Crawl your way through the best bakeries of Portland and beyond!
Ok, ok… I just wrote a whole blog post about how you shouldn’t mess with traditional recipes on Thanksgiving, like how you should just make a classic pumpkin pie. But this recipe for pecan pie with chocolate and bourbon is just WAY too good to pass up.
I found it in BAKED‘s cookbook, which is one of my favorite bakeries in NYC and by far my favorite baking cookbook, so I knew it had to be good. I tried it last year for my husband’s family Thanksgiving and sure enough, it was delicious.
Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday – I love cooking and I love eating, so it really is the perfect day. For most items served on this wonderful November Thursday, I am all about the traditional dishes. I now make the stuffing for our family’s Thanksgiving because my mom kept trying to make weird ones with wild rice or apricots. While still good, those wacky varieties were just not the same as the classic cornbread stuffing that I love so much.
However when it comes to the desserts, I like experimenting and serving unique creations as well. I mean, there are so many fun choices of pie, why stick with the same ones every year? Sometimes that works out well – like the incredibly decadent Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. And sometimes it just doesn’t work out so well – like last year’s Ginger Pumpkin Pie which no one was a fan of, and I was told this year I have to stick with Classic Pumpkin Pie, no alterations. 
pieku.co • 503.583.4393
Some of my current favorite things: squash of all types as discussed earlier this month, going to bed ridiculously early, and this new show on Animal Planet called Too Cute! (it seriously is all about cute pets, best idea ever). Also included on that list is talking with awesome chefs who are friendly, personable and make delicious food for everyone to enjoy.
Photo Courtesy: Pieku
Last night I got to do just that. I met with Sara Suffriti of Pieku, a newly started pie business that is absolutely fantastic. I first met Sara when she hosted a pie tasting at my apartment building. Her “pie poppers” were adorable and delicious. As I was sampling, I realized that they were the same mini pies that are sold at Salt & Straw, my new favorite ice cream shop (and also found in their Bourbon Pecan Pie ice cream!), so of course I was even more hooked on Sara’s creations.