We welcomed our first October Artist in Residence, Amanda Wilbanks from Southern Baked Pie, to the Artist Cottage last week. Raised in the kitchens of her mother and grandmothers in rural Georgia, Amanda Dalton Wilbanks’ fondest childhood memories involve baking. After learning how to make her mother-in-law’s buttermilk pie with its buttery pâte brisée crust, Wilbanks dove deeper into the family recipe box and began selling her pies at farmers' markets. In 2012, Wilbanks founded Southern Baked Pie Company using family recipes and a signature all-butter crust.

With sweet and savory pies made from family recipes, an all-butter pie dough that melts in your mouth, and a dash of Southern charm, Amanda brought her famous pies and baking skills to share with guests at the Artist Cottage at Palmetto Bluff. Guests enjoyed a Meet+Greet, Gallery Hours, and two workshops where they learned how to make Amanda's signature all-butter pâte brisée pastry dough, apple hand pies, fresh strawberry pie, along with a special lunch of spinach mushroom quiche, tomato corn pie, and chicken pot pie made by Amanda. Guests also left with a signed copy of Amanda’s cookbook, Southern Baked: Celebrating Life with Pie.

It was a sweet week, indeed. Check out the recap of Amanda's stay below.