WATCH: Apple Pie Cheesecake Empanadas are a must-try fall dessert
Somewhere between an apple pie and a cheesecake, Zilpa’s Desserts Apple Pie Cheesecake Empanadas are the treat you never knew you needed.
Easy as pie? That’s a misnomer, if we’ve ever heard one.
From getting the pastry crust into the pan (without tearing it), to achieving stiff peaks on a meringue, there’s nothing easy about pie.
Well, unless we’re talking about eating it — or dumping chocolate pudding into those little Keebler graham cracker crusts and calling it pie, like we did in preschool.
When it comes to Thanksgiving, however, we’re not discussing either of those things (though we’d love it if one of you guys serves a snack pack pudding pie to your in-laws). On the fourth Thursday of November, it’s all about homemade pies; true labors of love stocked with equal parts nostalgia, brown sugar and butter.
But, honestly, when the pie hits the table, no one will really know if you personally made it, or if another baker in the area did. As long as it’s fresh, fall-spiced and handcrafted? It’ll pass without question.
So, if you don’t feel like going through the hassle of making your own pie for Thanksgiving this year, read on.
Here are 20(+) North Jersey bakers willing to do the job for you.
Creations by Sabrina, Boonton
Creations by Sabrina is one of our favorite Morris County bakeries. Staffed exclusively by young women in their teens and twenties (and a few of their moms), the spot is cozy, fun and family-oriented. All of the treats it offers taste nostalgically homemade — like fancier versions of the things you’d find at the PTA bake sale as a kid.
Since Thanksgiving is all about loved ones, getting your pies from a kitchen of working relatives is a great idea. Whether you pick pecan or pumpkin, the sweet creation will definitely trick your cousins and in-laws into thinking you made it.
Deadline for orders is November 15th. Pick up is by November 28.
Go: 706 Main St., Boonton; 973-917-3897, creationsbysabrinallc.com.
Le Carré Café & Pâtisserie, Hillsdale
Thanksgiving may be an American holiday, but that doesn’t mean the French haven’t jumped in on the action. From the upper tip of the state, the pastry chefs at Le Carré Café in Hillsdale are putting their own spin on November’s classic desserts; adding artistry, whipped topping and more to Turkey Day’s simple pies.
Current flavor options include apple crumb, pecan and pumpkin, each of which are high-end and sure to please. If you want to try something more European, however, the bakery is also offering large sizes of their Rocher (hazelnut) and Black Forest tarts for the occasion, as well as a swirled and spongy Pumpkin Bûche Cake.
Deadline for orders is two days before pick up (IE; Tuesday, Nov. 26 for pick up on Thanksgiving Day).
Go: 94 Broadway, Hillsdale; 201-942-8777, lecarrepatisserie.com.
Erie Coffeeshop and Bakery, Rutherford
The cuisine served at Thanksgiving — from the turkey to the stuffing — has hardly changed since the 1800s. You’d think, then, that Erie Coffeeshop and Bakery, a hip, trendy bakeshop known for pushing (and innovating) the culinary envelope, wouldn’t have much interest in such a traditionalist event.
Fortunately for the diners of New Jersey, though, they do. And when you combine the team’s new-age approach to desserts with the classic flavors of the holiday’s past? You end up with Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie and flaky sweet potato cayenne biscuits.
Orders open Nov. 5, and will remain open until the 22 (or until sell out). Pick up is Nov. 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to noon.
Go: 10 Franklin Pl., Rutherford; 201-460-0073, eatdrinkerie.com.
Ladyfingers Bakery & Bar, Bloomfield
The latest concept by The Brookdale team, Ladyfingers is a boozy, contemporary bakery that simultaneously serves alcohol and desserts. On a monthly basis, we visit the spot to indulge in cheesecake pops and donuts against a trendy backdrop of marble tables and vibrant yellow bar stools. The treats are as posh as the decor around them; each boasting edible gold leaves or smooth, colorful glazes.
If you haven’t visited the fashionable new sweet shop yet, use Thanksgiving as your excuse to do so. For the occasion, the bakery will be serving chocolate pudding, Dutch apple, pecan and pumpkin pies — all stylishly presented, of course, in sleek little pink boxes.
To place an order, email orders@ladyfingers.com by November 25. Pick ups will close at noon on Thanksgiving Day. A small supply of desserts will be available for walk-ins.
Go: 1109 Broad St., Bloomfield; instagram.com/ladyfingersbakeryandbar.
Anthony’s Cheesecake
Essex County gem Anthony’s Cheesecake has been going viral lately after the success of two Instagram smash hit videos. The first features the spot’s famous cheesecake, while the second revolves around its innovative presentation of tres leches (three of them served simultaneously on a sampler “flight”). Just because the bakery-restaurant is acclaimed for its hefty, dairy-filled indulgences, however, doesn’t mean that’s all pastry chef Anthony Lauro makes.
