Sunnyside

We did a mini crawl through Wahiawa, and a visit to Wahiawa wouldn't be complete without a stop at Sunnyside!

I'm not a huge pie person, but I am very fond of Sunnyside's pies because my former boss used to bring them to the office frequently.

I eventually learned about the "Fried Rice Special," and Sunny Side became a spot we'd go to or get take-out from for breakfast at times.

The Fried Rice is still very popular, frequently selling out, and also popular are the Liver & Onions, and Blueberry Cream Pie (call it in and they can hold a slice for you on the side).

Although we didn't get any of those things when we ended our mini Wahiawa crawl at Sunnyside, what we got was still good:

Lechon Kawali

I had the Lechon Kawali.  It was such an enormous serving - I had so much leftovers!

Loco Moco

Chocolate Cream Pie

Pear-Peach Pie

I had the Pear-Peach Pie to finish the meal - the crust was buttery and flaky.  So good!

Sunnyside
1017 Kilani Ave

Wahiawa, HI 96786

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Visit Dallas: Emporium Pies

Emporium Pies is a Texas-born pie shop, which currently has 4 locations throughout Texas.  I'm not a huge pie fan, but a friend's husband recommended it, so we gave it a try.

Nannerz

If I did have to pick a pie, it would be a Banana Cream Pie, and the Nannerz consisted of banana custard and caramel sauce.  The caramel sauce was a little too sweet for me, but I liked the banana custard.

Lord of the Pies

Lord of the Pies, the best-seller, is a deep dish caramel apple pie that turned out to be my fave.  The buttery crust and sweet crumb topping balanced out the tart apples nicely.

Cloud 9

Cloud 9 is the second best-seller, and is a butterscotch, caramel, brown sugar meringue pie.

Blue Steel

Blue Steel is a blueberry pie.

Smooth Operator

The French silk chocolate pie had a salted pretzel crust, and did indeed look silky smooth!

If you love pies or just want something to satisfy your sweet tooth, check out Emporium Pies!

Emporium Pies
2708 MAIN ST,
DALLAS, TX 75226

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Battle of the Big Island Apple Pies

A conversation about Holy's Bakery Apple Pie and Big Island Candies Apple Pie resulted in a taste-test with some co-workers and friends. 

Both pies were found in the freezer section at KTA in Hilo (you can also find them at various grocers on O`ahu).

We prepared the pies and baked them according to instructions.

The smell of apple pie was wafting through the kitchen, and in about 90 minutes we had a couple of golden brown pies.

Those with Kohala roots stuck with Holy's Bakery, which is where the bakery is located, and those with Hilo roots favored Big Island Candies.

However, the consensus was that everyone liked the filling of Holy's Bakery, which had a nice cinnamon flavor, and they liked the crust of Big Island Candies, which had a nice buttery flavor and flaky texture.  Many even joked "If only Holy's Bakery's and Big Island Candies' apple pies had a baby . . . "

Overall, the Big Island Candies Apple Pie beat out Holy's Bakery by just one vote, but they are really both great pies to have on hand for whenever the mood strikes or last-minute company comes by.  

You can't go wrong with either, and you're supporting local! 

 

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Visit Michigan: Grand Traverse Pie Company

Grand Traverse Pie Company was nearby our hotel in Michigan, so we decided to pick up a couple of pies one night for dessert.

Michigan ABC Crumb

Michigan ABC stands for Apples, Blueberries, and Cherries.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb

If you love crumb pies, you'll love these pies at Grand Traverse Pie Company.  I'm more of a cream pie gal (which they do offer), but I love that they use local fruit in these pies so we had to try the pies with the local fruit vs the cream pies.  The filling was luscious tart, while the crust and topping is so buttery and delish!

This Michigan chain of eateries sells a number of different pies as well as desserts, and is also a full-service restaurant.

Grand Traverse Pie Company
5303 S Westnedge Ave

Portage, MI 49002
(269) 903-4991

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Ted's Bakery

Ted's Bakery is currently open, offering a limited menu, to include their famous pies as well as some popular local hot dishes.  

We recently went to pick up some sweets, since I saw that they have a Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cheesecake.

I love cheesecake, and this cheesecake was so good - creamy, dense, with a sweet / tart pineapple topping.

They have a variety of pies to choose from, and I ended up getting a slice of every one available:

• Chocolate Haupia Cream
• Pumpkin Haupia Cream
• Chocolate Cream
• Lilikoi Cheese
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream
• Blueberry Cream

The creamy, silky pies are really yummy, but I'm so glad they offer the cheesecake as well.  I would absolutely get it again.

