Growing another year older? Why not try a Pie-tart-athon for your next birthday bash?

Each year, we celebrate the birthday of April, Hawaii representative and longtime supporter of The Great American Bakery Hunt.  By request of the birthday girl, this year we saluted April growing another year wiser with a pie-tart-athon that included three recipe contributions.  Because one pie or tart is never enough, and this being a pie-tart-athon after all, we cooked up some apple pie, chocolate chip cookie pie, and a berry tart with mascarpone cream!  The last recipe hails from Epicurious and was a great surprise.  For something that may appear very decadent and elaborate in preparation, this recipe was a snap to pull together (on a work night no less!) and a great addition to the pie-tart-athon.  

And this leads us to an important lesson: you too, brave reader, can whip up a tart from scratch.  Don't let the concept intimidate you!  If you're wondering what's underneath those berries, it's a simple but epic mixture of mascarpone cheese, cream, and sugar beaten together into pure culinary bliss.


In conclusion, we salute April for her continued dedication to the hunt, for having our back (like when we dropped ALL our wallet change in the middle of the Wilshire crosswalk and she helped us pick it up despite angry, embittered oncoming LA traffic), and for living life with that little extra "oomph."  Without people like her, events like pie-tart-athons might never be possible. 


Here at The Great American Bakery Hunt, we would like to publicly thank the entire island of Maui for lending April to us. California sure is lucky to have her!

April's apple pie + awesome t-shirt