Customer Reviews

Great Pies & Tarts

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I affectionately refer to this book as "The Pie Bible." It's almost as big and contains all the information that you could ever want to know about making pies. Walter has done a fantastic job of compiling all this information in one easy to read and follow source.

Even if you're too intimidated by handmade pie crust, this book will put you at ease and you'll probably never use frozen pie crusts again. Walter's Flaky Pie Pastry I (pg. 98) is my most used pie crust and has never failed. Step-by-step instructions with photographs help you through the dough making process. If regular pie dough isn't enough, there are many other pie dough recipes, such as Cheddar Pastry, Sweet Cream Biscuit Dough, Krispie Meringue Crust and Goof Proof Pastry.

The recipes in this book range from the traditional to the original, sweet to savory. The book also provides an indispensible guide to fruits and berries and how to choose the best ones for pies. If you're not quite sure what recipe to try based on your experience level with baking pies, not to worry. There are handy difficulty ratings for each recipe to guide you before you start.

I found this book to be indispensible for baking pies. I have hundreds for cookbooks and this is one of the most used book of all the ones I own. The directions are clear and all the recipes I have tried are delicious and have gotten rave reviews from other tasters. I especially liked the pear tart, blueberry pie with crumb topping, and sweet potato pie. I will be buying one as a gift this Christmas for my best friend, because she keeps borrowing it.Great book!

I read through the entire book on a trip from two Creeks to Minneapolis, and tried several recipes when I reached my destination. The pie crusts were the best I've made, and the lemon merangue pie a delight. I had to flip pages back and forth, going from basic recipes to specific recipes, but that wasn't a major problem. I liked the careful separation of directions for "by hand" and "by food processor" and (against advice) did the whole cust by processor. The other thing I liked was the array of unusual recipes--unusual, but not bizzare. The ideas for keeping the crusts crisp were very helpful, esp. the use of gingersnap crumbs in the lemon pie. Would never have thought of it, but seemed a perfect solution, not detectable in the least. Having completely messed up the library's copy with butter, flour and lemon peel, I will now buy my own.

Although there are some good recipes in this book (blueberry tart with walnut topping is one) I spent a lot of time flipping pages, trying to find information. I feel like the book could have been organized more effectively, which is unfortunate considering how much useful information it contains. Overall a good addition to the recipe library, but I often find myself using other references to supplement this book. Also, in a few cases I question the techniques or ingredients, for instance the use of baking powder in the food processor version of the "flaky pie crust."

The pictures are great. The instructions are clear and well-written. I desperately wanted this book to work. I tried two pies, cranberry-apple and peach-blueberry, using Flaky Pie Crust II for a food processor. I tasted the filling prior to putting it into the crust. It tasted good both times. We tossed out the pie each time after having a slice. The bitter aftertaste just lingered, even 4 hours later.

The filling descriptions sound so good that I'm willing to give it one more try . . .

"Great Pies & Tarts" proves its worth, as your taste will attest, when you sample the results from the instructions and recipies presented. Please note, Arthur Schwartz, a wonderful culinary professional, is not a co-author as advertised. Examining the book will confirm this.

The pumpkin pie in this book with the hazelnut crust is a lot of work but it is the best pumpkin pie I have ever made or eaten. My family requests it every year and sometimes out of season.

Any pie or tart you will make from this book is sure to turn out perfectly. Although most take a considerable amount of time to prepare, no improvements can ever be made to the end results. Especially wonderful to have on hand for special occasions.

I love this book! It is very visually appealing and makes me want to bake just looking at and reading it. It's got great instructions for the new-to-baking pies and tarts that dispel the belief that it's a hard thing to do and wonderful recipes for even the most seasoned baker. It's full of great information.

She writes the best cookbooks. There is never a bad recipe in her books. Everything turns out perfect every time!! Amazing