Good Things by David

Every year, toward the end of June, I scour the farmers markets for sour cherries.  These incredibly delicious fruits have such a narrow window of opportunity at the market, that I waste no time in buying some whenever I spot them.  My favorite Amish farmstand near my home brings them in during the last two weeks of June.   Sour cherries fresh from the farmstand. In years past, I have made sour cherry pies, galettes and tarts, but I've never had the pleasure of making hand pies out of them.  I remember as a child how much my older brother and I used to love the Hostess hand pies which came in several flavors.  Apple and cherry were our go-to favorites, so I wanted to give my little desserts a bit of that nostalgia from childhood. Tea and a handpie. These are nothing like the very sweet, prepackaged variety found at the supermarket.  Made with a tried-and-true pate brisee crust, and a precooked sour cherry filling (this is key to making ...

Everyone who bakes, whether it's occasionally or on a regular basis, should have a quick go-to frosting that's prepared in minutes with a minimum of fuss.  This simple vanilla icing is instantly familiar to most of us who grew up spreading home style frostings onto baked goods from those little tubs found in the supermarkets right next to the cake mixes.  You know the ones!  With only a handful of ingredients from one's pantry a homey vanilla frosting can be made in no time to be used for tender cupcakes or on a favorite cake.  The icing is delicious on a red velvet cake, a classic yellow cake, a chocolate cake, a perfect white cake or even a carrot cake.  One can make this frosting several days in advance as long as it's properly sealed in the refrigerator, but since it is so simple to make, I personally find it best to prepare it the moment I want to frost something delicious.  There's nothing ne...