Each week, the baker prepares a display case full of every dessert imaginable. For Thanksgiving, however, he’ll be taking that refrigerator to the next level. A sweet potato cream cheese pie will be offered as a hybrid option between a classic fall pie and his rich cheesecake, while pumpkin chai tres leches promises to be cinnamon-spiced and nostalgic. Savory quiches, he told us, will also be available.
If you want to be sure your favorite creation is in the case around the holiday, though, you can place a custom order by 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24. Personally, we’ll be requesting the Reeses’s Peanut Butter Mousse pie.
Go: 71 Washington St., Bloomfield; 973-415-8885, anthonyscheesecake.com.
Jayce Baudry French Pastry, Montclair
Hailing from (probably) the fanciest bakery in Essex County, a pie from Jayce Baudry French Pastry is pretty much the Rolls Royce of Thanksgiving desserts. Beautifully designed, elegantly plated and made with only the finest ingredients, each sweet creation is guaranteed to wow even your most critical relatives.
This year, the shop — whose owner spent four years as executive pastry sous chef at Restaurant Daniel in Manhattan — is offering chocolate bourbon pecan, pumpkin spice and apple crumb pies for pick up and local delivery. The treats are also available for purchase through Faubourg, if you’re interested in having them alongside an equally luxurious catered dinner.
Pies are available for pickup and local delivery beginning Nov. 11.
Go: 17 Church St., Montclair; 973-531-6464, jaycebaudry.com.
Starseed Bakery, Rockaway
Want to indulge in a Thanksgiving pie, but without all the sugar, allergens or (conventionally) “unhealthy” stuff? Look no further than Starseed Bakery, which specializes in serving gluten, dairy and GMO-free desserts. At this charming Rockaway mom-and-pop, all-natural desserts — that make you feel as good as they taste — are the name of the game.
Got lactose-sensitive relatives? No worries. A kid with a soy allergy? Not a problem. From vegan chocolate mousse to sugar-free pumpkin, the accommodating bakery has a pie for every dietary need.
Deadline to order is Thursday, Nov. 21. Pick up is by 3 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 27.
Go: 100 Hibernia Ave., Rockaway; 973-957-0500, starseedbakery.com.
The Able Baker, Maplewood
Sick of apple pie, but have a grandma who can’t — even after 80 years — live without it? The Able Baker, a popular scratch bakery in Maplewood, has got you covered. With a large Turkey Day dessert menu featuring three quintessential November pies alongside three not-so-common others, the local favorite is a great place to satisfy both sets of tastebuds.
On the traditional side, the bakery is serving apple, pumpkin and pecan pies. For something different, however, it’s historically whipped up Salted Maple Pie, Apple-Cranberry Crumb and a Flourless Chocolate Soufflé (which is technically a cake, but in the height and shape of a pie). We predict equally innovative treats to characterize this year’s menu.
Orders can be placed at order.theablebaker.com. Pick up is on Nov. 26 or 27 during normal business hours.
Go: 187 Maplewood Ave., Maplewood; 973-313-1133, order.theablebaker.com.
Other favorites:
Alstede Farms: 1 Alstede Farms Ln., Chester; 908-879-7189, alstedefarms.com.
The Artist Baker: 16 Cattano Ave., Morristown; 973-267-5540, theartistbaker.com.
Ciel Dessert: 273 Center Ave., Westwood; 201-497-8899, cieldessert.com.
Cocoa Bakery: 275 Grand St., Jersey City; 201-830-3430, cocoabakerycafe.com.
La Promenade: 137 Piermont Road, Tenafly; 201-567-2500, laprom.com.
Let’s Yo (because why not have a fro-yo pie?): 31 Valley Road, Montclair; 973-337-8451, letsyoyogurt.com.
Liv Breads: 184 Essex St., Millburn; 973-218-6922, livbreads.com.
Mo’Pweeze Bakery (allergen friendly): Pick-up or delivery only at 50 Division Ave., Millington; 973-627-2300, mopweezebakery.com.
Natale’s Summit Bakery: 185 Broad St., Summit; 908-277-2074, natalesbakery.bakesmart.com.
Pie Girl: 117 W Ward St., Hightstown; 609-833-4243, piegirlnj.shop.
Sook Pastry: 24 S Broad St., Ridgewood; 201-493-2500, sookpastry.com.
Sweet & Flour: 300 Front St., Secaucus; 201-552-2678, sweetandflournj.com.
Two Teaspoons: 2 Main St., Hamburg; 973-823-8432, twoteaspoonsnj.com.
Windy Brow Farms: 359 Ridge Road, Fredon Township; 973-579-9657, windybrowfarms.com.
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can’t find her in Jersey’s best restaurants, she’s probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, join our NorthJerseyEats Facebook group, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.