As we recently shared with you, we are changing our prices to more accurately reflect our process. All of the pies and tarts in our “Current Menu” section above have been updated, so the new pricing is in effect.
Also beginning now is our break for Nicole’s maternity leave! She is due next week, so there will be no pie making for a little while. We should be back up and baking by the beginning of April though, and will keep y’all posted if anything changes. In the meantime, feel free to tell us about what spring/summer pies you’d like us to offer! There is a seasonal menu change ahead and we’d love to be inspired by your favorites.
Our last bit of news is that we have been accepted into the Covington Farmers Market! We brought several samples and they were received with delight, so you can look for us there after maternity leave. Of course we’re still very hopeful about getting into the Crescent City Farmers Market, and y’all will be first to know about that!
Photo by Jennifer Potts
Looking Back
When we passed the one year anniversary of Windowsill Pies back in September, it brought a host of different feelings: happiness, pride, frustration, even a little anxiety. Questioning — where should we be by now? How is this measured? It seems like an easy idea to “just get into a farmers market” or “just sell to a coffee shop” — but it’s actually not.
How do you ensure a viable business model: the reality of needing to make money from this creative venture to sustain our lives. We believe in our product. It’s a real balancing act at this point to set a price for the customer while honoring the quality of ingredients and hours of labor that go into each pie. People ask us about the process, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to share that with you.
Our Process
Photo by Jennifer Potts
To begin with, the crust. It’s the foundation of our pies. Made in small batches by hand and always to order, this process takes time. We believe in Plugra butter. Yeah yeah, butter can be found for half the price, but that crust you love was made with European butter of the highest quality; every ingredient counts.
Photo by Jennifer Potts
Now let’s talk fillings. They’re unexpected yet well-balanced, and always seasonal. Even our “traditional” pies & tarts feature flavors you won’t find in a grocery store for $12.99. Menu items like our Blueberry Lavender Honey Pie and Amaretto Pear and Dried Cherry Pie represent what we believe pie should be: thoughtful, flavorful, and made with care. When we make our pies, we infuse the honey, we labor over the chiffon, we cut out each decorative leaf. We develop each component that goes into each pie, and that’s a meticulous, costly process.
Photo by Jennifer Potts
All the comments we’ve been happy to receive on our pies reaffirm our dedication to craft and quality. The unique pies and tarts we offer don’t come quickly; they require, and deserve, undivided time. And that’s not something we want to change.
“I’ve carved out the whole morning for nothing but this, because, I’ve learned, you really have to stop your life to make a pie. That is what makes it the ultimate gift. It is a gift of yourself. A gift of time.”
—Pascale Le Draoulec, American Pie: Slices of Life (and Pie) from America’s Back Roads
So where does that leave us? Navigating the intersection of creativity and business viability is tough for all artists. We’ve had to make some changes to our pricing, based on standard equations for retail and wholesale pricing. We have hesitated to do this for a long time. The New Year seems to us like the best time to initiate these changes.
New Year, New Goals
So like many of you, we have set new goals for the big 2-0-1-3. In addition to the goal of ensuring a healthy business model, our next highest priority is to become part of a farmers market. This will allow us to bring more of our pies to more people, and showcase some of our new items, like our adorable mini pies, which are perfect to grab on the go or nibble while you peruse the market.
It might be hard to believe, but there are some New Orleanians who remain in the dark about Windowsill Pies. We can’t believe it either. Becoming a regular part of a local market would do a lot to bring us more exposure, and introduce us to more of y’all. We are actively applying to multiple markets and hope to win everyone over with our samples. In the meantime, if any of you have ideas for us, please let us know! We mean it: thegals@windowsill-pies.com
Another avenue we’re exploring is a collaboration with Fleur Decuers, an exciting local catering and event company. In partnership with some great places like Iris, Serendipity, and Three Muses, Fleur Decuers coordinates events for groups of all sizes. We are providing mini pies and treats for parties and corporate events to give them a little taste of the city.
Baby Break!
Photo by Michel Varisco
And now for the other bit of growth - Nicole is about to have a baby! Will it be a boy or a girl? We’ll find out soon. Will it grow up with a mother who makes pies? Definitely! It’s been a fast 9 months. We’ll be taking a short hiatus when the big day arrives and we’ll post those details for y’all when it comes.
Can you believe the first little Louisiana strawberries are already being harvested? Reading this exciting news put us in mind of a delicious summer special we ran last year, the Mid-Summer Strawberry & Cream Pie. Infused with lemon basil, this icebox pie was a welcome refreshment in the July heat.
Gaze into the happy photo above and forget all about these lingering grey skies!
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Tart $30
A silken ganache infused with cool peppermint. A buttery tart crust dappled with a flurry of candy cane.
Forget the carrots. If Santa bribed Comet and Blitzen, this is what he’d use.
