When Connie Endres saw the "For Sale" sign on the little bakery east of downtown Blanco, she knew.

"Sometimes you’re just led to do a certain thing," Connie says, seated inside the Deutsch Apple at a wooden booth beside her husband, Ron.

"I used to stop and buy pies here, and I loved them," she continues. "I liked them because they had no preservatives. I’ve always loved to cook, pastries in particular. And when I tasted the pies here, I knew one day I’d like to buy this place."

Connie’s intuitive feelings proved right. In April 2004, she and Ron bought the business from owners LaVada and Gene Triesch, who opened the Deutsch Apple in 1997 at the intersection of Ranch Roads 165 and 163.

Despite the change in ownership, many of the bakery’s favorite treats, such as the apple pie, remain the same. Connie’s tweaked other recipes and added some new ones, such as her oatmeal cranberry cookies with walnuts. She’s made those and chocolate chip cookies along with a lot of different sweets since she was a little girl, baking in her mother’s kitchen.

"As a young child, I was in charge of making the desserts for our family," she recalls. "Every day, I made something. My specialty is cakes of all kinds."

The spicy scent of apples and cinnamon greets customers at the door before they even step into the cozy bakery. Inside, three wooden booths and a large farm-style table offer plenty of room to sit down and savor a slice of pie or a warm cookie.

"I wanted to have a place where you can sit with your neighbor, have a cup of coffee, and a wonderful piece of pie," Connie says.

Customers help themselves to coffee at an antique gas stove, artfully placed in one corner. There’s also a selection of teas and soft drinks. A green chalkboard menu lists the many treats available daily or by special order. A beautiful glass case displays the day’s offerings, such as apple pies, pecan pies, apple pecan muffins and cakes, brownies, and cookies.

Bakers at the Deutsch ...

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