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Well as is custom, here is my review of my 4th, and the 9th annual pie party. For me and my wife, this is THE social event of the year. Forget fancy balls, dinners, and various galas, we are about the pie.

We anticipate the invitation like kids wait impatient at the mall for a minute on Santa’s lap. Our mailman knows the return address for the invite and hands it to us like a letter from the President. Christmas cards clutter the side of our fridge, but room is made front and center for the invite, only the bestest magnet is used to hold that piece of paper love that reminds us of THE NYE event.

An event that began 9 years ago for family has grown to include co-workers, friends, pie stalkers and connaisseur de tourte* like myself. The event seems to have a double purpose, the first to bring home mom’s daughters for days of preparation and cooking, and secondly to bring friends and family into their warm home. Mom and her daughters didn’t let us down with old favorites and new arrivals.

Without further adieu, here is my review.

I was happy to see some oldie but goodies as well as new additions to the pie lineup. The invite included favorites from my friends’ mom’s kitchen but left off wifey’s perinneal favorite, egg nog pie. We were excited upon arrival to know that egg nog pie had been prepared. Melissa and Caleb started the night with the egg nog pie. Caleb loved it and commented that they may have been a little heavy handed on the nutmeg. His palate is a bit more delicate than mine, Melissa gave no complaints and finished it with a smile.

My opening plate looked like this:

I always start with the key lime pie. Tart, clean to the palate, refreshing, cool and reminds me of my Florida days. The crust was perfectly flaky and delicate. No whipped cream needed for this one. I partnered the light key lime with a first time addition. The german chocolate pie.  Germans might say “La meilleure tourte de chocolat jamais!” A nice chocolate pie topped with a brulee containing coconut, walnuts and sugar.

For my second plate I bypassed the evening’s favorite, a three layered pumpkin, cheesecake  and chocolate pie. It was money, but I feared that it would ruin my stagnant view of cheesecake, which I normally enjoy plain. So I bypassed this one. Melissa and everyone loved this three layered sugary love fest. I chose the apple cranberry pie, perfect crust, perfect sweet apples and a touch of tartness with cranberrys. This pie had a crumb topping to die for. I am not sure how they did it, sweet, crunchy, and perfectly dry and moist all at the same time.  This is the pie your grandma would have made if she could have baked like John’s mom and sisters, and she probably can’t.  Partnered with the apple cranberry I chose the pumpkin praline. Pumpkin Praline is something you dream about. The perfect pumpkin pie with a perfect crust. Take that slice of harvest perfection and add a layer of chocolate along the bottom crust, then add a brulee of pecans and sugar on the top. I know. I know. Better than perfect pumpkin pie. I know.

My hands were too busy for a photo of this duo. My two boys were enjoying the frozen chocolate/peanut butter pie and wifey joined them for this cool treat.  She shared my affection for the apple cranberry as well.  The boys enjoyed the cheese and crackers and crudite’ that was set out for those not serious about eating pie.

Late in the evening I was summoned to the kitchen. Fearing my kids poured grape juice on the white sofa, I made my way slowly the kitchen near the pie buffet. Mom let me know that no one had cut into the chocolate walnut fudge pie. With pie slicer in hand I obliged and I dug into my fifth slice. Whipped cream is necessary to knock down the richness a notch when a glass of cold vitamin D isn’t at hand.  Take the perfect brownie, warm, soft, rich, then pour that into a pie shell and add real whipped (not the stuff in a tub) cream. Voila. Welcome to my world. Happy New year to my mouth and tummy!  A brownie with walnuts and fudge in a pie shell.  Shear culinary genius.

As Melissa finished her last piece, Andrew returned to the kitchen for his second slice. He chose the blueberry pie. Visually this slice of fruit and sugar came from a magazine and he was unable to speak due to his tongue being busy cleaning his lips and polishing the fork to a shine. Two thumbs up for the blueberry pie from my 6 year old.

Here is the entire line up from the left side of the buffet. Caramel apple, blueberry, cherry (with perfect lattice topping), citrus meringue ( a new addition and favorite, orange, lime and other citrus juices), lemon meringue, chocolate walnut brownie, three layer pumpkin (cheesecake adn chocolate), german chocolate. Not shown in this photo is the key lime, pumpkin praline, egg nog, apple cranberry, frozen chocolate/peanut butter and a few more. In all the excitement I didn’t get a chance to write them all down.