Her new space in Evanston - a collaboration with Dollop Coffee - is three times as large as her original store in Ukrainian Village, which allows her to create a lot more sweet and savory items. During the holidays, she gets lots of questions about technique, but fortunately, all of that wisdom has been distilled into her new cookbook.
"A lot of our customers tell us that they're afraid to make pie. They can't make pie crust. They have almost this voodoo thing about it, that there are pie crust makers and people who can't make pie crust; that just seems silly," said Haney.
Dough is obviously the basis for any good pie.
"Cold butter, giving yourself lots of time. The dough needs to rest between the time you make it and the time you roll it out and even between the time you put the dough in the pie shell and crimp it and the time you bake it," she said.
Then there are the fillings - ranging from standard apple to a late-season apple-raspberry, or a crumble-topped pear-apple-cranberry. Haney says seek out the best of the season.
"I think it's the fruit; when you start with good ingredients, we don't really have to do anything. We tell people in the book that the quickest way to become a better baker is just get better ingredients. The simpler the better, really," said Haney.
The book is out now, and the store up here in Evanston is open, however it's too late to order pies for Thanksgiving, however, Paula says you can place your orders right now, for all holidays that happen after Thanksgiving.
The new store will feature a lot more pie than the original in the city, plus savory pies, and even pie shakes.
Hoosier Mama
749 Chicago Ave., Evanston
847-868-8863
www.hoosiermamapie.com
Also:
1618 W. Chicago Ave.
312-243-4846
"The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie" is out on store shelves now.
