What could be better than pie?
With a variety of flavors, types and recipes, there is a pie for everyone’s tastes and lifestyle.
To learn more about all things pie, we turned to one person knowledgeable about pies and pie making locally—Mary Wortman, co-owner alongside her husband John Wortman of Canton’s Dangerously Delicious Pies in Baltimore.
She shares the story of Dangerously Delicious Pies, fills us on what’s baking at the shop today and offers her tips on pie making and business.
From Music to Pie
According to Mary Wortman, Dangerously Delicious Pies was founded more than 20 years ago by Rodney Henry, a touring musician. Many times, Henry would bake homemade pies and trade them for a place to sleep. He also sold them at his shows.
Henry grew up baking with his grandmother, and many of the shop’s recipes belong to his family. While Wortman doesn’t know the origin of the business name or which pie Henry made first, she says traditional apple pie is still his favorite.
A New Era
When Mary and John Wortman bought the Canton location of Dangerously Delicious Pies in 2012, “failure is not an option” was their mantra. They started small and grew
the business gradually. (They did not want to take on a large debt that they couldn’t pay.)
Each remained at their other jobs for about a year before they were able to make the pie business a full-time job.
Today, Mary Wortman wants customers to experience pie for all occasions and times of day. The shop’s menu allows them to order pie for breakfast, lunch, dinner and, of course, dessert. With more than 70 pie flavors, the combinations are unlimited.
“Our categories of pies fall under Chess pies (a southern style custard), Cream pies, Fruit pies and our specialty pies,” she says. “We also offer savory pies such as Chicken Pot Pie, Pulled Pork BBQ pie and Steak pie, to name a few. Our line of quiches are perfect for breakfast and brunch.”
Two of Mary Wortman’s favorite pies at Dangerously Delicious are the Key Lime Pie and a savory pie called SMOG (Steak, Mushroom, Onion and Gruyere Cheese). SMOG pie is a top seller and a customer favorite.
Customers also love The Baltimore Bomb, a vanilla chess pie with Baltimore’s own Berger Cookies crumbled inside.
Dangerously Delicious Pies ships nationwide and started shipping to Canada July 1—an exciting new venture for the Dangerously Delicious team. They ship via the Goldbelly company, which ships all kinds of iconic food items nationwide, creating a wonderful partnership so far, she says.
It’s not the only business Dangerously Delicious has collaborated with. “We partner with other local businesses such as Zeke’s Coffee and Taharka Brothers Ice Cream, both of which pair perfectly with our homemade pies,” she says.
When Wortman and her husband bought the business in 2012, there was already a partnership with Zeke’s coffee. Zeke’s makes a special blend of coffee that is just used in their shop called Dangerous Blend.
Dangerously Delicious sells that blend by the pound, as well as many of Zeke’s other blends.
The partnership with Taharka came about when the Wortmans were looking to add ice cream to their menu. After researching homemade ice cream in Baltimore, Mary Wortman found Taharka Brothers Ice Cream to be a favorite—and that proved to be true. So many customers are driven to their shop because they know they can get Taharka by the pint or in mini cups, she says.
A Special Dessert
Locals also order Dangerously Delicious Pies for wedding desserts or other special occasions. As with any wedding dessert, couples can reach out via email to schedule a tasting and then order online for pickup or delivery.
Many times, wedding couples prefer to wait to order closer to their wedding date, so that they have a better idea of how many guests are attending, Mary Worton says. Worton likes to have orders for larger events locked in two weeks before the event, so she can assure their team has all the supplies needed.
Or, sometimes, couples simply stop by the shop for their occasion instead.
As a staple in Baltimore City for more than 20 years, “we have been the spot for many first dates and engagements,” Mary Wortman says.
Dangerously Delicious Pies can also be found on many dessert menus at restaurants in the area, as well as the 32nd Street Farmers Market in Waverly and The Baltimore Farmers Market under the JFX. Online orders can be made through Grubhub, Ubereats and Goldbelly.
Grabbing a Piece of the Pie
For those interested in making their own pies, Wortman shares some tips on pie making and starting a business:
Pie making:
Practice making a good crust. Once you find a great crust recipe, you can put anything you like inside a pie! Be creative, and don’t be scared! Some of the best recipes have happened
by mistake!
Working and/or making pies with fruit:
Fresh fruit is very tricky to work with. Right now, peaches are in season. We like to use a larger peach with more meat. If the peaches are a little firmer, they also bake better. We also love to use Granny Smith apples in our apple pies.
Starting your own business:
It is always best to start small and grow a business. Many times, people starting businesses take out large loans to do so and find it hard to make enough money to pay those monthly bills. Large debt with a new business can be a recipe for disaster.
