Bake the world a better place…
Tucked away on a stretch of highway 42, just south of Fish Creek, Wisconsin sits a quaint little white house. From the outside, it’s curb appeal is cottage-like, almost like grandma’s house. Red shutters framing the windows, white curtains hanging on the other side of the glass, absorbing what one can only imagine, would be the best smells in the world. White lattice and red flower boxes make the look complete. Nothing is more Americana than pie.
Slowly, we pulled in and were surrounded by the cutest little shops. The neighboring historical home had a gentleman making moccasins and other fine leather items. The Settlement Shops were a juxtaposition of new world, old world and everything in between. My husband and I parked, walked up to the house, opened the door and were greeted by a lovely young woman baking pies. The smell was reminiscent of childhood. Fresh pies, roasted nuts, the sweet smell of cherries and crust and all of the good stuff.
You see, we had read about this place and learned that her pies had tipped back the noses of a few popular celebrity chefs and well-known publications…Rachel Ray, National Geographic Traveler, Martha Stewart Living and most recently, Adam Zimmern from the Travel Channel. Because my husband and I are such foodies, we had to give this place a shot. Sweetie Pies, you did not disappoint.
We ordered two pieces of pie…one was the old staple pie…the pecan pie. To make our time really count, and to be sure this was one of the top 10 best pies in the world, according to Rachel Ray, we had to begrudgingly (insert sarcasm), order a second slice…the chocolate pecan pie. Both baked fresh that day with real ingredients, real Grade A butter, and lots of love. We took our slices to go. At first we thought, “maybe we will take them home and enjoy them later.” Shortly thereafter, that thought passed and we sat down at one of the patio tables and cracked open the plastic lid and began sampling the goodness! OH MY WORD! The fork melted into the sweet pecan goodness, crumbling the buttery crust in its path. There was no turning back now. The caramelized pecans had a perfect crunch, the filling was sweet and decadent and the crust was perfect…not too sweet…not too bland. It was the perfect vessel for this puddle of crunchy, melt-in-your mouth goodness. My husband then cracked open his plastic pie container. He took one bite and jokingly said, “it’s awful, you wouldn’t want any.” That’s our little joke when something is too good to share!! The chocolate pie had the same wonderful qualities of her original pecan pie, but satisfied every chocolate lover from here to the other side Lake Michigan.
Sweetie Pies has also started a Road Trip ordering process. Basically, if you live near Chicago or Milwaukee, they will meet you at several convenient locations with pre-paid, frozen pies…more than 30 flavors in two different sizes. I did read that Road Trip ordering is closed for 2018, but will open up again!
Boasting 30 different varieties of pies showcased in their quaint little shop, there is something for everyone. Pies made the old-fashioned way…just like grandma used to make. Their pies are hand-rolled. The only machine they use is an 8-cup mixer. They use real fruit, NOT filling. Their pies contain no gelatin, no corn starch, no junk. They do not add any additives, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. They also use unbleached, unbromated flour and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Oh, and the cherries? Yeah, they get those handpicked right down the road!
If you’re in the Door County area, stop by Sweetie Pies for a delicious treat. You will not be disappointed!!!!!!