Zeitgeist Dance Theatre Celebrates Santa Fe’s 20 Years as a UNESCO Creative City

A drawing of a woman in a dress with an apple head. — Forbidden Fruit, 2016 by Geralyn Montano

Satire, humor, and resilience are the focus at Reservations for Irony: Native Wit and Contemporary Realities, opening on August 9 at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Santa Fe. The exhibition is produced and curated by Trotta-Bono Contemporary and features work by leading Indigenous artist including Kent Monkman, Nicholas Galanin, David Bradley, Cara Romero, Diego Romero, Tony Abeyta, Geralyn Montano and many others.

A painting of the land of lakes Indian holding a dollar bill. — Land O’Bucks, 1990-92 by David Bradley

Events Schedule Reservations for Irony: Native Wit and Contemporary Realities

Paintings, sculpture, photography, and installation explore and confront identity, colonial narrative, and social and political realities with wit, humor, and irony. Where language can be inadequate, the artists illustrate that art can reveal deep and often painful truths – all seen through a lense of humor and resistance.

A painting of a mountain range and lake with Indians about. — Study for The Annunciation, 2024 by Kent Monkman

The show that runs through August 30. It also includes a panel discussion and a stand-up comedy show near the night of the opening reception.

Reservation for Irony: Native Wit and Contemporary Realities Show

August 9-30
Institute of Contemporary Art
Reception: Saturday, August 16, 5:00-8:00 p.m.

A white stick art piece with an eagle chain hanging from it. — American Talking Stick, 2023 by Nicholas Galanin

Indigenous Humor as Resistence: A Panel Discussion

Friday, August 15, 10:30 a.m.

A monkey balances a ball on its head in sculpture form. — Unstable World, 2020 by Roxanne Swentzell

With All Due Respect: Stand-Up with Ricardo Cate & Friends

Saturday, August 16, 8:00-10:00 p.m.

Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Photos Courtesy of Institute of Contemporary Art

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Sara Breckenridge-Sproat’s New Mexican Red Chile Pecan Pie

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August 1, 2025

Two freshly baked pecan pies, adorned with decorative pastry leaves, are on a baking sheet, with dried red chiles and scattered pecan halves beside them.

Sara Breckenridge-Sproat’s winning pecan pie was scented with red chile. The filling rested in a buttery crust enhanced with sweet little pastry autumn leaves. Because husband David loves heat with sweet, she decided to add New Mexico’s hot stuff to her holiday pecan pie. This winning combo was born!

Sara retired to Santa Fe in 2017 after three decades of military service as an Army nurse with the rank of Colonel. She met her husband, an Army family medicine practitioner, in her first post, at Fort Lewis in Washington State. When Sara married, a savvy friend implored her to master pie crusts. The admonisher said that they weren’t as difficult as they were made out to be. Plus, homemade was more delicious than store-bought. Sara has been baking pies in her own buttery pie shells ever since, along with cookies, and a crusty sourdough, too. She doubled down on baking during Covid and says that the couple hasn’t bought commercial bread since 2020.

Red Chile Pecan Pie Recipe

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Sara Breckenridge-Sproat’s New Mexican Red Chile Pecan Pie

Author: Sara Breckenridge-Sproat’s
Yield: Makes a 9-inch pie 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pie Crust:

Makes two crusts (save 1 for next time)

2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup chilled vegetable shortening
12 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
6–8 tbsp ice water

For the Pie Filling:

3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
5 tbsp melted butter (71g)
2 tbsp prepared red chile sauce (I use my own, but Bueno brand can be used)
2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp ancho chile powder (divided use)
1–2 tsp cayenne, or to taste (divided use) (I used a total of 1 tsp – if you are feeling bold, add more!)
1¼ cup chopped New Mexican pecans
1 tbsp powdered sugar

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Instructions

For the Pie Crust:

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add shortening, and process until the mixture looks like sand.
Scatter butter cubes over the mixture and pulse lightly so that some butter chunks remain. Sprinkle with about 6 tbsp ice water, and pulse until combined. Add more water if needed to form a dough ball. Dump dough out onto a floured surface, divide into two fat disks, and chill at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out one of the disks of dough slightly larger than the pie plate. Place in freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Blind bake the crust. Line cold crust with foil all the way up the sides and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Par-bake crust 20-30 minutes. Leave the oven on. (If you wish, cut any remaining dough into leaves or other decorative designs to add to the pie later.)

