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Um, only sure insofar as:

1) I watched one of the bakers make two batches of dough (40 pies' worth), start to finish, using only butter

2) I have video of Paula saying why she doesn't like shortening in pies and talking about her process of experimentation with recipes to arrive at her all butter crust

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I asked about the crusts for their sweet pies and was told all butter, no other shortening.

Mods...move if necessary.

Wife bought a Pork Apple Sage Supper Pie Saturday
with no instructions on what to do with it.

Should it be refridgerated until heated?

At what temp and for how long?

A little help please!

They didn't write it on the box? That's usually what they do.

If I recall, it's 350F for about 20 minutes, or until hot in center...

...unless you really didn't refrigerate it since last Saturday, in which case, bury it with full honors...

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Yeah, um, refrigerate. I just double checked the three boxes from pork-apple-sage pies I have in my recycling bin. It is 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Oh pie, oh pie, oh pie... I really did not want to be the one to say this. In fact, I've been in denial, my pie consumption unabated, dismissing dud pie after dud pie from the last few weeks in the back of my mind. It could not be possible that *I* would need to sound a downhill alert for my beloved Hoosier Mama Pie Company, but now I feel I must, however meekly.

I held off on sounding the alert mainly because I have had to cut back on pie crust, so even though I have maintained my average of 3-4 slices of HMPC pie per week, I actually haven't been partaking in whole pie. I have had very few bites of crust here and there, but I've mainly had to (gasp!) dispose of my crust or give it to fellow pie-eaters. I've noted that the crusts have looked uniformly pale and underbaked (and tasted so when I've eaten it). Fellow pie-eaters have agreed. However, and I know this is going to sound crazy, feeling deeply bitter and cursed about newly having to avoid pie crust, I saw the decline in HMPC crust as the world showing me a little mercy, benevolence even--I wasn't going to be able to eat crust, but it wouldn't really matter as the crust sucked now anyway. As I said, craziness.

I haven't been to the shop yet, but I'm concerned about this since HMP just accepted its GNR last night. Perhaps, I will amble over to the shop on Friday or Saturday for a new take.

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Ava-"If you get down and out, just get in the kitchen and bake a cake."- Jean Strickland

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Whoa...you clearly take your pies very seriously!
They seem to be a very important part of your life, that are to be carefully studied and contemplated. Not that that's so wrong- because it's not. It couldn't be remotely possible that you're a bit obsessed about your pies, pies, pies, could it? Or, heaven forbid, somewhat neurotic about your pies, pies, pies?

Yup.

Had my first taste of Hoosier Mama Pie Co. last night, a piece of the maple pecan (plus a couple bites of Hoosier sugar cream and chocolate cream w/ banana). The bottom crust was a tad on the pale side, but I didn't think it was a deal breaker by any means...in fact, the maple pecan pie was a unanimous hit:



This pic's color is actually accurate - the crust was decently browned at the edges. The maple syrup flavor was way over-the-top, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Maple syrup is one of my all-time favorite flavors (it's up there with butterscotch and just below caramel), so "subtle" would have been a letdown for me.

Speaking of caramel, holy crap was that Hoosier sugar cream pie amazing. I picked up a piece for some variety, so unfortunately four of us had to split it, and we all raved about the caramel flavor and rich, custardy texture. I could easily see this becoming my go-to for instant pants-tightening.

The chocolate cream pie with banana was excellent in theory, but I guess these types of pies just aren't my thing...I like some varying textures, rather than creamy filling topped with creamy whipped cream. Three out of four of us agreed that one bite of this pie was enough due to its chocolatey richness...the fourth disagreed, ate the rest, and licked the plastic container clean.

I've been here twice in the past two days and I agree completely with the above assessment, the sugar cream was definitely the highlight for me. Thank god I only got a slice, I could have easily downed at least a small pie.

I also tried the Chocolate Chess, the Apple, and the Pear-Raspberry. The Chocolate chess was pretty good, but it really is a brownie baked into a pie (I shouldn't complain, eh?) The Apple was a solid good and the Pear-Raspberry was good if unremarkable. I have a small cherry pie sitting upstairs at the moment, very little chance of that lasting until tomorrow.

