show my gratitude. And for all you non-teachers out there, just remember how hard we work for you and your kids. We focus too much on the negative sometimes, and there are so many amazing teachers in our schools. Appreciate them this holiday season!

I scoop up Reese’s and Snickers and Twix and M & Ms, shove them in my desk drawer, and have snacks for the next few weeks. Believe me, I have no qualms about having candy around. It doesn’t bother me at all. Candy was meant to be eaten!

Unless your husband beats you to the punch, which is part of my problem. As much as I can understand his need to eat the spoils, I like to bake with leftover Halloween candy. If you’re Sprinkle Bakes, you make this amazing cake that makes me drool. If you’re Mom on Timeout, you make the best peanut butter fudge ever! And if you’re me, you throw everything into a magic bar.

These magic bars are nutty. They’re a combo of chopped Nutrageous bars (which I didn’t know Reese’s still made, so happy day!), chopped Snickers, and peanut M & Ms. I put all that goodness atop a simple graham cracker crust and poured condensed milk on top. Never have the results been quite so addictive.

And it was easy! Super easy. I’m no Sprinkle Bakes, though I wish I could be. Nobody’s cakes look as amazing as hers. But if I can’t make a beautiful cake candy mountain, I can still make candy into sticky, gooey deliciousness.

Listen to me closely: there is no social obligation to get rid of your candy. Candy is happy. But if you want to put it all somewhere other than the pantry to tempt you, bake up these bars and serve them to friends. It’ll be a heck of a lot less depressing than watching people lining up to get rid of something perfectly delicious as you feast off of their leftovers.

That’s even more the case when I have a crust ready to go! I just showed you how to make a tricked-out graham cracker crust via this tutorial, so now what to do? Fill it, of course. No good deed goes unpunished, and no graham cracker crust goes unfilled. It’s the rule.

Instead of using my typical fruit or cheesecake filling, I decided to make a brownie pie. This brownie recipe (my go-to) is fudgy and dense. If you take care not to overbake it, the brownie filling will be perfectly truffle-like. See that cross-section? Pure chocolate amazingness!

When I first set out to make this, I figured I’d be able to resist it. Wrong. Something about that rich brownie in the graham cracker crust kept me heading back toward the pie plate, knife in hand, for more and more slivers. I kept sharing it with my daughters (who are chocolate fiends just like me) so that it would go away before I ate it all.

The great part about this pie is that it takes very little time. In fact, you can use one bowl, starting with the crust (and then rinsing it out) and finishing with the brownie batter. And no mixer! Happy times!

Brownies are great, but brownie pie is greater. Find out for yourself!

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Brownie:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a pie pan with cooking spray.

Melt the butter and white chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth, and then mix in the brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs until the mixture is moist and crumbly. Press the crust firmly into the pie pan, working the crust up the sides.

Bake the crust for 5-10 minutes until set.

While the crust is baking, make the brownie batter. Mix the cocoa into the melted butter until it dissolves. Add the sugar and stir again. When the sugar is incorporated, mix in the vanilla and eggs. Add the flour, mixing until just combined.

Pour the brownie batter into the graham cracker crust and bake for 30-35 minutes until set. Do not overbake. Cool and cut into wedges.

We went to a Mommy and Me at a local outdoor shopping square, and I have to be honest. It was pretty uneventful. There was a stage where a bunch of mothers were singing along to a CD player blaring “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” The rest of the square was littered with local vendors trying to lure us into their stores. That was slightly more appealing, but I couldn’t justify walking into adorable boutiques with breakable items while I was dragging sticky people around.

By the time we got home, I was having a major sugar craving. Luckily, this cheesecake was at the ready in my freezer. I made it a couple of weeks ago, served half of it to guests, ate a couple of slices, and froze the rest. And boy, has it been coming in handy for those hot tired days when I come home ready to collapse!

As is the case when I make cheesecake, this guy is over the top. Yes, this cheesecake is male. He’s covered in Rolo, Snickers and Reese’s minis. And hot fudge. Hel-lo, lover.