Almond-Laced Apple Pie with Fallen Leaves $30
It’s fall. Take the weekend to see the changing colors.
It’s finally crisp enough for your trusty red plaid flannel. A group of friends, a dependable ladder, a drive to an orchard upstate. Grab some fresh cider for around the fire.
Reality: Grandma’s coming over and you live in New Orleans. Better place an order for our take on a classic that’ll have you chanting A is for Apple.
A leaf-lattice apple pie tinged with brown sugar and spice, and interwoven with our own marzipan.
Boozy Brown Butter Tart $30
An indulgent wintry treat filled with plump dates and figs. Topped off with a spirited Grand Marnier cream, this tart resonates with warmth.
A Rembrandt still life. Enough sherry to go around. An old tune floating in from the other room.
Finish your supper with civility.
Vanilla Bean Bourbon Pecan Pie $25
One bite and you know you’re tasting history. The history of the land, the foodways, the people who went before. The South.
Madagascar vanilla beans. Louisiana pecans. Local cane syrup and honey. Maker’s Mark. And a secret ingredient.
Autumn Menu Teaser at UNO St. Claude Gallery
It was rainy outside but inside it was all color and textile improvisation. Artist, Christine Sauer, talked about her work and her art making process and everyone ate pie.
Christine’s talk was fascinating. I thought I knew her and her work well. But I learned tons! Listening to her describe where her ideas come from, what moves her, and how she manifests the work was intriguing and inspiring.
Check out her solo show entitled “Flourish” at UNO St. Claude Gallery, 2429 St. Claude. It’s up until October 6.
We’ve just spent a bright and early morning picking organic blueberries at the beautiful Blue Tara farm up in Poplarville, Mississippi. Six gallons of juicy berries later, we are ready for some serious pie making!
If you’ve waited this long to try our amazing Blueberry Lavender Honey Pie, now is the time to jump in and get one — and if you already know & love it, just imagine how wonderful it will taste with these gorgeous organic berries!
Herb-Scented Spring Chicken Pot Pie
This pot pie is a direct response to your outcries! A new savory pot pie filled with chicken, mushrooms, garlic, and sage from Hollygrove Market, plus carrots, leeks, peas, potatoes, pearl onions, tarragon, thyme, and rosemary: $32.
We’re only making 6, so contact us by Wednesday night if you want to reserve one for Thursday pickup.
What: Herb-Scented Spring Chicken Pot Pie, $32, for pick up
When: Thursday, June 7
How: Message the gals through email or facebook to reserve yours now!
Strawberry Margarita Chiffon Tart $30
A light citrusy filling with a knockout margarita flavor, spiked with Herradura silver tequila and ringed with fresh strawberries. You might call it summer’s aperitif.
Blueberry Lavender Honey Pie [market price]
A longer day, a drive across the lake, an empty bucket; all these blueberries, what should we bake?
Highlighted by warm honey tones and just a hint of lavender, this lattice pie will entice you with its deep indigo fruit.
This savory pie was inspired by full lives and busy weeknights!
Think you need a special occasion for a Windowsill Pie? How about next Wednesday night? Our new pot pie features parsnips, pearl onions, and butternut squash among other root veggies, plus a pinch of saffron and a hit of Pernod. And of course, it’s all baked inside our classic flaky crust.
We’ll only be making a dozen, so be sure to reserve one!
What: Root Vegetable Pernod Pot Pie, $30, for pick up
When: Wednesday, March 7
How: Message the gals through email or Facebook to reserve your limited edition Root Vegetable Pernod Pot Pie
Thank you so much for being a part of our inaugural winter season here at Windowsill Pies. It’s been great receiving so much wonderful feedback, and even more so, getting to meet and talk with you.
After having such a great Thanksgiving and Christmas, we really want to keep in touch with all of our adventurous customers. We are so impressed with you. You have been willing to traverse the potholed Mid City streets with old-timey cash money. You’ve orienteered your way to an unmarked door, with only the sweet spiced aroma of our pies to confirm your correct destination. And you’ve given us feedback and spurred ideas while sharing a gracious chat.
Pies and tarts like the Cranberry Gingersnap and the Apple Frangipane have become good friends and parting will be such sweet sorrow - but for everything there is a season, and to paraphrase The Byrds paraphrasing the Bible, “Turn, turn, turn.” So even though it might seem far away on such a cold day, spring really is around the corner. Strawberries have already been spotted at the Covington farmer’s market! So stay in touch with us and we’ll keep you up to date.
By signing up for our newsletter you will get quarterly dispatches detailing the upcoming seasonal menu. You will also be privy to rare notifications of exciting specials, such as if we stumble through a particularly fine blackberry patch.
P.S. Calm ya’self down. The Vanilla Bean Bourbon Pecan Pie is staying put on the menu!
