A pie in the hand is better than....

two desserts baking in the oven. A fact that came into full focus in the Menil parking lot last week. Porch Swing Desserts is the reason. As I held the chocolate ice box pie in the palm of my hand, I wondered how such a small pie could satisfy my overwhelmingly large sweet tooth.

Fits in the palm of your hand.

Look at that flaky crust. It is a thing of beauty and tastes heavenly.

 "No problem" was the response from the pie. As I processed the first lip-smacking bite, alarm bells went off in my brain, "Danger, Danger, consumption will only make you want more." And in fact that is what happened. Satisfaction, delight, taste bud pirouettes, yes this little pie made loud happy music to my sweet tooth. The savory crust is flaky and light, the filling is rich, thick, dark chocolate topped with fresh whipped cream. A perfect combination.

When I made my pie selection I was torn between the chocolate pie and the lemon pie. Both are favorites, but chocolate won out. The only solution is to go back to Porch Swing Desserts and try the lemon, I know that I will not be disappointed. The banana cream looked pretty good, too. 

Lemon Meringue, Banana Cream (bottom) Chocolate Ice Box Cream Pie

Other offerings by Porch Swing Desserts include seasonal pies (I just missed peach season by a week), cupcakes, cookies and cakes.

Jennifer Diaz is the owner and master baker of Porch Swing Desserts. She learned her art and cultivated her passion for quality desserts in the kitchens of her mother and grandmother. I love that she has brought that homemade tradition to the streets of Houston.

A little dessert poem:

I'll obey them in the winter when the doctors say to me
I must give up ham and spinach, and obedient I'll be.
To relieve my indigestion in December they can try,
But there's none of them can stop me when it's time for cherry pie.
~Edgar A. Guest, The Milwaukee Journal, 1935 May 29

Porch Swing Desserts
www.porchswingdesserts.com