- The inaugural Stissing House x Substack Pie Fest took place in November.
- There were 33 pies entered for 14 judges — including Martha Stewart — to choose from.
- According to James Beard award-nominated chef Clare de Boer, judges were between two pies.
I’ve been living in the US for 15 years, and there’s one thing I really look forward to during the holidays: pies.
I’m always looking forward to having my favorites (apple pie is at the top of the list) and trying new ones brought by friends and family.
Now I have a new one to add to that list: the salted maple bourbon pie that Martha Stewart chose as the 2025 winner for the Stissing House x Substack Pie Fest.
The instructions are intimidating, but it sounds delicious
Nikki Freihofer describes her now-famous pie as “a pancake breakfast that grew up.”
As someone who barely knows how to bake, I find the instructions a bit more intimidating than making pancakes.
The ingredients include a solid dose of high-quality bourbon, such as Bulleit, to impart a distinctive boozy flavor. (When she announced the winner, Stewart joked that she could’ve used more booze, but it sounds like plenty to me!)
The crust is pretty classic, though it has some spoonfuls of vodka in it, and it’s all topped off with a vanilla mascarpone whip.
If you opt to make the whole pie from scratch, it requires starting with the crust the night before, as freezing overnight is recommended. And once all the steps are complete, it’s recommended that the pie rest for four to six hours before concluding the process with a generous sprinkle of flaky Maldon sea salt.
Freihofer also described her pie as “the kind of thing people take one bite of and immediately start plotting their second,” and I’m already planning to give it a try.
Take a look at the recipe, which Substack shared after the event.