Next Stop on my Quest for Pie

So my next stop on my quest for the perfect pie in San Francisco, was Chile Pies (& Ice Cream).  I read mixed reviews about the service at this place from Yelp, but lucky for me I had the place all to myself when I stopped in for a mid-afternoon snack.  I've been mainly trying seasonal fruit pies, because I like them.  So I tried peach pie again, like at my last stop at Mission Pie.  Except this experience was entirely different.  To start, the atmosphere of this shop is adorable.  Kind of country, kitschy, and cozy all at the same time.  They had lots of seating and huge windows, great for people watching.

The crust of the pie was much better than Mission Pie's peach pie.  This one had more of a crumble topping, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it went well with everything.  I actually wanted a simple peach pie with a double crust, bottom and top, but they didn't have that.  Instead, I ordered the only peach pie they had, country peach pie with blueberries and cream fraiche baked inside.  I decided to go all out and order mine a la mode with madagascar vanilla from Three Twins Ice Cream.  The ice cream was a perfect match with this pie.  In fact, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much sans the ice cream.

I will definitely head back to Chile Pies (& Ice Cream) to try their other pies.  I'm looking forward to the fall season for the apple pies....love, LOVE apple pie!

The Quest for Amazing Pie in San Francisco

About four years ago, I began the search for the perfect cupcake in San Francisco.  Something moist, delicious, with the perfect amount of frosting on top.  Some of my favorites include, That Takes the Cake, Kara's Cupcakes, and Miette.  I have eaten many, many cupcakes and still try more as new bakeries pop up in the city. 

Lately, I have a new love...pie!  So I've been slowly starting my quest for the perfect pie in San Francisco.  Just like with the cupcakes, the plan is to stick to local bakeries and small shops.  I know there may be some restaurants out there with delicious pies, but I'm looking for things on a smaller scale. 


I began my search at Mission Pie because they mainly serve pie of course!  Since I was heading to a friend's house for dinner I bought a whole peach pie.  The cost was $20, which seemed reasonable since it was a local shop using quality ingredients.  The organic peach filling was by far my favorite part of the pie, but the crust was pretty bad.  I want pie crust to be buttery and flaky and this was just dry and tasteless.  I found myself digging inside for the filling and eating around the crust...so I don't think I'll be heading back there again.

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

To keep with the mexican food theme for our work party, I made dulce de leche cupcakes.  Well, actually, I just made regular cupcakes and then dulce de leche buttercream.  I made two dozen chocolate using my favorite recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.  I also made one dozen vanilla using a new recipe from my Real Simple magazine.  I wasn't sure about this new cake recipe, but everyone said it was great. I'm really picky when it comes to vanilla cupcakes and I'm still working on finding the right recipe.  

For the buttercream, I made my standard buttercream and added a couple spoons of dulce de leche. This was my first time using dulce de leche and it made the most amazing buttercream.  The cupcakes were a huge hit with everyone.

SF Food Bloggers Bake Sale

Just delivered about 4 dozen oatmeal carmelitas, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, and chocolate cupcakes for the SF Food Bloggers Bake Sale today, May 14.  Show your support by stopping by and picking up some sweet treats in support of Share Our Strength a great organization working towards ending childhood hunger.  The Bake Sale will be at 18 Reasons in the Mission and Kiehl's in Pacific Heights.  

Coconut Macaroons

These are the fastest coconut macaroons ever!  They are dangerously delicious plain and even better dipped in chocolate.

Coconut Macaroons Recipe

This recipe makes a small amount.  I usually double it for about a dozen or so macaroons.

Preheat oven to 325°

1 package of Coconut (7 oz)

⅓ cup of Regular sugar

3 Tb. Flour

⅛ tsp. Salt

2 Egg whites

Splash of almond or vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients and then add wet.  You don't even need a mixer, just stir with a spoon or spatula.  Spoon, or use an ice cream scoop, to put them onto greased and floured cookies sheets, or just use parchment paper/silpat to create non-stick surface. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes.