From everything peanut, to peach treats and pumpkin delicacies, you’ll soon be a dessert expert with these fourteen desserts that start with P.
1. Parfait
A parfait is usually a layered dessert made with cream, fresh fruit, and cake or granola. They’re often served in clear glass bowls or cups so that you can see each and every delicious layer. They offer a lovely mix of flavors and textures, which is where the name comes in. Parfait actually means ‘perfect’ in French. And that’s just what a parfait is.
2. Pastry Hearts
This one is pretty self explanatory. Imagine a big display at your local patisserie. Somewhere in there, there’s probably some shaped pastries. Rumor has it that folks in Buffalo, in Western New York, originated these heart-shaped snacks. They are essentially just nice little bites of pastry, shaped into how we all feel about them.
3. Peach Cobbler
Is there anything that makes you think of summer more than a freshly baked peach cobbler? Fresh peaches, chopped and cooked, then smothered in sugar until a gorgeous syrup forms. And all of that goodness topped with biscuits, pie crust, or sugary crumbles? Simply amazing. April 13th is National Peach Cobbler Day. Don’t forget this important holiday!
4. Peanut Brittle
Peanut brittle is a sort of caramelized sugar and peanut confection that you can usually find at your grandma’s house. But it’s actually not that brittle. More incredibly hard and may break your teeth. But if you want to get brave and give it a try, it’s a subtle but tasty peanut-y treat.
5. Peanut Butter Cookies
Did you know that more men prefer crunchy peanut butter and more women and children prefer creamy? But no matter the kind of butter you prefer, everyone can get behind peanut butter cookies. They are smooth, rich in flavor, and fun to make. My favorite part of helping my mom in the kitchen when I was a kid was using a fork to smush down the batter, giving the cookies their signature criss-cross shape on top.
6. Peanut Butter Cups
Whether mini, huge, or shaped like a Jack-O-Lantern, there’s no peanut butter cups that I don’t love! Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are actually the top selling candy every Halloween. Another fun fact about peanut butter cups? They grew popular during World War II because even though chocolate and sugar were hard to come by, peanut butter wasn’t rationed so they could continue to bake these favorite candies.
7. Peanut Butter Pie
A crunchy, cookie crust topped with a whipped-until-fluffy peanut buttery filling. Who could ask for more. The second best thing to peanut butter is cream cheese, so just imagine combining them together! It’s insanely good. Some recipes use Oreos for the crust, while some use Graham Crackers. Which do you prefer for your peanut combo?
8. Pecan Pie
Do you say it pee-can or peh-con? Either way, pecan pie is a delightful pie traditionally made around the holidays. I personally make an awesome sweet potato pecan pie every Thanksgiving. Another fun fact – Astronauts took pecans to the moon twice during the Apollo space missions. But I’m sure they didn’t get to turn them into pie! You simply have to try this oh-so-sweet caramel-y, nutty treat.
9. Pecan Pralines
French settlers brought the recipe for pecan pralines to Louisiana where sugar and pecan trees were on the boom. It’s basically a sugar syrup turned into a candy and including a bunch of big old pecans. They are kind of an old school dessert, so if this is the first time you’re hearing of them, you’re not alone!
10. Pound Cake
Pound cake gets its name from using a pound of flour, eggs, sugar, and butter to make it. However, that makes a huge cake that even a whole family would struggle to finish, so modern recipes have cut down the measurements. But pound cake is still it’s yummy self. It’s thick and dense, while still being fluffy and chock full of flavor. They are usually made in a loaf or Bundt pan and go well with coffee drinks, breakfast, or more simply, fresh fruit.
11. Popsicles
I know I already said this about peach cobbler, but popsicles are the epitome of summer treats. They come in any flavor you can think of, and they are perfect for cooling you off on hot summer days. Whether you like your popsicles more ice cream-based like a Fudgsicle or an Orange Cream Dream, or you like fresh fruit juice flavors like the Firecracker with red cherry, white lime, and blue raspberry, all popsicles are just magically good.
12. Pop Tarts
The funnest part about pop tarts is how they can be eaten for a quick breakfast, or just a sweet treat at any time of the day. Something cool I just learned about pop tarts is that they got their name from Andy Warhol and the Pop Art movement. They were originally going to be called Country Squares, but in the 1960s when they were debuting, a ‘square’ was another word for ‘dweeb’ or just someone totally uncool. So going with something that recalled a hip art and culture movement was the perfect way to rebrand.
13. Pudding
Pudding is that sweet, creamy little treat that we all enjoyed as kids, especially in those perfect little serving cups. Confusingly, in the U.K. pudding can refer to savory pastries instead. Imagine ordering a pudding and instead of a sweet treat you get a steak and kidney pie. I wouldn’t love that! Personally, my favorite pudding flavor has always been butterscotch, with tapioca as a close second. What’s your fave pudding?
14. Pumpkin Pie
Just so you know, pumpkin pie was in fact NOT served at the first Thanksgiving. They did have pumpkins and cooked them into other treats though. But because of this myth the pumpkin has become a symbol of harvest, and later a symbol for Halloween. I love to eat it at both Thanksgiving and Christmas, there’s just something so comforting about its earthy but sweet flavors that always makes me feel cozy and happy from the inside out.
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