The base is my usual go-to for cheesecake. Along with the usual graham cracker crumbs and butter and brown sugar, I melt in peanut butter chips. It’s like a cookie holding up my cheesecake. Because we don’t want anything to be flimsy, ya know?

And yes, the base of the cheesecake is a little lighter. But it has to be. How else could I justify piling on all that candy? So there. Consider this indulgence slightly less indulgent. But it’s still pretty insane. Even with freezer condensation. I love frozen cheesecake.

Evening has come to my happy home, and as the children shriek away, the remaining cheesecake (maybe a slice at this point) sits in the freezer, ready for me when I need it. Tomorrow, Camp Mommy is going mini-golfing. I’m pretty sure the cheesecake will be reappearing at about three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.

So give this a shot! It’s summer vacation. We all need a break!

Crust:

• 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Filling:

• 4 packages (8 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
• 4 egg whites
• 2 eggs
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 package mini Rolos, divided
• 1 package mini Reese’s (the unwrapped kind), divided
• 1 package mini Snickers, divided

Topping:

• hot fudge sauce (drizzle to taste)
• remaining mini candies (Rolos, Reese’s and Snickers)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan and place on a cookie sheet.

Melt the butter and peanut butter chips in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth, and then mix in the brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs until the mixture is moist and crumbly. Press the crust firmly into the pan, working the crust slightly up the sides.

Bake the crust for 5-10 minutes until set.

While the crust is baking, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add the egg whites, egg, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice and beat once more until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in half of the package of each kind of mini chocolate candy.

Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust and bake for 50 minutes. Do not open the oven while baking or cracks will appear on the surface. The cheesecake should be golden at the edges and firm in the middle.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool. Sprinkle the remaining peanut butter cups, Rolos and Snickers evenly over the surface and then drizzle with hot fudge sauce.

Chill for three hours (or preferably overnight). Slice into wedges and serve!

1) A perfect nap is harder to find than a good life partner.

2) Summer dresses are the best part of being a girl.

3) Beaches are magical.

4) Even if it sucks, you have to sweat every day to feel good.

5) Cheesecake is the best and worst dessert of all time.

What was that last observation?

I love cheesecake. LOVE it. Most people do, you know. But when you see how much gets loaded into the batter, it’s kind of sad. Because all that deliciousness usually comes at quite a price, health-wise. Fat? Check. Calories? Check. Indigestion? Double check.

But fear not! You don’t have to drop cheesecake from your repertoire. These bars do the trick quite nicely and you will never know they’re skinny!

I took these to an annual neighborhood potluck, where I received a very happy compliment. A teenager was eating one of the bars, and she said, “You know, I really don’t like cheesecake much, but these are amazing.” So skinny or not, here these bars come! Nobody will know you used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Or that you used egg whites instead of whole eggs. It works!

The only downside to this recipe is that the cheesecake can crack more easily. To reduce that likelihood, don’t open the oven door until it’s time to take the bars out and let them cool in a nice, still place. And if they do crack, meh. You’re cutting them into squares anyway!

And remember to melt white chocolate into your graham cracker crust! As you know, I feel very strongly about that step. It’s a game changer!

So here it is. Cheesecake without guilt? Yes, please!

Crust:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Cheesecake Filling:

• 1 packaged reduced-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and white chocolate. Stir until smooth. Mix in the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar until the crumbs are moist. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, being sure that you pack the crust tightly with your fingers.

Bake for 5-10 minutes until set.

While the crust is baking, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add the egg whites, egg, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice and beat once more until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in both kinds of chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 minutes until the cheesecake is set. Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

Is it just me or is there a very strong Nutella bandwagon out there? The people who have joined are fanatics. They put the stuff on everything. Kind of like how I am with peanut butter. I mean, I really like Nutella, but it’s a fondness and not a craze for me.

