No matter how you slice it, pie season is officially upon us! From classic Thanksgiving pumpkin to fruit-filled holiday favorites like traditional apple pie and apple crumb, and more- and now 20 pies and a few belly aches later we've got our top picks you're sure to savor.
Traditional Apple Pie: If you're a straight up-don't-mess-with-my apple pie lover (as over 40% of pie eaters are) then you will love the Traditional Apple from Balthazar Bakery in Englewood. The dreamy double crusted apple pie features four different varietals of apples from a local farm and balances cooked, cinnamony, slightly sweet apples with a flaky delicate crust. Less traditional but equally delicious is their Apple Galette which is will dress up your holiday table and has a thicker tart crust with the apples arranged delicately on the top. ($35 for the traditional pie, $28 for the 10" Galette, both available at Balthazar Bakery, 214 S Dean St, Englewood, 201-503-9717,Orders must be placed by November 23rd, to guarantee for Thanksgiving).
Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin pie is like that second cousin from Virginia on your mom's side- you're not sure if you like them or not but you feel obligated to have them at your holiday table. Don't sweat it and order up Carousel Cakes' Pumpkin Cheesecake pie- a new york style cheesecake pie with a layer of pumpkin on the top. Served chilled we promise it will be gobbled up before you've brewed the coffee. (Pumpkin Cheesecake $14, available at Cupcakes by Carousel, to order online or at the Englewood or Ridgewood locations, 201-608-5092, Orders for Thanksgiving should be placed on or before November 22nd.) Pumpkin purists will enjoy the new Pies and Quiches in Park Ridge Pumpkin Pie, which has a delicate crust filled with lightly whipped pumpkin filling and hints of orange zest. ($18, available at Pies and Quiches, 133 Kinderkamack Rd, Park Ridge, (201) 746-6251, Orders for Thanksgiving should be placed on or before November 20th)
Apple Crumb: If Apple Crumb is your game we've found your heaven. Pies and Quiches Apple Crumb Pie is perfection in a pan. Think chunks of lightly sweetened apples topped with large cinnamon crumbles- that looks as great as it tastes- so it's perfect to bring to a feast at someone elses house too. ($16, available at Pies and Quiches, 133 Kinderkamack Rd, Park Ridge, (201) 746-6251, Orders for Thanksgiving should be placed on or before November 20th). Great value and easy pickup can be found at Market Basket, who's Apple Crumb was a notch above most of the pies we sampled. ($12.99, available at Market Basket, 813 Franklin Lake Road, Franklin Lakes, (201) 891-2000, pies will be available up through Thanksgiving) And we'd be remiss not to mention Mr. Tods Pie Factory's Apple Crumb, with his acclaimed crust recipe and a delicious filling of apples and crumb, so loved that it sells out daily. ($25, available at Mr. Tods Bakery, 15 W Hudson Ave, Englewood, 201-567-5370, orders for Thanksgiving should be placed before November, 19th).
Non-Traditional: If fall flavors make you want to run for the hills, Cupcakes By Carousel's Elvis Drizzle Cake was just named as one of Oprah's favorite things for 2015. This cake was called "stupid good" by Oprah (and one of our mom tasters) because it's just that. Think layers of vanilla cake filled with banana custard and topped with peanut butter buttercream, a layer of chocolate ganache and a peanut butter sauce drizzle- it pleased our crowd for sure. (Elvis Drizzle Cake, $41.95, available at Cupcakes by Carousel, to order online or at the Englewood or Ridgewood locations, 201-608-5092, Orders for Thanksgiving should be placed on or before November 22nd.)
Gluten Free, Sugar Free and Organic: Got a table of dietary restrictions heading over to your place? Don't stress. Carousel Cakes offers a sugar free version of their apple pie for those trying to keep sweets to a minimum. And Organica Natural Market offers great organic pies and breads that your crowd will love, plus gluten free versions of many of your holiday faves in their frozen foods section. (Organica Natural Market, 246 Livingston St, Northvale, 201-767-8182, Orders can be placed until 3pm Saturday November 21st )
