What do you think?
Rate this book
Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie
The most comprehensive and straightforward book ever written on the topic, Pie is a complete guide to how easy it can be to make perfectly praiseworthy pies. Every recipe has been tested for success and features advice and tips specifically for that pie. Chapters “Berry Good Pies,” “Rich, Sweet, and Chess, Buttermilk, and Other Custard Pies,” “Personal Pies, Turnovers, and Other Little Pie Treats,” and of course, the foundation chapter, “Pie Pastries and Crumb Crusts.”
656 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 13, 2024
I have been baking pies using the delicious recipes from this comprehensive cookbook for fifteen years. I’m about to make a strawberry rhubarb pie, using the recipe in this book right now!
It honestly is the best set of directions for baking pie that I have ever seen, because it is not just the recipe, but also the technique. The author also includes lots of charming stories about where he had each pie or what the history of it is.
If you have ever thought that making a pie crust was too difficult, and you couldn’t do it and needed to buy a premade crust, I suggest you read this book. It will get your confidence up and teach you exactly how to be a skilled pie baker.
The writing style is so fun and approachable. It is enjoyable to read the anecdotes even if you don’t plan on baking.
It honestly is the best set of directions for baking pie that I have ever seen, because it is not just the recipe, but also the technique. The author also includes lots of charming stories about where he had each pie or what the history of it is.
If you have ever thought that making a pie crust was too difficult, and you couldn’t do it and needed to buy a premade crust, I suggest you read this book. It will get your confidence up and teach you exactly how to be a skilled pie baker.
The writing style is so fun and approachable. It is enjoyable to read the anecdotes even if you don’t plan on baking.
March 16, 2009
I added another star after I made the Pear Pie with Almond Cake Topping. It was lovely. I did think the book could have been a little more imaginative about the whole pie thing, and use less corn syrup and Crisco. However I'll be making more pies and that may mean more stars still.
January 20, 2011
A cookbook isn't really a book you finish, but I learned a great deal about the history of pie with each recipe. For instance, the Funeral Pie comes from the fact that raisins didn't have a season, so if you needed to make a pie on short notice, a raisin pie is what you would make. I also found it interesting that there is a marketing campaign each year to find a grandma that best embodies Granny Smith. The book also takes a hardline on pies. Just pie, no cheesecakes, no quiches, (with one or two exceptions made by breaking the rules). If you are looking for that, then this isn't the pie book for you.
Overall, I made about five pies. What I like about the pies was that the recipes were approachable. Some pie books have uncommon ingredients, but Pie had something most households would have. It's even organized by season. Another thing to add is that if you have always felt that pies are too dry because of the crust, try a homemade pie with homemade crust. It's a completely different experience.
I did have to slow down my pie production. Too many good pies are bad for my waistline. I see that pies will never beat cupcakes since with cupcakes it's one and done versus what to do with the rest of the pie.
Pies made:
Apple Pie
Sour Cherry Pie
Mocha Pecan Pie
Pumpkin cheesecake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Overall, I made about five pies. What I like about the pies was that the recipes were approachable. Some pie books have uncommon ingredients, but Pie had something most households would have. It's even organized by season. Another thing to add is that if you have always felt that pies are too dry because of the crust, try a homemade pie with homemade crust. It's a completely different experience.
I did have to slow down my pie production. Too many good pies are bad for my waistline. I see that pies will never beat cupcakes since with cupcakes it's one and done versus what to do with the rest of the pie.
Pies made:
Apple Pie
Sour Cherry Pie
Mocha Pecan Pie
Pumpkin cheesecake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
October 7, 2021
Great collection of pies, which I've made a quite a few of. Very clear directions and notes. I only give it 3 stars because, and this is a problem I have with most American cookbooks, the ingredients need to be listed by weight as well as by volume. Weighing ingredients is a lot more accurate, which is what you need when making a pie crust. I do find that a lot of newer American cookbooks are listing ingredients both ways, so maybe this book will get an update some time in the future.
December 1, 2009
This book has fed my recent addiction to making pie. My neighbors are very pleased. I have had good success with his recipes, though I find him a little prissy. (Maybe because as a cook I am decidedly unprissy.) I have done a few substitutions with whole wheat flour and that works out well; I would like to try to find some good non-wheat flour crust recipes.
February 7, 2019
This book was a Christmas gift. It is filled with thorough and enlightening information. After making pies for over 50 years I will be changing things up and tackling new recipes. It will be used over and over from now on! Thank you, Karleen!
June 14, 2010
The only way this recipe book could be better is if Mr. Haedrich came to my house and made all the pies for me.
May 10, 2020
At 40 years old I can finally make a crust that’s not pre-made!
May 10, 2020
Update: 04-2020 -- Bumped up from three to four after trying a few recipes.
