December 3 is National Apple Pie Day so it seems like the perfect time to do this review of the Grand Traverse Pie Company, especially since I ordered 2 pies from them, both apple based.
I love pie but rarely make it myself because I've yet to master pie crust and don't have enough of an eating audience to consume multiple crust-making attempts. It's just easier to buy pies, preferably from good bakeries, not the freezer aisle at the grocery store.
Goldbelly is my go-to for trying out small businesses and new bakeries that ship across the country. It can be a little pricey though so I have to pick my moments. Fortunately, they ran a promo that offered $20 off any purchase and Grand Traverse Pie Company was offering a buy 1, get 1 free deal. Plus, hello, free shipping. All that helped my justification efforts in paying "so much" for a couple of pies.
I went with the Apple Crumb with Pecans and Caramel and the regular Apple Crumb Pie. Before you ask how I could possibly consume 2 pies....I can't. But I was hosting another baking meetup at my house the day after I received these and all the extras go to the employees of a local nonprofit so it was a good way to try a slice from both pies and not have the rest go to waste or (my) waist.
The Apple Crumb with Pecans and Caramel was
freaking amazing. I'm very picky about my pies since those calories have to be worth it. This one was. The apples were not too soft or too hard, their slight tartness was offset by the sweetness of the caramel and the not-too-soft texture of the apples went perfectly with the crunch from the pecans.
Soooo good.
The crust was good too, both the bottom pie crust and the crumb topping. I'm a big fan of pie crust and it's to my eternal sorrow that I haven't been able to consistently make a good one. This one was flaky and tender.
I had tried the caramel pecan apple pie first and had the regular apple crumb pie after the baking meetup. Granted, I was already shot full of sugar by the end of the evening so perhaps I didn't have the same level of receptivity to this one. But, since I forgot to even take a picture of the apple crumb pie slice I ate, you can see I wasn't as into this pie. It was still good but compared to the pecan caramel one, this one was a little plain. If I'd had it first, I would've waxed more poetical. For the purists, this is an excellent choice. For a little pizzazz, go with the one with pecans and caramel. Either way, you can't go wrong. Happy National Apple Pie Day!
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