For the Pie Filling:

In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs with a hand mixer until airy and light colored. Then beat in corn syrup, granulated sugar, melted butter, prepared red chile sauce, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cocoa powder, 1 tbsp of the ancho powder, and ½ tsp cayenne until slightly airy.
Toss pecans with powdered sugar and remaining tsp ancho chile powder and half tsp cayenne until covered.
Combine pecan mixture with the beaten egg-corn syrup mixture, stirring lightly only to cover the pecans with the corn syrup mixture evenly. This keeps the pecans suspended, instead of sinking to the bottom of the pie. Spoon mixture into the par-baked crust. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated 350-degree oven about 40 minutes until set.
Uncover, place any dough decorations you wish. If you do so before this point, they will sink into the pie. Continue to bake uncovered until set, but slightly jiggly at the center, about 45-50 minutes more. Transfer to a rack and let cool at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Slice and serve.

Recipe by Sara Breckenridge-Sproat

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Photography by Tira Howard

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Dr. Ron Bronitsky’s Autumn Harvest Pie

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August 1, 2025

Autumn harvest pie, featuring a golden-brown crust with leaf-shaped cutouts, rests on a red and white checkered cloth, surrounded by fresh apples, carrots, walnuts, and raisins.

Dr. Ron Bronitsky grew up in Albuquerque helping his mother bake. Some 30 years ago, he entered a blueberry pie in the New Mexico State Fair’s baking competition and was stunned and delighted when he won a blue ribbon. That hooked him on baking competitions. He was a contestant on the Netflix series, Blue Ribbon Baking Championship. Ron says his goal was to avoid being the first person eliminated. He accomplished that, and then some.

Autumn Harvest Pie Recipe

The retired pulmonary critical care specialist mentions that his science background has played a role in his continual experimentation with baking formulas and ingredients and their proportions. He created his “autumn harvest” pie just for this event. It was popular for its creative and delicious mix of nuts, apples, carrots, maple syrup, and more, all artfully blended in a flaky crust. Ron is also the reigning grand champion, three years running, of the fall Pie Town Pie Festival.

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Dr. Ron Bronitsky’s Autumn Harvest Pie

Author: Dr. Ron Bronitsky
Yield: Makes a 9-inch pie 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pie Crust (makes two; save one for next time):

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
12 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut in small cubes
½ cup Crisco vegetable shortening, chilled
¼ cup ice water
¼ cup ice cold plain vodka

For the Pie Filling:

1 cup golden raisins
2 tbsp bourbon
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, divided use
½ cup toasted pecan pieces
½ cup toasted walnut pieces
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
¾ cup cored and peeled apple, such as Jonagold, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith, cut in medium dice
1/2 cup peeled and shredded carrots
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp salt
¾ cup maple syrup
3 large eggs
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

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Instructions

For the Pie Crust:

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a food processor. Add butter and pulse 6-8 times, to cut the mixture into pea-size pieces. Add the Crisco and pulse anther 6-8 times, to combine.
Dump the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add water and vodka slowly, mixing with a fork until evenly combined. Use a spatula to press the dough together. Form the dough into 2 fat disks and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Roll out one disk of dough on a floured surface into a round an inch or so larger than a 9-inch pie plate.
Arrange one round of dough in the pie plate, avoiding stretching it.
Blind bake the chilled crust. Line the crust with foil all the way up the sides and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake for 20 minutes with the weights. Remove foil and weights and bake an additional 3-5 minutes, until lightly golden.
Set aside and let cool completely while you prepare the filling.

For the Pie Filling:

Mix the raisins with bourbon in a small bowl and let sit a few minutes.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in nuts, apples, carrots, and raisins with any remaining bourbon. Cook several minutes until apple and carrots are tender, stirring frequently. Set mixture aside to cool.
In the top pan of a double boiler over simmering water, melt the remaining 4 tbsp butter.
Add the brown sugar and salt, and stir until completely mixed, then stir in the maple syrup, and remove from the heat.
Mix in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, flour, and spices. Place the pan again over the double boiler’s simmering water. Whisking the mixture, heat it to 130 degrees, measured on a candy thermometer. Remove again from the heat and stir in the mixture of nuts, fruit, and carrots.
Pour into the prebaked pie crust. Bake in a preheated 275 degree oven 60-75 minutes, until filling barely jiggles when moved.
Allow to cool completely, and serve.

