After more than a year of distance learning, Warwick Career and Technology Center students have flour on their hands … and faces, too, when they adjust their masks.

Not only is it back to hands-on baking, but students are making Thanksgiving pies and rolls.

“We’re keeping it small, we’re just coming back from COVID,” said Eva Niosi,

pastry chef instructor.

Small is a matter of perspective.

Niosi estimates her students will bake about 100 apple pies, 100 pumpkin pies and 100 chocolate cream pies. It could end up being more, depending on orders.

The pandemic dealt a hit to the culinary program at the center.

Students enrolled in the program dropped out and it was difficult to recruit. Eighteen students are enrolled in the first level program and another 16 are in the 2/3 level. Niosi could have used a few more, but the class is big enough to restart the program of baking pies for sale to the community. The culinary program is not ready to reopen the Tides Restaurant to the public for lunches, although that could happen in the spring.

On Friday, one group of level one students rolled out pie crusts while two of their peers were hands deep in flour breaking wads of butter and shortening. Niosi hopped from one group to the next, keeping a constant eye on the process.

“Rotate around the bowl, keep turning it,” she said, plunging her hands into the bowl in front of Liviana Roberge.

“Is this too big?” Roberge said, pulling out a walnut-sized, flour-coated ball of butter.

“Pea size,” said Niosi, not breaking the rhythm of turning the mixture.

She observed food processors could do the job, but hands are a tool students will have. In addition, students so to speak are learning first-hand what machines are designed to do.

At the second table, four students rolled out baseball-sized wads of dough lined up on trays that had been chilled. The dough was rolled out to disks on the tabletop sprinkled with flour.

Niosi had reason to wonder if the class would get this far in the process. Supply chain disruptions had cast its shadow on the program.

Niosi ordered pie plates, but the supplier didn’t have them.

“I told him, you know this is for Thanksgiving,” she said. Despite assurances, she feared they might not show up. Then last week, the shipment came in.

The pre-pealed and cut apple filling should be delivered this week from a local supplier.

“These are going to be Rhode Island apple pies,” she said. Apple pies are 2.5 pounds and sell for $12. Pumpkin are $10 and chocolate cream are $15. The students are also baking dinner rolls that will go for $3 a dozen.

Niosi plans to revive the Christmas baking program as well.

As customers pick up orders on Tuesday, Nov. 23, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Tides Restaurant at the center, they will be handed a flyer listing what’s planned for Christmas. Niosi said there would be cookies, French meat pies and quite possibly eggnog coffee cake using her own recipe.

As of earlier this week, Niosi was still taking Thanksgiving Day orders and would continue to do so until supplies run out. The number to call is 734-3161.