If you're interested in ordering hot food, you can save some time and order online!

Ted's Bakery
59-024 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712
(808) 638-5974

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Sweet Revenge's Halloween Mochi Bentos

Mochi bentos from a pie purveyor? It's true! Kathy Masunaga, owner and chef of Sweet Revenge, not only knows how to whip up mini pies like no other, but apparently she knows how to make mochi too! And these are not your typical mochi filled with red or white bean paste. Her Halloween-themed mochis are filled with all of our favorite sweets such as peanut butter crunch, red velvet, and lilikoi butter with blueberries, just to name a few.

The Halloween mochi bento sells for $15 and it comes with 6 plump pieces of mochi:

• Monster Munch (peanut butter crunch)
• Floating Eyeballs (lilikoi butter with fresh blueberries)
• Blood Velvet (red velvet )
• Poison Apple (caramel green apple)
• Graveyard Dirt (browned butter brownie with or without walnuts)
• Pumpkin Patch (pumpkin crunch)

The bento is wrapped with ribbon and even comes with a mini sugar cookie. It's the perfect gift for kids, friends, family, or even yourself!

Preorder by email: sweetrevengehonolulu@gmail.com or text (808) 282-0234. 

You can also take your chances and drop in at the kitchen in Kalihi (979 Robello Lane).

p.s. Halloween-themed pies are also available on a limited basis (again, preorder to reserve your pies!).

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Big Island Candies Peach & Pineapple Pie

Disclosure: Complimentary product was received for review purposes.

One of the many new products that Big Island Candies released recently is the Peach & Pineapple Pie.

Their Apple Pie has quite the following, and I anticipate this new flavor will grow quite the following as well.

The Peach & Pineapple Pie has a nice combination of sweet & tart flavors, and the crust is just simply amazing - so flaky, so buttery!

The pies come frozen, and you simply need to bake them for 1 to 1.5 hours.  

It's the perfect treat when you don't have energy to make dessert - just pop it in the oven!

Add some ice cream and drizzle some caramel to make it even more decadent!

You can currently get the pie at both the Hilo and Ala Moana Center locations.  

Visit https://www.bigislandcandies.com/ for more treats!

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Recipe: Easy No-Bake Key Lime Pie

Key-lime pie is one of my mom's favorite desserts, and since we were celebrating her birthday at home this year (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), I decided to make one for her.  One of my friends had posted a key lime pie recipe on her Instagram story, so I used the recipe she had used, which was from Grilled Cheese Social's blog. 

The recipe called for a pre-made Graham Cracker Pie Crust, but since I had a box of Graham Cracker Crumbs, I made my pie crust using 1 1/2 cups of crumbs, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 1/3 cup of melted butter).

Graham Cracker Crumbs and Sugar

Add melted butter

Stir until well combined

Press into 9" round baking pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes

To make the key lime filling, since I was not able to find key lime juice at the market, I made my own using fresh lemons and fresh limes (1/4 cup of each).

Combine juice with a 14 ounce can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Stir juice and milk

Fold in 3/4 tub of Cool Whip (I used Lite)

Pour mixture into baked pie crust

Let set in the refrigerator for at least one hour

Decorate with sliced limes (if you have leftover limes)

Slice and serve

We all really enjoyed the pie - it was very sweet and tart! The crust was delicious too!

Click here for the link to the recipe on Grilled Cheese Social's blog!

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Anna Miller's Freshly Baked Pies

I recently won a free pie courtesy of Anna Miller's.  Although we are currently required to shelter in place, there are exceptions for essential activities, and fortunately, making food-runs is considered an essential activity.

I took a quick drive over the H-3 to pick up my pie at Anna Miller's on Sunday afternoon. It was quite a sad sight to see the parking lot and restaurant empty, since Anna Miller's is normally crowded on weekends. As usual, the employees greeted me with a warm smile and thanked me for stopping by.

I was planning to give half of this pie to my mom who is sheltering in place by herself at home, so I selected one of her favorite pies - the classic apple pie.

Thank you Anna Miller's for continuing to stay open during time of uncertainty - there's nothing more comforting than freshly baked apple pie!

Don't forget - Anna Miller's offers more than just pie. They have a special menu of breakfast and lunch items available for take-out. Call (808) 487-2421 to place your order and receive 10% off your meal (Military and Senior Club members get 20% off!).

ANNA MILLER'S

98-115 KAONOHI STREET

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