Recipe by Dr. Ron Bronitsky

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Photography by Tira Howard

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Susan Farrington Schepens’ Favorite Apple Pie

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August 1, 2025

A freshly baked apple pie with a golden-brown crust and decorative leaf cutouts rests on an orange surface, surrounded by red and green apples, cinnamon sticks, apple peels, and a scoop of brown sugar.

A Santa Fe friend whose young son Susan Farrington Schepens babysat saw our call for bakers and urged Susan to enter. Susan has been baking since her childhood in Saratoga Springs, NY, where her mom and grandmother were her baker models. In high school, she enrolled in a “trades” curriculum her junior and senior years, and loved the baking coursework. After relocating to Knoxville, TN, she took more pastry classes, passing the love on to her daughters, Erika and Kara. Initially, it was Kara who showed the most interest and talent for baking. When a horrible accident took Kara’s life, Susan abruptly stopped baking, because the associated memories were simply too painful.

After Susan and her husband moved to Santa Fe nine years ago, she had an inkling that a return to baking might help her heal. She took some classes in Santa Fe Community College’s Culinary Arts Program and, indeed, did find making pie crust therapeutic. Her favorite pies are autumnal ones like pecan and the beautifully domed apple pie she made for us. Susan notes that her daughter Erika has now become an avid baker of bread, so Susan feels blessed that the family tradition will indeed continue on.

Apple Pie Recipe

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Susan Farrington Schepens’ Favorite Apple Pie

Author: Susan Farrington
Yield: Makes a 9-inch pie 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pie Crust:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
6 to 8 tbsp ice water
Cooking spray

For the Pie Filling:

8 medium apples, preferably a combination of sweet and tart, such as Granny Smith and Honey Crisp, peeled, cored, and sliced
¾ cup granulated sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp butter, cut in small pieces
1 egg, beaten

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Instructions

For the Pie Crust:

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt with butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms a ball.
Divide the dough in half and form into 2 fat disks. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out dough on a floured surface into two 11-inch rounds.
Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Arrange one round of dough in the pie plate, avoiding stretching it. Reserve the second round.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

For the Pie Filling:

In a mixing bowl, toss the apples together with the sugar, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make sure the apples are coated well.
Spoon the filling into the prepared crust, piling it up high in the center. Dot with butter. Top with the second crust, trim excess dough, and crimp the edge decoratively with a fork or your fingers.
Cut a few small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape while baking. Brush with the beaten egg.
Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 45-55 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If the edges of the crust start to get overly brown, cover the edges with foil while the pie finishes baking.
Cool the pie before slicing.

Recipe by Susan Farrington Schepens

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Photography by Tira Howard

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Brad Furry’s GreenGo Farm’s Chocolate Pudding Meringue Pies

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August 1, 2025

A freshly baked chocolate pudding pie with toasted meringue on top is presented on a wooden surface.

Brad Furry was an impressionable 11-year-old when a chocolate mousse in Paris opened his mind to the world of desserts. He had been sent by his parents from Durango to live with some French friends for the school year. It was a rough adjustment, given his age and the wildly different environments. However, he credits that year with being the best life-altering experience ever. The mother in his French family taught him to make her deeply dark and satisfying mousse. He has used her recipe ever since.

Chocolate Pudding Meringue Pies Recipe

Now a Santa Fe realtor and a rancher with his husband Bradyn, Brad often bakes for his four sons as well as friends who look forward to his Christmas Bundt cakes, in particular. His “rich, decadent, indulgent” chocolate pudding pie with stunning swirled meringue has a charming story behind it. At the time that Bunny Terry was stepping down as longtime chair of the New Mexico Cancer Foundation, Brad heard her reminiscing about the chocolate pie her late mother used to make. He resolved to make a similar pie to thank Bunny for her years of volunteer work. That the pie had its genesis in the mousse of decades ago made it all the sweeter. We were thrilled he recreated it for TABLE.

