Pies have finally stepped into the handheld age. Tyler Walker, owner and baker at Ty Ty’s Mini Pies, started selling his bite-sized pies just six months ago, debuting his buttery, flaky-crusted treats as a guest vendor at the Golden Farmers' Market (1019 10th Street).
“There’s the whole cupcake movement, which has just blown up, and it’s something that makes sense — to have a bite-sized portion of cake. So I thought, ‘Why not pie?’” explains Walker.
Walker grew up in a self-described pie-loving family. “That was kind of our dessert of choice, so we oftentimes didn’t have birthday cake; we had birthday pie. My mom just baked a ton of pies for holidays and for special occasions, so pies were her specialty. I was always kind of enamored with that process and loved watching her bake.”
As Walker got older, he began experimenting with pies of his own, but found that eating a full pie was a tall order for one person. He embarked upon a Goldilocks-style quest to “minify” his favorite recipes, creating a pie that is just the right size: about the size of a deviled egg.
Ty Ty’s Mini Pies serves up a selection of six cleverly named pies. The current menu offers Cherry, Cherry, Quite Contrary; Cheat Day Chocolate; So Divine Key Lime; Banana Cream Dream; Bang! Bang! Lemon Meringue; and Berries & Berries & Berries, Oh My!
As the seasons change, so too will Ty Ty's pie flavors. “I feel like pie is very seasonal, and your preferences and tastes change as the seasons do,” says Walker. This fall, Ty Ty’s Mini Pies will introduce a pecan pie to the lineup, and come winter, pie enthusiasts can look forward to pumpkin options.
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The size of Walker’s pies allows curious customers (and Walker himself) to sample a variety of flavors. “I’m not going to make, like, six full-sized pies and be able to eat all that,” laughs Walker. “It’s being able to enjoy a variety of pies in a more consumable size.”
At the moment, Ty Ty’s whimsical miniature pies are available for special orders and events through the bakery's website, but look for Walker to add Denver events and farmers' markets to his calendar this fall. In the meantime, peruse his latest creations on Instagram.
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