Orange and Cream Pie

One of the desserts I made for Winfrey Family Easter (okay, actually it wasn't the Winfrey side of the family, but I'm still going to call it that) was Joy the Baker's Orange and Cream Pie. I'd made it once before and it turned out reasonably well, and citrus seemed appropriately springlike. But mostly I just love making pudding like it's nobody's business. There are few things as satisfying in this world as making a pudding pie. First, there's the matter of the graham cracker crust. Graham cracker crusts are easy to assemble but still leave me feeling as if I've accomplished something. Melt butter, add crumbs, press into pan---really, this is a very salt-of-the-earth pie crust we're talking about. Then there's the actual pudding, the making of which seems nothing less than magical every time. Logically, I understand that adding cornstarch to a liquid will cause it to thicken. I mean, scientifically, I get it. But there's still a part of me that always thinks "Maybe this time it won't happen!" And when it does, I feel like an alchemist. Well, an alchemist that deals in pudding, not gold.

There were too many desserts so Chase was the only one that tried this. He gave it a thumbs up, though, so my mission was a success.