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Brad Furry’s GreenGo Farm’s Chocolate Pudding Meringue Pies

Author: Brad Furry
Yield: Makes two 10-inch pies 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pie Crusts:

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
4 tsp granulated sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
½ cup ice water

For the Pie Fillings:

2½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup cornstarch
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp kosher salt
6 cups half-and-half
12 large egg yolks
Three 4 oz semisweet chocolate baking bars, broken into small pieces
Two 4 oz 72% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bars, broken into small pieces
6 tbsp butter, cut into small cubes
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant espresso powder

For the Meringues:

(2 mixtures)
1 cup superfine sugar
4 large egg whites
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
8 large egg whites
2 cups superfine sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

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Instructions

For the Pie Crusts:

Combine in a food processor the flour, salt, and sugar.
Sprinkle butter cubes over the dry ingredients and pulse to form a very coarse cornmeal-like mixture. With the food processor on, gradually pour in the ½ cup of ice water. Mix just until the dough starts to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Form the dough into 2 fat disks.
Roll out each half into a 13-inch circle that is ¼ inch thick. Continue turning and rolling to help prevent sticking.
Lightly butter two 10-inch pie plates. To minimize stretching when moving the dough, roll it around the pin, lift, and unroll over each buttered pie plate. Using your fingers, gently pat the dough into place, leaving enough dough to cover the lip of the pie plate. Trim any excess dough with a paring knife.
With two fingers from one hand and your knuckle on the other hand, form the ripples on top of the rim. This will help hold the sides of your crust up during baking.
Place both shells into the refrigerator to chill at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 410 degrees.
Blind bake each crust. Line chilled crusts with foil all the way up the sides and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake for 22 minutes with the weights. Remove foil and weights and bake an additional 6 minutes.
Set aside and let cool completely while you prepare the filling.

For the Pie Fillings:

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt in a large saucepan.
Whisk together the half-and-half and the egg yolks in a large bowl.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat, and gradually whisk in the egg mixture into the sugar mixture. Cook, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or just until the mixture begins to boil. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 more minute; remove from heat.
Whisk in semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and butter, followed by the vanilla and espresso powder.
Place plastic wrap directly on warm filling. Let stand until it’s cool.

For the Meringues:

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread 1 cup of sugar so it’s a perfectly even thickness on the paper, leaving a border on the paper so the sugar doesn’t spill onto the pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until the edges start to brown lightly. Watch carefully! Leave oven on.
Place the first 4 egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Just before the sugar is ready, whisk the egg whites on high speed for 1 minute, just until frothy. With the mixer on low, slowly add the hot sugar to the egg whites. Add the vanilla and continue whisking on high for 10 minutes, until the egg whites are room temperature. The meringue will be very thick and glossy.
Fold this meringue into the cooled chocolate pudding filling and then spoon half of the mixture evenly into each cooled crust.
Repeat steps 1 thru 3 with the 2 cups superfine sugar, 8 egg whites, and the 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon this meringue mixture into a piping bag.
Pipe the meringue over each filling to cover all the edges. Leave no chocolate exposed.
With a kitchen torch, brown the meringue lightly from all directions.
Refrigerate pies until set, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Notes

(Note from Brad: It’s a complex pie, but it’s just as easy to make two as it is a single pie. Make a second and surprise a deserving friend.)

Recipe by Brad Furry

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison

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Missy Auge’s Dad’s Favorite Apple Pie

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August 1, 2025

A rustic apple pie, featuring a crust adorned with a Zia symbol and decorative strips, rests on a baking sheet surrounded by whole and halved red apples, all set on a patterned cloth.

Missy Auge is employed in the hospitality trade but, not as a baker or food professional. She’s currently the wine director working at Bishops’ Lodge Resort in Tesuque. Credit a father who loved apple pie, and a sister whose Rio Rancho fruit trees are always prolific, for Missy’s version of the all-American favorite. Growing up in Belen, she also had two grandmothers who baked, one of whom was a local home economics instructor.

About Missy’s Apple Pie Recipe

Missy moved to New York after college but found her way back to New Mexico in her mid-20s. She had a several-year run as owner of modern Italian eatery, Tanti Luce, in downtown Santa Fe. Her chef at the time was very “into” wine, which became her passion as well. In her professional life today, she’s certified through the Court of Masters as Wine Director/Sommelier for Bishop’s Lodge. Tasters praised her pie’s balance of sweet and tart fruit flavors, along with its flaky crust. Her apple pie was described as a “classic autumn comfort — simple, elegant, rustic.”