_----
Original review: 2017
I forgot I had this on hold at the library from back when I was looking for pie recipes. That was months ago. I guess this is one of the final stops in the 2017 Pie Tour.
Disclaimer: I haven't baked anything from it. I did read it, but I'm more in gingerbread and cookie mode than interested in pies right now. Maybe I'll check in out again during warmer weather and bake something from it. If that affects my opinion, I'll change my rating then. Until then, three stars.
I read this is e-book (but not Kindle) format, and would take one star away specifically for the ebook formatting. It is bad. It looks like all the links work (although they are oddly marked), but no matter how I tweaked the margins, spacing and font, the pages remained a wall of tightly bunched up text. It's hard to read like that, and it would be even harder to cook from like that. Maybe the print version is better. Maybe even the Kindle format is better. (I loathe Overdrive and its clunky, awkward e-reader app.) Unfortunately, Overdrive's epub was the only way our library has the book.
Many of the pie recipes are from other sources, which the author notes and credits. He's made some small adjustments (he says) to many of them. I'd say 80% are fairly basic riffs on apple, stone fruit, berry, and cream pies. The other 20% are more unique and mostly from very old recipes or traditions. I prefer the unusual, more interesting pies from both a historical and cooking POV. There are lots of chocolate and brownie pies, sure to make the chocophiles happy. There are not as many citrus-based recipes as I would have liked.
Some of the old-fashioned unusual pies included are: shoofly pie, funeral pie, shaker lemon (my favorite pie ever), sawdust pie, grape pie, etc. I'd heard of most of them. The watermelon rind pie and green tomato pie were new to me, and I would definitely like to try my hand at those.
The author includes tidbits of history and trivia about some of the pies and provides tips and tricks about working with various dough and fillings. For each recipe, he includes instructions for making the pastry by hand, by mixer, and by food processor and good tips for judging doneness or handling ingredients. It gets repetitive when reading the book straight through, but I think it is very handy. You don't have to remember (or flip back) to the front of the book every time you use it.
There are a few pictures at the front with links directly to the recipes. We all know what pies look like, right? I don't need a picture for each one. I would rather the few that were included were of the more unusual recipes and placed with them instead of relegated to a separate part of the book.
Most of the recipes seem heavy on the sugar/sweeteners. I understand the need for corn syrup in certain pies for texture reasons, so am OK with that. (After all, it's pie, not diet food!) There just seemed to be a LOT of sugar in ALL the recipes, even the fruit ones.
The author did lose some points with me when, in the recipe for a pie containing coffee, he said that by "strong" coffee, he meant the pot that had been on the burner all morning. No. Don't even joke about that. Unless you just crave burnt, oxidized, sour flavors (or Star*ucks), don't ever do that. That's vile. There's not enough sugar and heavy cream in the world to cover up that nastiness. Simply make double-strength fresh coffee or instant espresso granules.
_----
Original review: 2017
I forgot I had this on hold at the library from back when I was looking for pie recipes. That was months ago. I guess this is one of the final stops in the 2017 Pie Tour.
Disclaimer: I haven't baked anything from it. I did read it, but I'm more in gingerbread and cookie mode than interested in pies right now. Maybe I'll check in out again during warmer weather and bake something from it. If that affects my opinion, I'll change my rating then. Until then, three stars.
I read this is e-book (but not Kindle) format, and would take one star away specifically for the ebook formatting. It is bad. It looks like all the links work (although they are oddly marked), but no matter how I tweaked the margins, spacing and font, the pages remained a wall of tightly bunched up text. It's hard to read like that, and it would be even harder to cook from like that. Maybe the print version is better. Maybe even the Kindle format is better. (I loathe Overdrive and its clunky, awkward e-reader app.) Unfortunately, Overdrive's epub was the only way our library has the book.
Many of the pie recipes are from other sources, which the author notes and credits. He's made some small adjustments (he says) to many of them. I'd say 80% are fairly basic riffs on apple, stone fruit, berry, and cream pies. The other 20% are more unique and mostly from very old recipes or traditions. I prefer the unusual, more interesting pies from both a historical and cooking POV. There are lots of chocolate and brownie pies, sure to make the chocophiles happy. There are not as many citrus-based recipes as I would have liked.
Some of the old-fashioned unusual pies included are: shoofly pie, funeral pie, shaker lemon (my favorite pie ever), sawdust pie, grape pie, etc. I'd heard of most of them. The watermelon rind pie and green tomato pie were new to me, and I would definitely like to try my hand at those.
The author includes tidbits of history and trivia about some of the pies and provides tips and tricks about working with various dough and fillings. For each recipe, he includes instructions for making the pastry by hand, by mixer, and by food processor and good tips for judging doneness or handling ingredients. It gets repetitive when reading the book straight through, but I think it is very handy. You don't have to remember (or flip back) to the front of the book every time you use it.
