A Truly Excellent Apple Pie @ Stew Leonard's

It's a few hours before your guests arrive for that big family BBQ. You're scrambling to get the prep done before the doorbell rings….and oh no…you realize you forgot the dessert!!  Fear not my brave Fairfield County residents. Stew Leonard's has the perfect solution for you…and you'd never guess it wasn't homemade. 

Named "best pie in America" by Gourmet Magazine as well as the Wall Street Journal (a dubious food critic, but we'll go with it), Stew's is now carrying The Elegant Farmer's "Apple Pie Baked In A Paper Bag." I know what you're thinking. 1. Stew's? Really? and 2. Doesn't the bag go up in flames? Yes and no. 

We were introduced to this gem by a CTbites reader, and had to check it out for ourselves. This Wisconsin based pie shop uses apples fresh from their farm, and they make their pies just how I like them. This pie features mounds of juicy, not-to-sweet fruit piled under a uniquely crunchy top crust, a product of the "paper bag" cooking technique. Down below, supporting the great weight of this Fall bounty is one of the flakiest crusts I've had since a remarkable dessert experience at The Dressing Room a few month back. Perhaps the best part is what's left on the bottom of the bag after you remove the pie… a caramelized buttery treat, especially after the reheating reunites the flavors.  

The pie will run you $16 at Stew Leonard's and is worth every penny. It also comes smothered in Caramel for those who require a little extra lovin'. Personally, I prefer mine straight up with vanilla ice cream. You can find reheating instructions on the Elegant Farmer's website.