The Great Thanksgiving Pie Lineup
Opening weekend at The Bakehouse Texas and Thanksgiving pies to prioritize this week!
Friends, hi!
This weekend was the soft launch of The Bakehouse Texas - my little backyard workshop turned once-a-month pop-up bakery - and I’m still on Cloud 9 (and my hips are still sore). I’ve been dreaming about this ever since I bought this big old house in Bellville a year and a half ago, and to finally swing open the door and hand folks warm pastries… it felt like watching a dream ever so gently come to life!
As promised, it was a soft launch (emphasis on soft, please). There are tables to add, a coffee-bar partner to find, signage to refine, and approximately one million tiny odds and ends to smooth out. But I’ve never been one to let perfection get in the way of progress, so we started exactly where we were: with very lovingly made pastries and pies coming out of the shiny new Rofco oven. Not a bad beginning, if I were to humbly pat myself on the back.
The December 20th and January 3rd menus are in the works, and pre-orders open December 6th and 20th (respectively!). My favorite part of this weekend was seeing people drive in from all over the Houston area just to pick up their treats and spend the day exploring sweet, small-town Bellville. I’m out here evangelizing this little town one cookie box at a time, and when you’re ready to visit, I’ll be here baking something for you.
And wouldn’t it be fun to have a little mug exchange!? Don’t get me started (lol, too late) - the possibilities are truly endless.
Until then, we turn our attention toward Thanksgiving, because apparently, the table isn’t going to set itself. Let’s get into it!
I spent longer than I care to admit this weekend trying to remember if I know how to make turkey gravy. I’m changing brainspace from kolache dough to turkey prep and the gears are grinding slow.
But let’s talk about pie!
• I’m not a fan of pumpkin pie only because I was raised on my Dad’s Perfect Sweet Potato Pie which, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, is far superior. But if I were to engage with a pumpkin pie, it would be this Pumpkin Tarte a la Bouille - a recipe from Cajun Louisiana that layers the silkiest pumpkin pudding in a sugar cookie crust. A bottomless tart pan is best for this dessert which might be more of a specialty baking dish but well worth the investment for this custardy pie alone!
Speaking of my dad’s best pie, he wrote all about its creation here - Cliff Notes: The Origins of Dad’s Sweet Potato Pie.
• Hold some fresh cranberries back from the cranberry sauce aside for this Apple Cranberry Pie. Cranberries are like tart little jewels in this pie which compliment the sweet spiced apples really nicely.
• If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving dessert that quietly steals the whole show, let me point you toward a Classic French Silk Pie. In a sea of pumpkin and pecan, French Silk is the unexpected charmer. Perfect with a pot of post-turkey afternoon coffee.
• Or if you’d like to stick with the fluffy variety of pies but go easy on the chocolate: this Fluffy Cranberry Cream Pie takes cranberry sauce to the dessert table and is, SO FUN (because chocolate covered pretzels duh.)
• If you’re just having a small gathering for the holiday this year, consider the Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie. If anything sells you on this pie, let it be the Stovetop Stuffing used as a crumble topping on this creamy savory pot pie. It’s incredible!
That’s all for this week, friends. We all have to head to the kitchen, to wipe down the countertops just to make a mess of them again. I hope it’s a wonderful holiday for you and your family! What ever hits the table - honestly, it’ll be great. Let’s just enjoy each other.
My love to you,
xo Joy
Happy Thanksgiving and Anniversary!