my absolute favorite pie, Nantucket Cranberry Walnut
One year ago today, I was working on a film set in Connecticut. I had been living there for all of a week’s time, having just relocated after my previous film job, How Do You Know, wrapped in Philadelphia. Mind you, two days before How Do You Know was officially over, I received a call for the next.
“Andrea, we’re starting up another job in Connecticut. Are you available?”
I was happy, it was Tuesday, Thanksgiving was just a blink away, I had a pumpkin spice cheesecake in the oven…all was right in the world. Enthusiastic, I said, “Absolutely, when should I be there?”
“Great! Monday.”
Beat.
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
And so I packed up my belongings, all 56,897 of them, not entirely sure which starched button-down of Connecticut suburbia we would be filming in. The good thing about such time crunched caravans, I find, is that there is no time to be indecisive, not a moment to spare wondering if you’d rather live here than there. My experience with film work has always been: “you have 58 seconds to move to [fill in state name here], city to be decided, we’ll see you on Monday! Oh, and please have the set erected, mmmk? Thanks!” Dial tone.
Individual Pumpkin Spice Cheesecakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Hollywood does not hesitate.
I settled into a beige wall-to-wall carpeted one bedroom, mapped out every Starbucks location within a 40 mile radius, and began work the following week. I like to think ‘tornado’ describes the feeling of that particular sequence of events best.
Not a week into work, I was met by the eve of Thanksgiving. Theee Wednesday of the year. I worked my usual 12 hour shift, drove back to my apartment by 8pm, cranked my oven temp to 350ºF, and set about baking 4 pies, a batch of Congo Bars, a pan full of Caramel Cashew Bars, and an autumn salad with goat cheese and cranberries. And the next morning, goods belted as preciously as babies in the backseat, I drove home to Massachusetts to feast with my family.
Completely unhinged.
Pumpkin Spice Custard Pie , Nantucket Cranberry Walnut Pie, Coconut Custard Pie, and Caramel Apple Pie with Streusel Topping. I could pen love letters to each of them.
But here’s the more telling part: as mad as this seems, the year before I had baked twelve pies.
Let’s both take a minute to recuperate.
Apple Walnut Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
Besides making a fairly substantiated case for my admittance to a stark white mental ward, what’s the point of all of this?
Well, this year I’m in Seattle, and for the first time in my 25 year life, I’m thousands of miles away from my big family on Thanksgiving. I’ll miss them, I’ll miss the fact that the dessert table is equally as stuffed as the one featuring savory fare, I’ll miss the requisite slice of each and every pie, and I’ll even miss my neurosis about baking them from scratch all through the night.
Cranberry Corn Muffins with Sweet Milk Drizzle
And so…scattered throughout this post are the holiday desserts that are filling the void for me so far this year. Click on any of the links to view the recipes.
I hope that tomorrow you’ll be with your family, eating with the widest smile your mouth allows, and considering pie as both an appetizer and a dessert.
Enjoy!
Im sorry you cant be with your family for Thanksgiving. That must be hard.
Yours is one of the best food blogs I’ve seen. I enjoy your positive outlook, your way with words and the fantastic photos of everything you make. Your dedication to your kitchen is crazy… in a good way.Happy Thanksgiving
Thanks Patridew!! How kind of you!!
Wow. It’s official – in addition to spending time with friends and family and reflecting on what i’m thankful for… i’m really looking forward to desserts over the holidays!
I hope you’re spending it with wonderful new friends instead. It’s a rare white Thanksgiving indeed.
These desserts look fantastic! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Thank you Ann!! Happy Thanksgiving!
I didn’t know that movie filmed here!!! That’s the second one Owen filmed in Philly. Fun! Guess I’ll have to go see it now…hope it’s not as gut wrenching as Marley and Me was! ha.
I want to come to your house for most meals, but esp. Thanksgiving! Hope you have a great one!
Thank you Kace!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Your stories are so entertaining…and your work seems so interesting.
You mentioned you made some sort of coconut pie? Are you going to just tease me and not share the recipe? lol
Coconut Custard Pie is the name of the pie you teased with with
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