Taste Buds: North Shore Pie Road Trip

(FOX 9) - Stephanie Hansen hits scenic Highway 61 along Lake Superior's North Shore to explore two legendary pie destinations separated by less than 10 miles: Betty’s Pies in Two Harbors and the Rustic Inn Café in Castle Danger.

Stephanie kicks off her trip at Betty’s Pies, a North Shore staple since 1957. Owner Carl shares how the bakery churns out up to 700 pies a day in peak summer before Stephanie joins baker Rebecca in the kitchen. Together, they build their signature Banana Cream Pie, French Blueberry with brown sugar crumble, and Turtle Coconut Pie. Carl also introduces Stephanie to their Great Lakes Crunch Pie Shake, a local favorite.

Just down the road, Stephanie visits the Rustic Inn Café to meet general manager Callie and baker Hailey.  Stephanie gets a hands-on lesson in rolling dough and hand-crimping crusts while helping assemble two signature favorites: the bestselling North Shore Berry Crumb and classic double-crust Strawberry Rhubarb. She also tries their popular gluten-free Raspberry Cream, which features a delicate meringue crust.

Back in her kitchen, Stephanie uses fresh tomatoes, Dijon mustard, Gruyère and Swiss cheese, and a thyme-infused pie crust to demonstrate how simple and rewarding a savory pie can be.

Tomato Pie

Ingredients for the pie crust

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 Tbsp ice water
• 1 Tbsp vodka

Ingredients for the filling

• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 cups grated gruyere cheese
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (or as needed)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Fresh cracked pepper

Instructions are available in the video above and here.