Pie Goers, Unite!
Perplexed by pie? Experiencing a custard conundrum?
Mystified by meringue? The Pie Maven strives to maintain a
comprehensive resource for all your pie needs, but if you're trying
to Go Pie and can't find what you need
here (or you can't be bothered to look),
just ask.
The Pie Maven will reply, and likely post
your query here as well, so that we may all learn along with you.
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”
Eugene Ionesco
Some previously asked questions...
HELP! This one has me completely stumped:
- "What is the term for the first bite of a piece of pie?
That little pointy tip. I know I read somewhere that
there is an actual term for this portion of the pie.
Thanks,
Carol B."
Most people would call it "Heaven", but I'm sure that's not
technically correct. If there is an actual word for it,
does anyone know what it is?
Let me know and you'll be showered with praise and glory.
- I am a (fruit) pie connoisseur, and
have two additions for your wonderful directory:
Miles Farmers Market
28560 Miles Road
Solon, OH 44139
http://www.milesfarmersmarket.com/
Wonderful pies in many varieties
San Francisco Street Bakery
1320 San Francisco Ave NE
Olympia, WA 98506
http://www.sfsbakery.com/
they also sell pies at the Olympia Farmers Market: 700 Capitol
Way N Olympia, WA 98501
Love your site!=
Helen R.
- Always great to hear from a pie connoisseur! Thanks
for sharing more places to Go Pie!
-The Pie Maven
- Hi
I saw your Pie Maven site but didn't see my problem. On the
off-chance that you are online, I wanted to ask a question.
I baked an Italian Pizza Rustica tonight and forgot to brush the
top with egg. I realized this when the cooking time was done, so
I quickly brushed the top with egg while the pie was hot, and
let it cook another 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. But now I'm
worried....do you think I cooked the egg enough??
Thanks,
Gae
- Sorry I didn't get online and see your email sooner. I
assume you've eaten the pizza by now and either got sick or
didn't, so you know if the egg was ok or not. But I hate to see
a question go unanswered so - yes, I think you're fine.
Soft-boiled eggs are only cooked 3-5 minutes, and boiling water
is only around 212 degrees. And blind-baked pie crusts with an
egg wash are only cooked 8 minutes or so. So I'd say 10-15
minutes at 350 degrees is more than adequate.
-The Pie Maven
- Hi,
I have been trying to make a Bailey's macadamia pie. I have the
same problem I often do with pecan pie. The pies puff up in the
oven too much and then totally deflate when they come out. It's
driving me crazy. Do you know the problem? I baked the macadamia
at 300 for 1 1/2 hrs. Is that the problem?
Joan F.
- Yes, I would say you're over-baking. (I'm prone to the same
thing - I always second-guess myself and decide to leave it in
'just a couple minutes more...') You should take it out when the
edges are set but the center is still a little jiggly. It will
retain enough heat when you remove it from the oven to continue
baking its innards for a little while.
I hope this helps!
-The Pie Maven
- Hi there!
I wanted to first let you know how much we LOVE your website.
You seem like a lot of fun and there is so much great
information. I wanted to let you know that my partner and I run
Asheville, North Carolina's only exclusively pie (no we do not
do wedding CAKES :) baking company. We are called Pies In
Disguise and our website is www.piesindisguise.com. Nothing
against Early Girl Eatery, which is listed in the directory.
They are a delicious restaurant that I love going to, but they
hardly ever have pie. Please visit our website when you are able
and become a fan on facebook! I just figured I would let you
know that Asheville has a pie company and we would love it if we
could be listed on your website.
Have a great day and thanks for spreading all the pie love~!
Eliza Sydney
Pies In Disguise
- Thanks for the suggestion. (Way to self-promote!) Your
mustached pies make me giggle. I am absolutely adding you to the
site. Way to Go Pie!
-The Pie Maven
- Hello Pie Maven -
I am a huge pie fan. While looking for pie trivia to use at my
National Pie Day party next week, I found your site.
Looking through your list of places to get good pie, I noticed
some missing locations I wanted to suggest -- when I travel I
always try to find a good place for pie.
Maine -
Moody's Diner in Waldoboro. It lives up to the hype.
Maryland (I live in Maryland and work in Washington, DC) –
The General Store. 6 Post Office Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 562-8787
This is a restaurant (which is in a building that used to be a
general store and post office) and they always seem to have good
pies -- usually chess pies.
Best Pie Company. 13600 Annapolis Rd, Bowie, MD 20720, (301)
860-0620, www.bestpiecompany.com
Only take out, but solid pies.
Washington, DC -
You have Breadline listed, but I have visited that establishment
for lunch at least once a year for the past 7 years and I never
recall seeing pie being sold.
DC is more of a cupcake town, but I have found a good place for
a slice. It is Baked and Wired, 1052 Thomas Jefferson Street NW,
Washington, DC 20007, www.bakedandwired.com
Washington State -
Chimacum Cafe, 9253 Rhody Drive, Chimacum, WA 98325, (360)
732-4631
I had blackberry pie there that was good enough to write home
about.
