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Owner Michele Albano said the award-winning Norwalk pie shop will be offering specials during the day on Jan. 23, which has been observed as National Pie Day by the American Pie Council since 1986. Though Michele’s Pies will mark the occasion, she said that an even busier day is National Pi Day, which falls on March 14 (think 3.14).
“That’s almost a bigger day for us, because it’s more well-known,” Albano said.
Things have been busy at Michele’s Pies, which opened its doors in Norwalk in 2007 and has been featured on “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” the “Today” show and in The New York Times. Albano is getting ready for Valentine’s Day, when chocolate cream and chocolate pecan bourbon pies are always popular. They’re also preparing for the National Pie Championships in April, where Michele’s Pies has achieved much success.
She’s started hosting cooking classes where you can learn to make your own pies, with the next one set for Feb. 4. They’ve also recently started shipping their pies through the service Goldbely.
“We can now ship our pies anywhere,” Albano said.
Albano learned the tricks of pie-making from her grandmother.
“I was always baking with my grandmother. It was one of our favorite past times. I always told her I would make her pies famous,” she said.
She founded her business in 2006, baking pies in the kitchen of her ski condo in Vermont and selling them to local farmers markets. After winning her first National Pie Championship in 2007 for the chocolate pecan bourbon, she moved to Norwalk and opened up the shop.
The secret to her pies’ success is the hand-made quality and fresh local ingredients, she said. The crust is what really sets a great pie apart from the rest, she says. She’s always playing around with new recipes in the kitchen, and said that her favorite pie is whatever she hasn’t had in a while.
“Right now it’s peach,” she said.
This time of year people like to escape the cold with a warm slice of apple pie, as well as pot pies and quiches. Michele’s Pies also offers an assortment of other goodies, including cookies, brownies, breads, espresso and cappuccino.
Michele’s Pies is at 666 Main Ave. in Norwalk (near the Wilton border) and is open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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