Baked by Melissa Wants You to Put Their New Mini Pies in Your Beer, Here's Why
Courtesy of Brand
This holiday season, Blue Moon suggests having your pie and drinking with it too!
Blue Moon just released a collection of mini pies to replace their famous orange garnish, and they come with three flavors: Spiced Citrus Pumpkin Pie, Tropic Sky Pie and Coconut Citrus Pie. Each pie is meant to pair with a different Blue Moon beer to help accentuate their different flavor profiles. The pies are available for purchase (buy a three-pack for $18), but they also provided the recipes to make at home.
These mini pies were developed with Baked by Melissa, a New York City-based dessert chain loved for their mini cupcakes, macarons and other treats.
We sat down with Melissa Ben-Ishay, the founder of Baked by Melissa, to talk more about her Blue Moon mini pie creations as well as her favorite holiday traditions and more.
EatingWell: Tell us more about your partnership with Blue Moon. How did the unique idea come about?
Ben-Ishay: I was contacted by Blue Moon with the opportunity, and I couldn't be more excited because Blue Moon is my favorite beer. In college, their iconic orange garnish is what ultimately made me start drinking it because I was not the biggest beer drinker before that. Having the opportunity to replace the iconic garnish with something, arguably, even more iconic was truly an honor.
EatingWell: Out of the three mini pie flavors, which is your favorite?
Ben-Ishay: I actually met with the brewmaster from Blue Moon to learn more about each of the beers that I was pairing a pie recipe with so I could make sure to keep the integrity of all the different flavor notes and really focus on the flavors that come through when you enjoy the beer because it should complement it. I think my absolute favorite pie is the Coconut Citrus Pie, and I didn't expect to like it. The coconut filling with the citrus topping is just so good. The Tropic Sky Pie is a close second. If you love pumpkin pie, then the Spiced Citrus Pumpkin Pie is also incredible.
Related: No-Sugar-Added Mini Apple Pies
EatingWell: With the holidays coming up, are you looking forward to any food traditions? If so, what are they?
Ben-Ishay: My favorite food tradition during the holidays is getting into the kitchen with my family. Especially now that I'm a mom, I love cooking and baking with my kids. To me, that's what the holidays are about. If you go to bluemoonpiepints.com you can order the pies, or you can find the recipes there, and we're sharing them with you so you can bake them with your family over the holidays and do what I love to do.
EatingWell: Are there any holiday food trends that you're noticing are on the rise this year?
Ben-Ishay: Naturally, the classic flavor combinations that pair well with the holidays, like pumpkin during Thanksgiving, are here to stay. I like to take the classics and give them my own twist. Ultimately, what I try to do is make something that's inspired by the classics but even more delicious. That's what tends to be the most popular.
EatingWell: What does eating well mean to you?
Ben-Ishay: I love food. I think about food all day. I think about what I'm going to eat for dinner when I wake up in the morning, so to me mealtime is for nourishment and dessert is for indulging. If you get your fulfillment from your meals, then you can absolutely indulge in dessert everyday, which is what I do. During the holidays, the food is such an important part of your holiday experience. Let yourself enjoy and listen to your body.
We agree with Ben-Ishay that the holidays are a time to enjoy all of the foods and flavors you like, including the special things you may not normally enjoy. But balance is the name of the game when it comes to feeling your best during the most wonderful time of the year. If you're looking to up your pie-baking game this year, we also have delicious recipes like our Mini Pecan Pies and Pumpkin Pie Crisp to help you get in a festive spirit.
Up Next: How to Turn Your Favorite Thanksgiving Pie into a Cocktail
