We love pie. We indulge in pebbly-crusted pies with fall flavors peeking from under clouds of whipped cream. We adore cool, sleek pies that flaunt tart lemon fillings or boast the smoothness of a pot de crème. We swoon over disheveled pies, with fruit tumbling out of flaky crusts or nestled between double-lidded layers. This year, let pie reign your Thanksgiving table. Make it a statement. Let pie steal the show. And let someone else bake it, like any one of these fine pie-makers and treat bakers below.
La Casita Bakeshop
The most exciting bakery in Richardson continues to churn out wonderfully seasonal treats. As we hunker down, decidedly, into pie season, La Casita is taking orders for pumpkin pie with cheesecake swirl, brown butter and apple pie, and bourbon pecan pie. The details: $30; preorder now through November 23; pick up on Nov. 25 between noon and 6 p.m.
Kuluntu Bakery
Kuluntu’s Stephanie Chalklen-Leichtle brings free-form galettes, buttery-crusted French-style confections, to the table in a move that’s rustic and effortlessly chic. Find flavors like rooibos-almond-pear that matches frangipane with the fragrant tea of South Africa; nut-studded maple-pecan; and salted caramel-apple with an ombre of fanned fruit slices. (If you’d like, round out your order from this bread baker with country levain or chocolate-maple babka.) The details: $35; Preorders close Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. Pick up Nov. 25 4–7 p.m.
Bisous Bisous Patisserie
Yes, you can get the American classics from this French bakery, doling wonderful apple pie with almond streusel and pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and leaf decor. Get them ready to eat or frozen, so you can bake at home. For something little-seen on the Thanksgiving dinner table: cruffins, yes those croissant-muffin hybrids, filled with gravy, turkey, and stuffing and crowned with mashed potatoes; there’s also a pecan pie cruffin, both for less than five bucks each. Aside from those—what more does one need?—find chocolate pecan tarts, autumnal cookies shaped as leaves and gourds, turkey-shaped macarons, plus more freezer-to-oven take and bakes. The details: $30; last day to order pies is Nov. 22 by 5 p.m. Place order online or call 214-613-3570 for curbside pickup.
Humble: Simply Good Pies
Sean Jett crafts a daunting array of pies, from the coconut-thick coconut cream to a creamy lemon ice box. You’ll find classics, like bourbon-chocolate-pecan perfumed with Herman Marshall bourbon, “loaded” sweet potato, and buttermilk chess. Good things happen when the deep fruit fillings of cherry, apple, and cran-apple meet the adorable cut-outs of their vented, bronzed top crusts. The details: $30; preorder closes Nov. 21 at 10 p.m. Pick up Nov. 24, 11–9 p.m. or Nov. 25, 10–2 p.m.
Flores Bakehaus
This pop-up bakery has pumpkin breads, pumpkin bread jam-crammed with cranberries, apple-cranberry crumb bars, and pecan bars all ready for the ordering. The details: Preorder by Nov. 18 and pick up on Nov. 25 between noon and 3 at Peaberry Coffee in Oak Cliff.
Emporium Pies
The folks at Emporium Pies make a memorable, show-stopping dessert, whether the Drunken Nut (a boozy bourbon-pecan); the Smooth Operator, which balances a salty pretzel crust with a satiny French-silk chocolate filling; deep-dish apple strewn with sandy cinnamon streusel that declares itself Lord of the Pies; or a glorious spiced-pumpkin custard in a gingerbread crust (see the recipe below). The details: $40; Preorder closes Nov. 25. Pick up Nov. 23–25 at 6 p.m. (Note: flavors are selling out. Don’t dawdle; call dibs on your pies.)
