Holiday season is a good excuse for sweets in my household – morning, noon and night. And there’s always room for pie – on the menu at Thanksgiving (after the turkey, of course), in my tummy no matter how much turkey and stuffing I’ve eaten… and on my list of things to prepare for the big Thursday dinner feast. But as far as time goes, sometimes there just isn’t the room to actually make the aforementioned pie (despite this column recently recommending doing so with Pumpkin Pecan pie!). When time runs out, I secretly run to a bakery that will give me a head start.

We all know you can buy a pie, but buying an unbaked pie that is all ready to pop into your oven and bake at home is another delicious option. You don’t even have to tell anyone you weren’t up late the night before whipping up this homemade wonder. (Not to put down either doing it yourself or the pre-baked option. The popularity of pie-making in Portland is on the rise, and I’m all for that. Here’s a great list of Portland pie purveyors.)

But when you’re short on time, it’s good to know that Grand Central Bakery offers delicious pies ready to bake at home. They’ve got Oregon’s favorite Marionberry pie available pre-made all year round, and apple during the holiday season. Both are $15.75, come frozen and don’t need to be thawed. Just pre-heat the oven to 325º F, bake your pie for about an hour and 20 minutes, and let it cool another hour.

All in all, not a bad way to trim your list of things to do and have more time to talk turkey! And if you’re up for more pseudo-home-baking this holiday once the tryptophan has worn off, you might try Florio Bakery’s wide selection of bake at home pastries. They’re available at their storefront in Northeast Portland (call ahead to order) and in local markets including New Seasons and Food Front.

Even though after Thanksgiving dinner you might not think you’ll ever need to eat again, by the next morning, with family visiting, the smell of fresh baked chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls or ginger orange scones wafting from your oven will probably be appreciated.

Florio Bakery
435 NE Rosa Parks Way
Portland, Oregon
(One block east of MLK)
503-928-9444
Hours:
Monday – Friday 7AM to 3:30PM
Saturday – Sunday 8AM to 3:30PM

Grand Central Bakery
multiple Portland area locations