What do you think?
Rate this book
Elegant Pie: Transform Your Favorite Pies into Works of Art
A designer who's "turned pie crust decorating into an art form" shows how to embellish an ordinary crust--for a creation as beautiful as any cake (Martha Stewart).
Everyone knows that serving a pie for dessert makes guests happy. And serving one with a beautifully designed crust that makes guests swoon is even better.
Pies can be as stunningly attractive as the most decorative cakes with the use of some basic techniques and the appropriate care when working with pie dough. The recipes and techniques in this book give any home baker the tools to create breathtaking works of pie art. From preparation of the dough to the last moments of baking, all methods are clearly presented using step-by-step photographs. A flat surface, rolling pin, sharp knife, and cookie cutters of different sizes and shapes make embellishing an ordinary pie crust easy.
The 25 designs in this book, arranged by three levels of difficulty, range from graphic art styles to seasonal-inspired florals--offering the first guide to creating these stunning works of edible art.
"[A] gorgeous cookbook...As the book progresses, so do your skills." --Taste of Home
Everyone knows that serving a pie for dessert makes guests happy. And serving one with a beautifully designed crust that makes guests swoon is even better.
Pies can be as stunningly attractive as the most decorative cakes with the use of some basic techniques and the appropriate care when working with pie dough. The recipes and techniques in this book give any home baker the tools to create breathtaking works of pie art. From preparation of the dough to the last moments of baking, all methods are clearly presented using step-by-step photographs. A flat surface, rolling pin, sharp knife, and cookie cutters of different sizes and shapes make embellishing an ordinary pie crust easy.
The 25 designs in this book, arranged by three levels of difficulty, range from graphic art styles to seasonal-inspired florals--offering the first guide to creating these stunning works of edible art.
"[A] gorgeous cookbook...As the book progresses, so do your skills." --Taste of Home
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2019
104 people are currently reading
1582 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 26, 2020
I' have never really thought of myself as a pie baker ... but pandemics force you to look for different ways to entertain yourself so decorating pies has currently snagged my interest. Amazingly creative ideas in this book -- I had never thought about making pastry in different colors before (not sure I will ever do this but certainly an interesting concept). So making fancy pie crusts is now on my list of things to do more frequently. My first fancy attempt was making leaves to edge a peach pie -- turned out great and am daydreaming on other things to do and different themes (and of course ordering different pastry cutters from Amazon). I would have liked to see more ideas about decorating savory pies which is why I gave it a three star rating instead of a 4 star review.
June 2, 2021
Full disclosure: I bought this book because I'd been following the author on Instagram. I knew her work was stunning to look at, and I wanted to have photos safe in book form, rather than as ephemera saved on the internet.
I have no idea how they taste (yet); I'm essentially treating this as a coffee-table book. (It was also an excuse to buy something from Harvard Bookstore, to help during the pandemic.)
I have no idea how they taste (yet); I'm essentially treating this as a coffee-table book. (It was also an excuse to buy something from Harvard Bookstore, to help during the pandemic.)
June 3, 2021
Beautiful book showcasing lovely crust decorations! I'm obsessed over the Great British Bake Off and this book will only fuel the addiction. I haven't tried anything from this book but have started collecting cookie cutters and other tools. The author's writing is clear, the book is very well organized, and the photos are perfect! There are just a few recipes for fillings, but, clearly, the emphasis here is on the decorated crusts.
February 22, 2020
Very thorough explanations and step-by-step instructions complete with color photos. Includes pie and dough recipes that she has tested. Impressive designs from simple to elaborate that make you want to display them on the walls. Some reminiscent of zentangles.
July 26, 2020
Very clear step by step explanation on how to make incredibly beautiful pies. Good description on the different tools and ingredients necessary. Use this book to build and decorate your pie, but I would use something else for inspiration on the filling of your pie.
November 11, 2020
Clear direction and separated into projects by skill level, these really are edible sculptures and works of art. Some are truly so beautifully detailed. Learned a few tricks and some solutions to challenges that I have when pie making, an informative little book!
February 7, 2021
Baker's eye candy, arranged in beginner, intermediate, and advanced projects. Recipes included for six pie crusts, including naturally colored ones, and five pie fillings. I just didn't find myself particularly enamoured with any of them.
November 10, 2019
It's everything I hoped. Simple steps and lots of opportunity to explore food as art in a favourite food medium - pie.
December 9, 2019
Creative, stunning, original and fresh, this book is not just leaves and flowers on a pie.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
January 2, 2020
Gave this as a Christmas gift to an award winning pie maker.
Response was: Best Christmas present ever!
Valuable book even to the experienced baker.
Response was: Best Christmas present ever!
Valuable book even to the experienced baker.
June 20, 2020
Beautiful pies explained step-by-step. I've incorporated some of her crust making tips into my own baking with great success.
July 3, 2020
Beautiful ideas for decorating pie and she breaks it down well to show you how.
July 28, 2021
Just great. Now I need to make pies. But I will aspire to make them elegant AND scary so that I don't seem totally domesticated.
March 6, 2025
Wow! More trouble than I am willing to go to when decorating food. These designs are amazing, though.
December 3, 2019
This is a beautiful book full of beautiful pies!
The book is divided into three sections for the beginner, advanced, and intermediate piemaker. There is also a pie crust recipe and templates in the back so you can trace your own cookie cutters if you need to.
I also appreciate that there are pictures of each crust before it's baked, after it's baked, and instructions in between.
Updating after attempting a crust: It's much harder than it looks. The author recommends freezing, but even then I have no idea how she gets everything so exact because we struggled. Overall it was a learning experience.
The book is divided into three sections for the beginner, advanced, and intermediate piemaker. There is also a pie crust recipe and templates in the back so you can trace your own cookie cutters if you need to.
I also appreciate that there are pictures of each crust before it's baked, after it's baked, and instructions in between.
Updating after attempting a crust: It's much harder than it looks. The author recommends freezing, but even then I have no idea how she gets everything so exact because we struggled. Overall it was a learning experience.
August 14, 2020
Karin Pfeiff-Boschek is quite simply an artist and her medium is pie crust and fruits, predominantly. Her pies are exquisitely gorgeous. I'm too taken with the stunning photography to think about the actual recipes, but if they're anything like the pics, they are incredible.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews