Halloween 2013 has come to a close. In the blink of an eye the costumes get packed away, the decorations transitioned into autumn themes, and the Halloween candy that we bought at marked-up prices yesterday is now available for half the cost. While you may be in the midst of a monumental sugar crash, buck up, because Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. What’s more, with all these pumpkins we’ve seen over the past few weeks (not to mention that pumpkin-spice flavored everything), we are looking forward to digging into a heaping slice of pumpkin pie. Relative to the apple and pecan varieties, the pumpkin pie is pretty easy to make and incredibly versatile, but if you’re looking to take a short cut there are plenty of top-notch bakeries on the Eastern Shore that are baking up delicious pies this season. And there’s more than just pumpkin to salivate over. Check out a few of our favorite places to score a home-style pie:
4 C Bay Street, Berlin, MD
410-641-1800
This holiday season, the mother-daughter duo at Baked Dessert Café is planning on making your life just a tad bit easier with their tasty treats. Whether you need to take a break and indulge, or if you’re looking for Thanksgiving pies, they’ve got you covered. “Don’t get stressed during the holidays, get ‘Baked’” is their motto, and we suggest you take them up on the offer. The 10” butter crust pies include Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Traditional Apple, Apple Crumb (plain, caramel or cranberry), Pecan, Tart Cherry and Coconut Custard. Beyond pies, consider their cakes, desserts, breakfast breads and gluten-free options. Be sure to place your Thanksgiving orders by November 18th; Christmas orders by December 16th; New Years by December 23rd.
38290 London Avenue, Unit 2, Williamsville, DE
302-436-3616
Sweet Disposition is known for their decadent desserts and their exquisite cakes. Harborside, Seacrets, Brew River, Nantucket’s, and Just in Thyme are just a few of the area restaurants that serve up Sweet Disposition’s sweet treats. There’s also the option to order your own cakes or desserts for any special occasion, be it a wedding or a Thanksgiving feast. All of the pies at Sweet Disposition are made in a 10-inch deep dish shell from scratch, yielding 8 to 10 servings. Key Lime, Kentucky Derby, Peanut Butter, Pumpkin and Starbuck’s Pecan round out the pie menu, but don’t overlook Ms. Jean’s Pumpkin cheesecake!
12024 Industrial Park Road, Bishopville, MD
410-352-3338
Owner and operator Rita Curry started her first retail dessert story nearly 30 years ago to rave reviews. Since then, Rita moved her tiny shop to Bishopville, making Desserts by Rita a household name on the Eastern Shore. Rita is hands-on, daily, putting some serious TLC into each and every dessert. Her homemade whipped cream is the perfect holiday topping, whether it’s arriving on the Black Russian (devil’s food with a coffee glaze) or Rita’s famous Lemon Lust (a cream cheese layer with lemon filling and a pecan crust). The options are endless for Thanksgiving so we suggest stopping by Desserts by Rita’s to plan your dessert menu. But as always, plan ahead.
The Bake Shoppe
222 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth, DE
302-226-0176
www.thebakeshoppe-rehoboth.com
Stop in The Bake Shoppe in Rehoboth for just about anything your heart desires, from cookies to cupcakes to donuts and pastries. It’s easy to get distracted with all the sweet smells filling the air, so try and stay focused on the pies….for now. All of the pies are made with a homemade crust. Options include Pumpkin, Tri-Fruit, Apple, Blueberry, Cherry, Lemon-Meringue, Key-Lime, Chocolate-Cream, and Banana-Cream. And while you’re there, go ahead and treat yourself to one of their classic Polish Babkas. As the seasons change, so do the fillings.
Pasqualini’s Bakery
37560 Atlantic Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE
302-227-2111
Pasqualinis.com
Pasqualini’s Bakery has been baking up treats for Rehoboth Beach for 12 years. What’s more, owner and pastry chef Kathy Pasqualini has been in the baking industry for over 32 years. At Pasqualini’s, expect natural ingredients, with baked goods made from scratch with no preservatives. There are gourmet breads, pastries, cookies, granola and even dog treats. Pies are made to order to your liking. Pumpkin, Pecan, Pecan Bourbon Chocolate Chip, Coconut Custard, Fresh Fruit Pies, the list goes on and on. Careful, you may end up with more pies than guests at your Thanksgiving table…but whose complaining.
