I love pastries! I gather Austin favorites in an annual list for the Austin Food Bloggers Alliance. Thinking about the many bakeries in Austin and their origins made me want to start a series where I dive deeper than the list. Pastries in Austin will feature the pastries, the bakers, and the traditions that inspire them.

Disclosure: I attended a complimentary media tasting recently, though I’ve been buying Tiny Pies for years and will continue to buy them!

If you’ve ever tried to wrap up a slice of dessert to-go, you know how messy it can be. This was the thought process when owner and founder Amanda Bates’ son asked to take a slice of pie to school. Amanda and her mom Kit Seay got to thinking and the result is an Austin favorite that is shared and spotlighted nationwide. And you know what? No more messy pies to-go! These pies fit in your hand, much like a cupcake.

These are the tiny-tiny pie versions!

Tiny Pies opened in 2011 and started selling their pies at local farmers markets. They’ve grown quickly since opening, from creating packaged products to opening two storefronts in Austin. Their accolades include earning a spot on Oprah’s O List in The Oprah Magazine and being on the Katie Couric show. As much as I’ve stopped by for a tiny pie on the way home from work or picked up treats as gifts, I can’t imagine a time when these sweet treats haven’t been in my life. I’m not the only fan. Last Thanksgiving, they sold 2000 pies to walk-in customers in a five-hour period, and this didn’t even include pre-orders!

What makes me go back to Tiny Pies again and again? The flavors and the crust. The beautiful thing about pastries is the way the ingredients transform into something that melts in your mouth. They’re flaky and buttery, and that’s exactly what you’ll find with these pies. When it comes to the filling, they source locally as much as possible, so you know it’s fresh and full of flavor.

For flavors, they’ve got the “classic” favorites – apple, cherry, and pecan – along with other best-sellers such as Texas Two Step (pecan pie with a brownie on top) and the Chocolate Cream (chocolate pastry cream with whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings). While my favorite flavors are apple and pecan, I also love their chess pie and seasonal strawberry basil pie (summer) and pear cranberry pie (fall)!

There’s frequently something new in store. I finally tasted one of their cherry pie tarts and it has hands-down become my favorite thing. I’m also loving the pot pies and empanadas. They’re all vegetarian and made with local veggies, usually whatever they get from the farmers market that week. My favorite savory offerings are the veggie pot pie, potato leek empanada, and spinach ricotta empanada. Kitchen Manager and Pastry Chef William Ankeney joined the Tiny Pies team this year and you bet he’s been helping with some exciting additions, like the savory pies. I hear they’re also working on some gluten-free options…

Savory Pot Pies and Empanadas

Though their signature offerings are the tiny pies that will fit in your hand, they also bake “not so tiny” nine-inch pies you can order for a gathering. Yes, they do custom orders for events and gifts! These are great for weddings, company parties, and party favors. You can decide the flavors, sizes, and shapes of your pies. From intricate designs to cute pie pop shapes, they will all taste amazing and are sure to delight your party guests. Check out this pretty pie!

With all the success they’ve earned, the Tiny Pies team continues to bake up smiles and fill our tables with delicious pies! Because of childhood experiences, I always thought pies were strictly for Thanksgiving. Since Tiny Pies has been around, I’ve happily learned they are perfect for any occasion year-round. Cheers to pie!

Tiny Pies
http://www.tinypies.com/
Storefronts: 5035 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756 and 2032 South Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78704
Yes, they ship nationwide! Order on their website.

P.S. Want to see the other pastries on my list? See them here!

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The post Tiny Pies: The Place for Delicious Pies in Austin appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

November is easily my favorite month of the year. It’s my birthday month, Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving month and officially THE start of pie season. With the help of Brit + Co and Mrs. Smith’s, I gathered some of my favorite crafty ladies to enjoy a mini Friendsgiving and a DIY pie dish party.

For the décor, I kept it simple with a fall theme of gold and burgundy. I re-used the votive holders from last year’s Friendsgiving and added flowers. Place cards with gold leaf stickers and gold lettering completed the look.

For our menu, we had a spread of favorite Thanksgiving dishes, including Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and apple walnut salad. My friend Julie made a rich and appetizing pumpkin gooey cake dessert that was a hit! Also for dessert, Mrs. Smith’s provided tasty pumpkin and dutch apple pies that were easy as pie to prepare. They come frozen and they filled my house with the comforting smells of the holidays.

It looks like the apple pie craving was stronger than the pumpkin pie craving!

Perfectly timed for Thanksgiving, our pie dish DIY ensured we have something gorgeous and unique to display our pies in a few weeks. Similar to our other Brit + Co DIYs, this pie dish DIY was all about the pattern. We used porcelain pens to create our best designs.

Here are our beautiful final products!

Little nod to Adele

Thank you Mrs. Smith’s for sponsoring our party!

I hope you have a wonderful pie season and happy Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving!

What’s your favorite kind of pie?

Check out the other Brit + Co DIY parties I’ve hosted.

One of my goals this year is to throw 12 celebrations. This is #14. These are big and small parties for any occasion with the goal of planning and executing something fun. See all the celebrations here.

Disclosure: Brit + Co and Mrs. Smith’s provided me complimentary craft kits and complimentary pies. I was not required to review the kits or pies or write a blog post about the party, but I hope you find inspiration from it.

The post DIY Pie Dish with Brit + Co and Mrs. Smith’s appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

I’ve made galettes a handful of times in the past year and love the simplicity yet impressive nature of them. The galette is very similar to a pie but more laid-back. Since it is free-form, it’s slightly more forgiving. Galettes embody the word rustic and aligning to the pie, the fall feels like the perfect time to make them. Sometimes called tarts or crostatas, galettes are also very easy to adjust for seasonality by substituting the current season’s fruits, vegetables and flavors.

I’ve been hankering for an apple dessert to welcome fall, and this recipe was quick and easy.

For the pie crust, you can find a ready-to-use, roll-out version in the freezer aisle of your grocery store. I haven’t seen them at HEB but they’re available at Whole Foods and Central Market.

As if you could make this apple galette any better, plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on that warm sucker, drizzle some salted caramel on top, and sprinkle with crushed pecans.

Apple Cinnamon Galette
Serving Size: 6
Total Time: 1 hour and 15 min
This recipe uses a store-bought pie crust.

Apple Cinnamon Filling

• 3 medium apples
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed

1. Be sure to take out your pie pastry to allow enough time to defrost.
2. Mix apples, sugar, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, and flour in a large bowl, coating the apples. Set aside to soak.
3. Roll out your pie pastry.
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
5. Place the mixture (with some of the juices) onto your pie crust. Save the rest of the juices.
6. Scatter your butter on top.
7. Fold the edges of your pastry over the apples.
8. Brush the rest of the mixture’s juices on the edge of the pastry.
9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the timing for a golden crust.
10. Allow to cool slightly.
11. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce.

Here are some great galette recipes from fellow Austin Food Blogger Alliance members.

• Blueberry and Peach Galette by Cooking By Design
• Roasted Tomato, Bacon and Goat Cheese Galette by Spoon and Ink
• Prickly Pear Galette by Natalie Paramore
• Bourbon-Honey Peach Galette by Butterlust

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