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Missy Auge’s Dad’s Favorite Apple Pie

Author: Missy Auge

Description

This apple pie recipe packs a punch of heat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pie Crust:

2½ cups Blue Bird all-purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into little cubes
1/4 cup vodka, ice cold
2–4 tbsp ice water

For the Pie Filling:

10–12 apples of at least 2 kinds (I used 5 Granny Smith, 3 Gala, and 3 Honey Crisp), peeled and sliced (leave the peel on a couple of the apples of contrasting colors, if you like)
Juice of 1 large lemon
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp Chimayó red chile powder
Zest of 1 large lemon
7 dashes angostura bitters (an old bartender trick!)
2 tbsp cornstarch, made into a slurry with 1 tbsp water
4–5 pats unsalted butter
Egg wash, made with 1 egg and 1 tbsp whipping cream
Turbinado or other coarse sugar and ground cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream, optional

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Instructions

For the Pie Crust:

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate briefly.
Combine in a food processor the dry ingredients and butter cubes. Pulse a few times, just until crumbly. Through the feed tube, add vodka and ice water slowly, until the dough barely comes together.
Dump dough onto a floured work surface. Form dough into two fat disks, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least an hour. The crust tastes better if you refrigerate it overnight.

For the Pie Filling:

Toss apple slices in large bowl with the lemon juice. Add the sugars, spices, lemon zest, and bitters. Let the mixture macerate in the bowl for about 30 minutes, letting the apples and other ingredients get friendly. Just before you are ready to add the apple filling to the pie crust, stir in the cornstarch slurry. Pile the filling high in the center. Dot with the pats of butter.
Arrange the top dough round over the filling. Trim it and crimp decoratively. Decorate the top with any other dough you have left. I usually make decorative leaves or stars, easy things I can eyeball with a sharp knife.
Brush top of pie with the egg wash, cut some holes for vents (I love to use pie birds given to me by my grandma). Sprinkle with coarse sugar and a cinnamon dusting.
Place your pie on a sheet pan before it goes in the oven, because it will drip butter. Cover the edges with foil.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees. Turn down the oven to 375 about half-way through baking, if it gets too brown too fast. Try though to cook it at the high temperature. The crust likes it. Cook for about an hour, checking every 25 minutes or so.
Serve hot with vanilla ice cream, dad’s favorite.

Notes

Missy’s Note on Zia Sign: “I made the zia with two different sized wine glasses. I don’t have a cookie cutter at my house, but I have multiple styles of proper glassware. Go figure. I cut rays of the zia with a paring knife, just eyeballing it.”

Recipe by Missy Auge
Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Photography by Tira Howard

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Myra Dalland’s Pumpkin Pie with Caramel-Pecan Topping

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August 1, 2025

A baked pecan pie with a caramel topping is shown from above, set on a wooden cutting board.

Unlike most bakers, Myra Dalland was not drawn to baking through family, or even early in life. She was in her 20s in New York and had taken a restaurant server job. On several occasions, when the chef was working on new dishes, he asked the staff to taste when he thought “something” was missing. She tasted and rather meekly made a few suggestions. The chef thought she was right in each instance and eventually exclaimed that she should become a cooking consultant.

Pumpkin Pie with Caramel-Pecan Topping Recipe

When she moved to Tesuque a decade ago, Myra started a business making cookies that were gluten-free and low on the glycemic index, but high in flavor and texture. She eventually expanded into individual-size chicken-green chile pies as well as dessert pies. She sold them through Santa Fe area grocery stores until her recent retirement. The judges particularly loved the caramel-pecan topping she added to her pumpkin pie.

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Myra Dalland’s Pumpkin Pie with Caramel-Pecan Topping

Author: Myra Dalland
Yield: Makes a 9-inch pie 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pie Crust:

1¼ cups unbleached and unbromated all-purpose flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
4 oz unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
¼ cup half-and-half
2 tbsp white vinegar

For the Pie Filling:

24 oz pumpkin puree
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
4 oz plain fresh goat cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp fine sea salt
2 oz unsalted butter, melted
½ cup half-and-half
1 egg, beaten

For the Caramel-Pecan Topping:

6 tbsp water (divided use)
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp agave syrup
Pinch salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 oz unsalted butter
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup pecan pieces

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Instructions

For the Pie Crust:

Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Scatter the butter over the flour and quickly pulse several times just to submerge the butter. Mix the half-and-half and vinegar together, pour in, and pulse several more times until the liquid is combined.
Dump the mixture out onto a floured surface and pat into a fat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a thin round an inch or so larger than the 9-inch pie plate. Arrange the crust in the plate, avoiding stretching it. Crimp the edge decoratively. Refrigerate the crust.

