17 of Austin’s top chefs bake Thanksgiving-ready pies for online auction
Everyone loves a Thanksgiving pie, but not everyone wants to make a Thanksgiving pie. Austinites looking to support a good cause and snag a delicious pie for the Turkey Day table can do both with the Piehole Project.
The virtual pie auction is returning for its second year from November 6-16; During the 11-day window, hungry pie-lovers will have a chance to bid on pies made by 17 Austin chefs. The money raised will go toward scholarships and grants to support aspiring and early-career employees in the culinary and hospitality industries.
This year’s project theme is “superheroes,” which the participating chefs used to inspire their pie flavors — although the inspiration isn’t always immediately evident, the pies should still taste super.
Some of the many notable participants include Sarah Heard of Foreign & Domestic, who offers a “Green Tomato Pie” with seasonal ingredients and a flavor like apple pie; Abby Jane of Abby Jane’s Bake Shop, who put together a “Mesquite Chocolate Pecan Pie” with dark chocolate chunks, native Texas mesquite beans, maple syrup, and Barton Springs stone-milled flour; and pastry chef Callie Speer of Holy Roller, who’s whipping up a traditional “Texas Trash Pie” with pumpkin custard, caramel, candied pecans, dark chocolate, crispy pumpkin spice meringue kisses, and toasted marshmallow fluff.