I Like Pie Tasting

If you remember, we had the pleasure of interviewing owner, Annika Corbin back in December. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and the growing demand for mini pies, I Like Pie was busy baking up pies to fill the sweet demand. With the holidays done and Spring just around the corner, I Like Pie took some time and graciously hosted us for a pie tasting last week!

I met with Annika when I arrived and spoke with her a bit on how I Like Pie has been doing since their opening, how their holiday sales went and discussed all the new flavors they are offering. I learned about how Annika spent time to develop the perfect crust for her pies. The savory pies are set in a more phylo-like crust while the sweet pies are in a more buttery, crumbly crust.

I also learned that contrary to popular belief, the pies are not baked in the paper cups you seem them in! I know, I was surprised too! Annika used to bake the pies in jelly jars when I Like Pie was still baking from home, when she was in the process of opening up her storefront, she had these special pie molds (as seen above) made specifically for her style of pies!

Now let's get to the tasting!

Banana Split: This is one of I Like Pie's cream based pies so you can find it in the cold case. Adorned with whipped cream, chopped walnuts, a drizzle of chocolate and that oh so recognizable maraschino cherry, this pie definitely resembled it's ice cream counterpart. The signature I Like Pie crust cradled the fragile creamy insides of the pie perfectly. The pastry cream was to die for. It's no wonder this is the staple for all the cream pies Annika makes! Hidden in the delicious velvety pastry cream was walnuts and pineapple cream cheese. PINEAPPLE. CREAM. CHEESE. This pie was bananas. Literally. Oh, there was fresh bananas inside the pie too. Did I not mention that? My apologies, the party in my mouth must have been distracting me. This whole pie was so incredible that I didn't even miss the ice cream. But, you can get any of the pies a la mode here, they serve Dr. Bob's Ice Cream so don't feel guilty, just do it.

Winter Berry: At first glance, this flavor looked almost like a cobbler but don't be fooled. This pie is a delightful medley of this season's berries cozy in a perfectly flaky crust. Because I'm too familiar with grocery store pies, I half expected this pie to bleed berry juice once I dug my fork into it, surprisingly that wasn't the case with this pie! The berries stayed in place and still held a lot of their original berry texture, which I loved because there are few things worse than eating a fruit pie where the fruits have turned to a questionable gummy texture...you shouldn't wonder what it is you're eating. With the abundance of sweet and tangy berries in this pie I thought this might be too sweet but the various fruits worked wonderfully together!

Fudge Brownie: When Annika told me I should try the Fudge Brownie I thought she was talking about an actual brownie. Imagine my surprise that a pie shop was baking these up! But no, she was talking about a Fudge Brownie PIE. I was a little confused but who am I to fight the genius who created this dessert fusion? Imagine a chocolate cream pie, but more dense and with a way better chocolate inside. The fudgy nature of the filling reminded me of a decadent brownie or even a flourless chocolate cake. It may sound weird but the extreme chocolate flavor was actually balanced out by the crust. I also think some whipped cream or a scoop of the ice cream I mentioned earlier would also help to cut this fudgy flavor but if you're a chocolate fanatic, go for it! Even if you're not, do it anyway but get some ice cream to create the ultimate pie meets brownie meets sundae experience.

Glazed Apple Custard: Oh apple pie. My personal favorite pie. There are only two apple pies I consider to be untouchable, my stepmom's apple pie and the giant 3lb apple pies they sell up in Oak Glen, CA. This Glazed Apple Custard pie successfully found it's way onto my top three apple pie list and into my foodie heart. Stuffed with bite sized cinnamon apples as well as a wonderfully creamy custard, this pie takes you back to your childhood. Again, I love that the fruits Annika puts in her pies keep their texture even after they're baked. These apples still had crunch which added a pleasant texture to every bite. The custard inside the pie almost makes the pie taste likes it is served a la mode on the inside.

If you haven't been to I Like Pie yet, what are you waiting for? Specialty pie shops are hard enough to find, but one that has pies unlike any you've ever had before? Well that pie shop is in the Claremont Village waiting for you!


I Like Pie Bake Shop
175 North Indian Hill Blvd.
Suite 102B
Claremont, CA 91711

Facebook: I Like Pie Bake Shop
Twitter: @ILikePieShop