There are a few pictures at the front with links directly to the recipes. We all know what pies look like, right? I don't need a picture for each one. I would rather the few that were included were of the more unusual recipes and placed with them instead of relegated to a separate part of the book.
Most of the recipes seem heavy on the sugar/sweeteners. I understand the need for corn syrup in certain pies for texture reasons, so am OK with that. (After all, it's pie, not diet food!) There just seemed to be a LOT of sugar in ALL the recipes, even the fruit ones.
The author did lose some points with me when, in the recipe for a pie containing coffee, he said that by "strong" coffee, he meant the pot that had been on the burner all morning. No. Don't even joke about that. Unless you just crave burnt, oxidized, sour flavors (or Star*ucks), don't ever do that. That's vile. There's not enough sugar and heavy cream in the world to cover up that nastiness. Simply make double-strength fresh coffee or instant espresso granules.
December 31, 2011
This book is an amazing resource. I received it as a Christmas present in 2010, and it inspired me to make a New Years resolution to make one brand new never before tried pie once a month in 2011.
I ended up making 20 different pies from recipes in this book, and all of them were delicious! The book is also filled with historical facts about pies, ingredients and famous pie makers. It has tips and tricks, the best way to choose fruits, silly stories, and just about everything you could ever want to know about making a pie from scratch. I highly recommend it!
I ended up making 20 different pies from recipes in this book, and all of them were delicious! The book is also filled with historical facts about pies, ingredients and famous pie makers. It has tips and tricks, the best way to choose fruits, silly stories, and just about everything you could ever want to know about making a pie from scratch. I highly recommend it!
August 13, 2007
I actually read this book cover to cover, from beginning to end, just like a novel.
October 26, 2007
This book gives my life meaning and direction. I kid you not!
July 27, 2016
Read through the book, tried a few pies, seems to be an OK book. Not very many pictures.
November 27, 2017
I found this book at the library as I was making a shortcut through the cookbook section. The simple title "PIE" caught my attention. I like pie. 300 tried and true recipes. You have my attention.
I checked out the book, and started to read it. I had never seen a cookbook with so much front matter. Turns out it is written for someone like me that wants to know why you do something, how it makes a difference. What supplies should I splurge on, which can I go cheap. I eventually made the plum pie as my neighbor had just brought over a gallon bucket of plums for me to have. I then made the Washington State apple pie with a streusel topping. My neighbor ended up bringing me a 5 gallon bucket of the plums to make 5 pies and offered to pay me. Turns out using these recipes I began to be known as a pie maestro. After renewing my borrow from the library the max of 3 times I asked for it for christmas and Santa brought it.
So far, only two recipes that I have tried did not go over well, but that was due to texture and taste issues of those eating it and not the overall pie in itself. I would buy and gift this book to more people if it was less expensive, but you get what you pay for.
It now has little flags throughout for my favorite, go-to pies, a few for my crusts, and a couple for those that are to be made next.
I checked out the book, and started to read it. I had never seen a cookbook with so much front matter. Turns out it is written for someone like me that wants to know why you do something, how it makes a difference. What supplies should I splurge on, which can I go cheap. I eventually made the plum pie as my neighbor had just brought over a gallon bucket of plums for me to have. I then made the Washington State apple pie with a streusel topping. My neighbor ended up bringing me a 5 gallon bucket of the plums to make 5 pies and offered to pay me. Turns out using these recipes I began to be known as a pie maestro. After renewing my borrow from the library the max of 3 times I asked for it for christmas and Santa brought it.
So far, only two recipes that I have tried did not go over well, but that was due to texture and taste issues of those eating it and not the overall pie in itself. I would buy and gift this book to more people if it was less expensive, but you get what you pay for.
It now has little flags throughout for my favorite, go-to pies, a few for my crusts, and a couple for those that are to be made next.
April 18, 2019
I read this to fulfill the “two books with the same title” prompt for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge and I promise I did read it. I love pies and so does Haedrich. I’ve owned this book for years and truly learned to bake wonderful pies from it and Apple Pie Perfect. Amazingly I only made one pie while reading the book and it wasn’t even a recipe from it haha. I now have a long list of ones to make!
November 23, 2021
It's rare for me to read a book and then go out and purchase it for my library but this book meet that criteria. There is something almost as comforting as pie in a 600 page book on the subject. The author knows the subject well and guides the reader in a friendly way. I actually really liked the attitude toward upping your skill level but that it is all ultimately understandable and that anyone can master with practice.