Next time I go I'd probably get the sugar cream again. I'd also wanted to try the pork-apple-sage, but they were out of it yesterday.

I'm not much of a pie eater but Hoosier Mama could convert me. A couple weeks ago I visited the shop with happy_stomach (it's her home away from home) and a few others. We tried four pies: pumpkin, pork-apple-sage, oatmeal, and apple-quince.



I think it's safe to say any crust problems are in the past. At least to me, each crust seemed perfectly baked with a pleasing balance of flakiness and substance. The pumpkin filling was one of the best I've had, with a somewhat mousse-like texture yet still true to the pie's traditional roots.



We ate the pork pie unheated, surely not to the pie's advantage, but it was still excellent. I'll be getting one of these to heat at home soon.

I expected to especially like the oatmeal pie but it was the only one I wouldn't order again. I found it too sweet (it's a variant of pecan pie, another I'm not terribly fond of) and the spicing too aggressive. Fans of pecan pie should consider trying it though.



Apple-quince was another winner, with large chunks of easily distinguishable fruit, not too sweet and judiciously spiced.

The long narrow space is very inviting and energetic, with a small army of piemakers scurrying around in back and a steady stream of customers waiting to buy pies in the small front space. Everyone, both customers and workers, seemed happy to be there. We were fortunate on a Saturday afternoon to get the prime window table beneath the shelf holding a small library of pie books.

Hoosier Mama Pie Company
1618-1/2 Chicago Av
Chicago
312-243-4846

Snagged the window table with Crrush for mid morning chat over pie and coffee. Pumpkin, adorned with cute and tasty gingerbread cookies, was as as good as pie gets. Flaky crust, light nuanced filling and an overall pleasing sensibility.

I highly recommend pie for breakfast, in particular Hoosier Mama pie.

Enjoy,
Gary

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Yes! HMPC pie for breakfast is awesome. If I'm ever late for work, that's why.

Pie Lady posted the announcement on the Events board, but one can now get Hoosier Mama pie à la mode at the Chicago Avenue shop.

While it's not on their website, Hoosier Mama apparently is at capacity and is not taking any more pie orders for Thanksgiving.

Yeah. I got some details for my Gapers Block piece:

Hi- I had heard that the Unicorn Cafe in downtown Evanston carried Hoosier Mama Pie, but every time I was in the neighborhood, I would check to see if they had it, and I never found it there until yesterday. I ended up buying a piece of apple-pear-cranberrie pie, and a cup of coffee. The pie was very good, although they could have offered to heat it up for me. I asked if it was Hoosier Mama, and they guy said yes. He told me that they only get 2 or sometimes 3 pies delivered on Friday, so they frequently run out before there next delivery. They only charge $3.50 for a fairly large slice of pie, so it really is not much more expensive than buying a whole pie at the bakery. I don't think that enough people know how good their pies are, because the pies had been sitting there for four days, and there were still several pieces of each of the two pies left when I purchased my slice. The place was almost packed when I got there yesterday afternoon, and I got the last available table. The Unicorn Cafe is located at 1723 Sherman in downtown Evanston. Hope this helps, Nancy

I almost always walk out of a place immediately - and in a pissy mood - when they offer to "heat up" my pie. 97.6% of the time it means they are nuking it, and I'd rather have leeches suck me to death than eat a microwaved piece of pie.

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FWIW, I've been at the Hoosier Mama shop and seen them heat up the savory pies for customers in the oven.

-Dan

They are in the 2.4%

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...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

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Okay, it only took me a year, but today was my first and certainly not last visit to HMPie. It was a clusterfuck in there, probably due to Thanksgiving, and steamin' hot, so I regretted my decision to eat in, but that's where the negativity ends. I had the sugar cream, and it was as fabulous as people say, with a nice caramelly taste. Though the size was pretty big, I wanted another right after. Sadly, the passionfruit meringue and pear were both sold out, but I ordered a pear cranberry and peanut butter to go, plus a frozen pork apple sage for Thanksgiving, all for $40. Pretty sweet. I'm still not sure how I feel about the crust—I thought it was a little crackery on the first impression. Extra love: the free pitcher of water so I didn't have to buy yet another plastic bottle. I was pretty impressed with the first taste, so I'm really glad I don't live that close!

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I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason Love
There is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy Stomach
I can't go to Hollywood. I got biscuits to make. ~ Dwight Henry

Late-Nite Eats Database

I had thought they were only doing pickups on the days leading up to thanksgiving. For your to-go order, were these slices or whole pies?

I ordered a frozen pork pie (or had them hold it, more accurately), ate a sugar cream slice there, and had them box up one slice each of pear cranberry and peanut butter.

Assuming the fruit would go bad before the peanut butter, I ate the cran-pear last night. I loved the crunchy crumb/pecan topping and the flavor (a little tart, not too sweet) but the pears were undercooked and as crisp as if I'd eaten them raw, and I could have used more cranberries. If the sugar cream was an A+, this would be a B+. I told a friend about this place and his response was "a trip to Hoosier Mama is inevitable."

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I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason Love
There is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy Stomach
I can't go to Hollywood. I got biscuits to make. ~ Dwight Henry

Late-Nite Eats Database

Thank you happy stomach! Because of your reminder to hit green city market, you have saved thanksgiving! I was there at 7:45 this morning and was 10th in line. They had apple, pumpkin, pecan, and cranberry chess on offer. Unable to decide, I took one of each. So now the 10 of us around the thanksgiving table will have to knock off 4 pies.

I am most intrigued by the cranberry chess, so the inlaws may not see it at all.

Reports to follow.

Fyi, when asked the gentleman at the market today informed me that after t day, they would be taking the weekend off. Might have been tounge in cheek, but I would call before heading over there.

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Today I caught that fish again, that lovely silver prince of fishes,
And once again he offered me, if I would only set him free—
Any one of a number of wonderful wishes... He was delicious! - Shel Silverstein

Hooray! 4 pies: 10 people. That's an impressive ratio. I wish I had had Thanksgiving at your house.

I barely had room for dessert on Thanksgiving (or the following two nights eating the same meal two more times!).

I was at Stanley's Kitchen and Tap a week ago so I headed to Hoosier Mama in the mid afternoon for what I was hoping would be a slice of chocolate cream or sugar cream. Once again, they were out of both. I had the chocolate chess pie again and it's really good, but I want to try both of those cream pies!

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I dream of sugar cream

As I mentioned above, I've been shooting at Hoosier Mama and here it is:


Sky Full of Bacon 13: Pie As a Lifestyle

There is, needless to say, lots of pie porn (actually mostly making-of-pie porn) but also a good conversation with Paula (and a bit with her assistant Ann) about pie's heritage in the midwest and the importance of keeping it alive... by baking it and selling it! That's what I really like about Hoosier Mama, not just that the pies are so good but that there's living history being baked and sold there every day. Enjoy.

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New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
Watch the Reader's James Beard Award-winning Key Ingredient here.

Dropped by yesterday after reading about the scones being the best in the city in Time Out Chicago and, wow, is it true. They are awesome and worthy of an entire storefront on their own. Couldn't let the opp pass and not get some pie, so we picked up a chicken pot pie for dinner and three mini pies for dessert. The pot pie was sublime...perfect in every way. Huge chunks of real chicken (light and dark) swimming in the best pot pie gravy/sauce ever and the veggies were perfectly cooked, fresh and tender. And the crust, well, you can guess. By the time the family devoured half the pot pie (had the rest with my wife at lunch today and it still was unbelievable), we could only find room for one of the desserts. Since the pecan maple was in the oven warming, we picked it over the Hoosier creme and peanut butter. Again, this here was some transcendental pie. We were literally licking our plates.

Haven't read the TimeOut piece, but I ate those scones all summer. Yes, the best ever.

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...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

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