At Wooden Spoon Homemade Pies, Deb Cazavilan doesn’t skimp on the love. (Photo: Wini Moranville)
By Wini Moranville
Like many home cooks, Deb Cazavilan once relied on store-bought pie pastry to make her pies. That changed in 1993, when she crafted her first pie from scratch for an “Art in the Park” baking contest. It was an unmistakable turning point: Her now-famous Ankeny Mudslide Pie won Best of Show, and she discovered not only a new skill but a calling.
Alongside her professional baking over the years, Cazavilan ran Wooden Spoons Workshops, where she taught many a home cook the ins and outs of everything from pies to ramen and pho. Although her classes moved online after the pandemic, her pie business has flourished so much that she’s rebranded as Wooden Spoons Homemade Pies. During the summer, she bakes up to 50 pies a week for the Ankeny Farmers Market and stays busy the rest of the year filling custom orders for birthdays, celebrations, funerals and “just-because” treats.
“I love baking pies!” she said. “I actually hum while I’m making them. It’s creative, it’s satisfying, and it’s something not everyone can do. To me, pie baking is a bit of a lost art.”
She also loves what pies do for others. “Nothing says ‘love’ like a pie,” she said. “If someone’s celebrating, mourning or just needs a little extra kindness, a pie says it all. Pies are like the chicken soup of the dessert world.”
Of course, she still makes her pie pastry from scratch. And while some pie makers swear by lard or Crisco (for flakiness), and others insist on a Crisco-butter combo (for both flakiness and a rich buttery flavor), Cazavilan has perfected an all-butter crust. Somehow, she coaxes both flakiness and flavor from the one essential ingredient.
Her fillings are often signature creations, as well. Sure, you’ll find classic cherry and apple pies but also off-the-beaten-path surprises like Apple Snickerdoodle, Cherry Marzipan, or Blackberry with Sweet Corn Crumb. Non-fruit pies include Coconut Pie, Vanilla Celebration Chess Pie, “Not Your Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie,” and Browned Butter Bourbon Pecan Pie. (I recently tried that last one and adored it.)
If you just can’t decide, try her “pie flight,” a box of eight different varieties in one pie tin. Think of it like a box of donuts — but better because it’s pie.
Here’s what you need to know about ordering from Wooden Spoons Homemade Pies:
- You can pick up your order at her home in Ankeny; details will be given after you place the order.
- If you order ahead for this Thanksgiving, you can arrange for pickup on either Wednesday (all day) or Thanksgiving Day (until noon).
- Fruit pies baked fresh to order require a 24-hour notice.
- Need a pie right now? Cazavilan stocks a number of baked and frozen pies in her freezer. If she has what you want in stock, you can generally pick it up within an hour.
This is the second in a series about local pie bakers. Read our earlier story about Lana Shope of Pies & Pastries by Lana.