For the Pie Filling:

Combine in a food processor the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, goat cheese, egg and yolk, vanilla, and spices, process until well blended. Through the feed tube, slowly add the butter and half-and-half until mixed thoroughly.
Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Brush the edges with the beaten egg.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 300 degrees and bake for 45 minutes, or until the filling looks set. Turn off the oven and let the pie sit inside for 5 minutes. Allow to cool at room temperature.
Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour.

For the Caramel-Pecan Topping:

Place 3 tbsp of water in a heavy saucepan. Sprinkle sugar into the middle of the pan and top it with the agave syrup, salt, and vanilla. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture melts into a golden-brown caramel and has a glossy sheen. Do not stir, but swirl if it melts unevenly.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 3 tbsp water, followed by the vanilla extract and butter. Return the mixture to medium-high heat. Pour in the cream and whisk 5-8 minutes, until you have moderately thick caramel sauce with very small bubbles. Stir in pecans and let cool briefly.
Spread mixture evenly over chilled pie. Refrigerate again until set, then serve.

Recipe by Myra Dalland

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Photography by Tira Howard

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Rebecca Freeman’s Huckleberry-Merlot Pie

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August 1, 2025

A dark purple huckleberry-merlot pie with a decorative woven crust is on a white plate.

Growing up in Chicago, Rebecca Freeman first cooked and baked with her Italian grandmother. At an early age, she decided to tackle a bûche de noël as a baking project, and the satisfaction she received from that experience hooked her. She graduated with a Culinary Arts degree from Kendall College in Chicago and staged at restaurants there including Alinea. Rebecca came to Santa Fe in 2012 for what was to be a three-day visit with her sister. While in town, she landed a job at Geronimo and never went back. She also worked as a pastry chef at Compound restaurant and later at The Club at Las Campanas. In 2023, Rebecca was honored as the American Culinary Federation’s National Pastry Chef of the Year. These days, she’s Executive Pastry Chef for both Coyote Café and Santacafé.

Huckleberry-Merlot Pie Recipe

Rebecca loves making pies at home and always bakes a fruit-filled one for her husband’s birthday. She chose to flavor her huckleberry pie with merlot wine for its red fruit-forward notes. Judges especially complimented the pie’s “magnificent” butter crust.

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Rebecca Freeman’s Huckleberry-Merlot Pie

Author: Rebecca Freeman
Yield: Makes a 9-inch pie 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pie Filling:

4 generous cups frozen huckleberries
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon tapioca starch
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Decoy Merlot, or other merlot wine
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt

For the Pie Crust:

3½ cups (450 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup butter, chilled and cubed
½ cup ice water

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Instructions

For the Pie Filling:

In a large saucepan, combine the ingredients. On low heat, bring mixture to a simmer. The mixture should be thick and glossy.
Remove from heat and cool completely. Reserve.

For the Pie Crust:

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor, pulsing a few times. Once butter is pea-sized, slowly incorporate the ice water. Pulse until a dough ball forms. Pat dough out into 2 fat disks and wrap in plastic. Chill for one hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out one dough disk on a floured surface into a round about an inch larger than a 9-inch pie plate. Arrange the crust in the pie plate, avoiding stretching it.
Spoon in cooled huckleberry filling.
Roll out the second crust and cut it into lattice or other decorative pattern.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, until crust is golden. Cool completely before cutting.

Recipe by Rebecca Freeman

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Photography by Tira Howard

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Maribel Ortiz’s Key Lime Pie

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August 1, 2025

A whole key lime pie with a white topping and twists of lime zest is on a wooden surface next to a cutting board with a pile of sliced limes and a knife.

Maribel Ortiz credits her mentor, former Santa Fe Bite owner, Bonnie Eckre, with teaching her all about baking. “Mari” started with the well-known eatery as a busser and food runner but was fascinated with the array of pies and cakes that Bonnie whipped up in the kitchen while husband John cooked the Bite’s famous burgers. By the time the Eckres transferred ownership to current partners, Mari’s husband Armando and Angela Mason, Mari had fully taken over the baking.

Key Lime Pie Recipe

Mari and Armando first met while working at La Fonda on the Plaza. They had both come to Santa Fe from Coahuila, Mexico but she laughs that she was a country girl and he, a city kid. Today, they have a daughter who also works with them at Santa Fe Bite. Mari particularly likes making cream pies, such as the key lime dream she whipped up for our competition. Judges found it “perfection in sight,” and “nicely tart, the essence of key lime pie.”

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Maribel Ortiz’s Key Lime Pie

Author: Maribel Ortiz
Yield: Makes a 9-inch pie 1x