It’s Official: Pie Is The New Cupcake

Well, it’s about time. Cupcakes are good and all, but they don’t do savory. Pie is clearly superior. Pillsbury has made it official and has decreed 2011 to be “The Year of the Pie.” Whether or not the company’s low-risk announcement will alter the course of the cupcake trend is yet to be seen, but they got it right by including recipes in their marketing push. Shown above is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Pie, and all the recipes can be found at Pillsbury.com/Recipes.

Read on to see the list of Top 10 Pies to Try.

Press release:

Move Over Cupcakes – 2011 is “The Year of the Pie”

Pillsbury Releases Top 10 List of Pies to Try from Savory Pot Pies to Cocktail Inspired Party Pies

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Bakery shelves, restaurant menus and even red carpet event dinner plates are exploding with imaginative new flavors and styles of the latest food trend: pies. With pies popping up all around town—there are even restaurants devoted just to pie and pie delivery options by bicycle—Pillsbury says, “Pie is the new cupcake!”

The food specialists at Pillsbury have been monitoring the conversation surrounding the rise in popularity of pies. According to recent data from The NPD Group, overall pie consumption in the United States is up 16.5 percent from 2002. As a leading source of ideas in the food space with a highly-ranked Web site, Pillsbury shares that consumers are looking to serve pie in a variety of fresh ways – from classic favorites to the uniquely new. Similar to the current trend of remaking classic movies and cars, Pillsbury is bringing back the nostalgia of pies from the past to add fun recipe twists that will take pies from holiday tables to every day meal occasions.

To celebrate “The Year of the Pie,” Pillsbury’s Kitchens have developed Top 10 Pies to Try, more than 20 new recipes—many with just five ingredients—that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. From new ideas incorporating the latest takes on pie to favorites from past, these recipes will please pie lovers no matter the occasion. Visit Pillsbury.com to view all the recipes.

“Consumers are showing a taste for past favorites with the resurgence of the pie, but are expecting new spins,” said Julie Hinderks, Pillsbury Test Kitchen Expert. “Our team at Pillsbury, which is behind the No. 1 selling refrigerated pie crust, has created the Pillsbury Top 10 Pies to Try list to give consumers easy ways to explore all of the fun of making, and indulging in, pie at home.”

Pillsbury’s Top 10 Pies to Try

* Lemon Pie Poppers – A brand new way to bring the craveable flavors of your favorite fruit pie into a portable, poppable single serving. Pie poppers are easy to assemble and are sure to be popular options among party hosts, served as both appetizers and desserts. Also try apple and cherry pie popper recipes.

* Vodka Lemonade Cocktail Pie – A cocktail for the fork! This pie is a refreshing frozen version of a summer cocktail favorite. Additional cocktail pie recipes include Sangria, Strawberry Daiquiri and even a Mai Tai pie, capturing the fun and flavor of the current Tiki trend.

* Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Pies – This new type of pie takes inspiration from the cookie, which never goes out of style. This idea brings the current craze for the “cookie stuffed cookie” to pie – creating hand-held pies stuffed with your favorite cookies. Try the peanut butter cup cookie or peanut butter and jelly stuffed pie, too.

* Chocolate-Coconut Jumbo Pie Cupcakes – Pie is the new cupcake – but you don’t have to choose with this new take on both pie and cupcakes! This tasty treat incorporates your favorite pie ingredients, including pie crust, topped with a complementary cake flavor. Additional recipes include Apple Spice and Lemon Curd Jumbo Pie Cupcake.

* Orange Dream Mini Ice Cream Pies – Ice cream favorites made into mini pies! Comfort food is always in, and these cool treats can come in a variety of other flavors, including Lime Cooler and Choco-Nut Mini Ice Cream Pie.

* Fresh Berry Slab Pie – Pie for a crowd! Perfect for celebrations, reunions and graduations, these pies can feed (and please) full tables. Memorial Day, 4th of July and/or Labor Day party guests will enjoy this recipe’s patriotic red, white and blue colors. Try this recipe with apples or peaches, too.

* Chicken Alfredo Pasta Pies – It’s back-to-basics with this pie trend featuring pasta favorites all packaged into a pastry. These non-sweet pastries have been turning up on plates all around town recently, including red carpet fashion events. Additional pasta pie recipes include Lasagna Pasta Pie and Chili Mac Pasta Pie.

* Rustic Chicken Pot Pie – One of America’s favorite comfort foods is the pot pie. In fact, chicken pot pie is the top-searched recipe on Pillsbury.com. Inspired by hand tarts, crostata and galettes, this pot pie recipe features an easy hand-formed crust filled with chicken, mashed potatoes and other vegetables and herbs. Another savory pot pie option is Rustic Pot Roast Pot Pie – complete with stout beer!

* Stuffed Crust Strawberry Cream Pie – Strawberries are currently in season and this pie recipe is a National Blue-Ribbon State Fair Pie Contest winner! A fruity delight, this pie features a bottom crust stuffed with sweet almond filling. Other stuffed crusted recipes to try include Stuffed-Crust Lemon Layer Pie and Double-Bottom Blueberry, Lemon and Pecan Pie.

* French Silk Chocolate Pie – Pillsbury and its consumers have been developing and setting pie trends for more than 60 years, and this recipe is a long-time favorite. As one of the 100 recipes at the 3rd annual Bake Off® Contest in 1951, French Silk got its start with Pillsbury! This pie features unsweetened chocolate and sweetened whipped cream.

About Pillsbury

One of the world’s leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Yoplait, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2010 global net sales of US$16 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales. Log on to www.generalmills.com for company information.

For more than 130 years, families have trusted Pillsbury to make mealtimes special times. Favorite Pillsbury products include refrigerated cookies, crescent dinner rolls, breads, biscuits, pie crusts and sweet rolls as well as frozen biscuits, rolls, pie crusts, pastry bites and breakfast items.

Pillsbury.com is a top online food site and Pillsbury has nearly 1 million Facebook fans. For product information and great-tasting recipes, visit www.pillsbury.com.