Dahlia Bakery, 2001 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, (206) 441-4540
The bakery is next to the restaurant Dahlia Lounge, where I had
the Triple Coconut Cream pie that was so good, not only did we
eat at the restaurant twice while visiting Seattle for three
nights, we purchased the cookbook “Seattle Kitchen” just to get
the recipe.
Take care,
Brian N.
There are only seven days in a week, but eight slices in a pie.
- Thanks, Brian! Your dedication to Pie should be an
inspiration to all. Next time I'm in the area, I will
definitely have to check those places out.
-The Pie Maven
- Hello,
Yesterday I made a sweet potatoes pie. I grabbed the wrong dish.
I got the 10 inch deep dish size. It took almost 2 hours to bake
for the filling to be done. I baked it at 325 degrees. The crust
was hard but didn't burn. That was the edge. The rest of the pie
was great. Do you have any idea of what to do ?
Thank you for your help and time. I love the dish.
Thank you,
Debbie B
- Hi, Debbie. If that pan works out for you, keep doing
what you're doing. But try covering the edges with aluminum foil
to keep them from burning before the rest of the pie is done.
If that doesn't work, try partially-cooking the filling before
filling the pie and baking it.
Good luck!
The Pie Maven
- What does it mean when N.Y. Yankee baseball fans held up a sign reading, "Give us pie!" when Derek Jeter came to bat in game 2 of the playoffs?
Kevin & Joyce L.
- I'm not a New Yorker, nor a baseball fan. But thankfully I work with someone who is both, and he shed some light on the subject. And I can't believe I haven't heard of this earlier!
The Yankees have started a fantastic tradition for 9th inning wins - whoever scores the winning run gets a whipped cream
pie in the face.
So, I assume that's what the fans were asking for (and rightfully so!) -
The Pie Maven
- I am using a fairly common tart crust recipe which uses
vegetable shortening. As always I place parchment on the crust
and then my layer of rice as a weight, and bake for 20 minutes.
Each time I remove the parchment a layer of the pastry sticks to
the paper. Could you please advise?
Zac A.
- Zac,
I think the parchment might be sticking because the crust is drying out. Try rubbing a
little butter on the crust or spray it lightly with cooking
spray before you place the parchment paper. Or
blind bake for a
shorter time (you can take it out and remove the paper and
weights before it's fully-baked, then bake a few minutes
more without the paper and weights until it's browned).
Also, make sure you remove the paper and weights before the
crust cools. Let me know if this helps! -
The Pie Maven
- I did a double batch of egg custard pie filling. Baked ½ of
it one day (they were perfect) and refrigerated the rest. 2 days
later, used the rest of the filling and the pies sunk and when
we broke apart, they were watery. I could use some help!
Thanks,
Barbara C.
- Barbara,
Without knowing the ingredients in the
custard, it's hard to
pinpoint the specific problem, but my guess would be that
chilling the eggs caused the proteins (which are responsible for
thickening custards) to bunch up and squeeze out the liquids.
Next time, try baking it all at once, then chilling the unused
portion. Or temper the eggs again before baking - that should
help the proteins relax and distribute throughout the custard
again. Hope this helps! - The Pie Maven
- Hey, Pie Maven! Just thought you'd enjoy this:
-Lisa
- You were right - I DO enjoy that. Thank you! :) -
The Pie Maven
- Hi, Pie Maven. What's the difference between a pie and a cobbler?
-Ian W.
- Well, Ian, I'm glad you asked. You see, a pie is a
pastry that either encloses or contains a filling, whereas a
cobbler is a pastry made by pouring the filling over batter,
which then rises through the filling during baking.
They are much more similar in final form than in preparation,
especially when a pie slice falls apart when served. -
The Pie Maven
- Can I use margarine instead of butter?
-Sandy T.
- You can. But you shouldn't. If you have your
heart set on using margarine, fillings are generally pretty forgiving.
But I wouldn't recommend it for the crust unless the recipe was
specifically designed to use margarine. Baking
pastry is a
precise formula with every ingredient serving a distinct
purpose. Removing fat and adding liquid and other chemicals
(which is what happens when you substitute butter for margarine)
completely changes the chemical reactions in the crust, and the
result won't be as the recipe intended. And keep in
mind that while it's important to not
let your love of pie undermine your health,
margarine may not
actually be
healthier for you than butter. -
The Pie Maven
-
-Andrew S.
- Thanks, Andrew! That's awesome. Way to
Go Pie! - The Pie Maven
- How do I make a pie?
-John
- That's the big question pages and
pages of
this site are devoted to answering. Start with the
crust,
add the filling, and
Go Pie again and again - practice makes
perfect! - The Pie Maven
- Dear Pie Maven,
I want to do something nice for my girlfriend, like bake her
a pie, but I am NOT a cook. What's an easy pie for a
first-time baker?
-Kenny D.
- I'd suggest a cream pie in a
graham cracker crust,
like banana cream or
chocolate cream.
All you basically need to do is mix cracker crumbs with butter,
bake it, then fill it with pudding. Easy as pie! (But
don't let her know how little effort you put into it.) -
The Pie Maven
“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can
tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”
Naguib Mahfuiz