September 27, 2022
I must have pretty much every baking book every written - certainly every pie book. This massive doorstop of a big book has every pie I have ever heard of, and many I have not - Funeral pie? My partner from PA tell me it's an Amish specialty, delicious, sour cream and raisin - who knew? (Not me.) This will be a must-go-to book for me to peruse in the fall and winter months and I fear for my waistline in the future. Bonus points - I found this at a local library book sale for $1! Happy day.
August 14, 2018
Encyclopedic and excellent.
December 25, 2021
My family's absolute favorite cookbook!
September 28, 2013
If you're a pie-lover like I am, this is a must-have book. Haedrich has put together not just a great collection of recipes, but also a ton of useful information on technique and purchasing ingredients. He also includes a bunch of trivia and history to keep you entertained while you're waiting for your crust to chill in the freezer.
At this point, I'm not even sure how many of the recipes I've made--just that every one of them has been delicious (even the peek-a-boo cranberry cherry pie where I messed up the recipe and added too many frozen cherries...) Every time I bake a pie from this collection, I get told that I'm an amazing pie baker.
I'm kind of hoping for Pie-squared: 300 MORE Tried and True Recipes...
At this point, I'm not even sure how many of the recipes I've made--just that every one of them has been delicious (even the peek-a-boo cranberry cherry pie where I messed up the recipe and added too many frozen cherries...) Every time I bake a pie from this collection, I get told that I'm an amazing pie baker.
I'm kind of hoping for Pie-squared: 300 MORE Tried and True Recipes...
February 9, 2012
The Pie Bible! It never occurred to me (until now) to rate this on GR!
I was a veteran pie engineer (that's what you call it if you're hardcore) long before I got this book. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's why my sister gave me this book, because I was out of pies to make, which is a dismal place to be.
Deducted a star because I don't think his crusts are particularly easy or intuitive for the beginner, and because the colour pictures in the middle all fell out, which was irritating! Bad binding!
I was a veteran pie engineer (that's what you call it if you're hardcore) long before I got this book. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's why my sister gave me this book, because I was out of pies to make, which is a dismal place to be.
Deducted a star because I don't think his crusts are particularly easy or intuitive for the beginner, and because the colour pictures in the middle all fell out, which was irritating! Bad binding!
January 16, 2011
Ken Haedrich loves pies. He clearly communicates his joy and passion for pastry and baking, which makes this book (and his recipes) genuinely fun. I've only made 6 or 7 of the 300 pies, but they've all been delightful. The one clear drawback I can find is that this book does not have your traditional basic type pies...all the recipes have some sort of twist or flair (which I personally like). I like Purdy's The Perfect Pie for basic recipes.
February 20, 2012
I have a weird love to cookbooks, cooking blogs, and the like. I actually read this book. Ok, so I didn't read every single teaspoon of this and tablespoon of that, but I did read the author's preface to every single recipe.
I tried a recipe, one for a chocolate chess pie. It was super delish. The filling was awfully thin, so I'll either double it next time (Ccrap! That'll double the calories!) or I did something wrong.
I tried a recipe, one for a chocolate chess pie. It was super delish. The filling was awfully thin, so I'll either double it next time (Ccrap! That'll double the calories!) or I did something wrong.
March 15, 2015
Obviously I didn't "read" this all yet, but I just made my first pie from here and it was amazing. I have no real experience making pies and the beginning of the book very carefully explains all the crusts and techniques. I also love the random facts strewn throughout the pages. Made the Cheddar-Crusted Apple-Pear Pie. (One down, 299 to go.)
November 23, 2015
My all-time favorite cookbook. Everything I have made from this has been a hands-down winner. My friends and family think I'm the pie queen and I'm not about to tell them otherwise. Not only do I love the recipes, but I love the narratives of each recipe as well. It's a cookbook that I can sit down and read over and over again. Truly a treasure.
March 12, 2009
Is pie ever not a winner? Truly inspiring when you know you want to make pie, but don't know what kind you want, although it sometimes leads to over powering indecision.
The Shaker Lemon pie is brilliant though.
The Shaker Lemon pie is brilliant though.
October 18, 2011
I love this book. I love good cookbooks that break recipes down into simple steps, and tell you specifically what substitutions/alterations are OK and which ones definitely are NOT. This one definitely does that. I only wish there were more pictures, because who doesn't like pie? :-)
May 22, 2017
There's a recipe in here for Apple Pie with Cheddar-Crumb Topping that sounds delish. But it's 103 degrees here right now in Omaha (July 6, 2012) and too hot to bake pies. When the weather cools off in the autumn, I am going to give it a try.
December 10, 2012
I've only made one pie so far and looking forward to making more. These are sone great recipes. Being from Australia I don't get much chance to have sweet pies. Since I've never had it before my next pie will be pumpkin.
October 20, 2007
I read this every week. Seriously.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews