I was at our corner store last night picking up stuff for dinner last night, when Charles called and said "What's for dessert?" Now mind you, I was not at the grocery store - I was at a small market with a limited, although excellent, selection.
I spotted this pie from Vermont Mystic Pie Company in the frozen section, and I just had a feeling about it. That feeling came when I read the phrase "100% pure butter crust", with no trans-fats. And it came in one flavor only, Blueberry.
So I took one home ($12.99 later), and when I got it out to bake it, I was impressed that it was in such good shape out of the box (no broken edges - I hate that, are you listening Mrs. Smith's???), and the upper crust was a huge dome, promising tons of fruit inside.
While it was in the oven making magic, I checked out the website and was very impressed. The artwork has a Ben-and-Jerry's meets Moosewood Cookbook feel for a reason - the founder of the company is a veteran of socially minded companies such as B & J's and Celestial Seasonings Teas. I love the fact that they use King Arthur Flour and Cabot Butter (which is my great-Aunt Martha's family - hi, Aunt Martha!), as well as hand-picked locally-grown fruit.
And they only make 2 kinds of pie - Apple and Blueberry. None of this Dutch Apple and French Silk shit - just classic fruit pies.
And the result? Oh, man. The closest I have tasted to a homemade pie out of the box by a long shot. The filling is absolutely perfect - juicy fruit, not too sweet, and no gel. This is why it is absolutely essential to let the pie rest for at least 45 min after it comes out of the oven - the fruit and juice have to settle, otherwise it will be a soupy mess. The crust is flaky and tasty and not oily, and holds up to the fruit. They sell the crusts separately, which I am thrilled about as I hate being stuck buying the Pilsbury ones.
They are sold at Whole Foods, Rainbow Grocery and other gourmet food emporiums throughout the country - the map on the website is very well done and easy to use.
I'm saying it here: Pie is the new Cupcake.
What a perfect treat on a cold night in front of the fire watching the season opener of Project Runway.