That said, I understand food loyalty. See the above comment about peanut butter. I put it in everything. So I wanted to make a recipe for you Nutella people out there, and this one’s a real doozy. It’s got two different layers that contain Nutella, plus hazelnuts and chocolate. You will fall out of your chairs, eat the whole pan and then not feel the slightest bit remorseful when that sugar crash hits. How’s that for a guarantee?

These bars are easy, gratifying, and literally bursting with Nutella. And like any magic bar, they are intense in the best way possible. I dare you to resist! You can’t. Ha.

How did I do this? Well, I’m here to share my secrets. It all begins by ignoring the instructions on the Nutella jar. You know where it says “Do not microwave?” Yep. I went there. It feels so good to be so baaaad. But don’t go crazy. Just heat it for 20 seconds or so and then stir it into the melted butter for your graham cracker base. I guarantee that the world will not explode, the bars will taste perfect, and nobody will know the sacrelige you just performed.

Not when the results are so much fun! They look kind of like brownies, I know. But they’re not. They’re gooey and hazelnutty and the top gets to be like caramel. Condensed milk, how I love thee!

If you get up right now and make these, they’ll be in your mouth before you know it. And for you Nutella people out there, let me know if this recipe fits the bill! Feedback, please!

Base:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Topping:

• Nutella (remainder of a 13 oz. jar), gently melted
• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped hazelnuts
• 1 and 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter for 40 seconds. Then add the 1/2 cup of Nutella and microwave for another 20 seconds. Stir until well combined. Add the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar, stirring again until the mixture is crumbly. Press the crumbs into the baking pan. Bake for 5-10 minutes until set and then remove from the oven.

In a bowl, melt the remaining Nutella for about 20-25 seconds. Do not overheat! Spread the melted Nutella on the graham cracker crust, extending to the edges. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts evenly over the Nutella layer and then do the same with the chocolate chips. Pour the condensed milk over the pan.

Bake for 25 minutes. The top should be golden, but not too brown. Allow to cool and then cut into squares. You can store the bars in an airtight container for up to one week!

I’m all about lime, all year long. But this time of year is special because it’s socially acceptable to like lime in May. In November, not so much. That doesn’t stop me from squirting lime juice onto everything all the time, from salads to fish to salsa. Mmm.

Key lime is even more fun. Those little limes are so cute! They come in a bag and they just look so happy that someone is loving them and using them in dessert. And boy, are they right. I don’t know what I’d do without those little suckers.

With them, the possibilities are endless. And as much as I love key lime pie, I love the bars even more. They’re essentially the same thing, but I’m big into bars because it’s totally okay to eat several in one sitting. There’s this odd thing in our culture where one slice of pie is supposedly enough. As if! But it’s cool to eat lots and lots of bars. So you can bet I’m making all of this joy in an 8 x 8 pan. Aw yeah.

As usual, I like to kick my graham cracker crust up a notch by adding melted chocolate (white chocolate, in this case). It really adds some wonderful sweetness to the bar’s base, making the sharp tang of the lime even more distinct. If you’re into varying flavors in your dessert (salted caramel, anyone?), always melt some chocolate into your crust. And instead of using white sugar, use brown. It caramelizes the crust and makes it completely irresistible.

If you like your bars to be super tangy, just add more zest to taste. But don’t go overboard, because everyone has a limit. You want a good zing, but that’s about it.

This recipe is ridiculously simple. And it’s totally worth it. Eat up!

Crust:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Filling:

• 1-2 tablespoons key lime zest
• 1/2 cup key lime juice (you can use bottled)
• 2 egg yolks
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and white chocolate. Stir until smooth. Mix in the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar until the crumbs are moist. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan, being sure that you pack the crust tightly with your fingers.

Bake for 5-10 minutes until set.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Combine the zest, key lime juice, and egg yolks. Stir in the condensed milk and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until set.

Allow the bars to cool completely. Refrigerate for at least two hours (overnight is better). When you’re ready to serve, cut into squares!