Pies are a classic American dessert that everyone can enjoy because there are so many different flavors and textures that you can put into a pie. The Southern Pie Book puts plenty of these recipes all in one place, with dozens of recipes featuring all different types of pies. Pies aren’t exclusive to the South, of course, but there does seem to be a very strong pie-making tradition there that you don’t always see in other regions and many pies trace their origins back there – though you don’t need to be from the South to enjoy any of these delicious pie recipes in your own kitchen.
The cookbook begins with crusts, the base of most pie recipes. You’ll find more than 15 different pie crust recipes in this book, so there is something for every type of pie filling. The crusts are paired with pies throughout the book, but there are also suggestions for mixing and matching fillings and crusts, so you can come up with combinations that suit your own tastes. After the crusts, you get into the pie recipes. The book contains a huge variety of variety of pies, from fried pies and slab pies to more traditional fruit, custard and cream pies. All the classics, such as cherry pie and pumpkin pie, are covered, but it is even more fun to explore some of the newer flavor combinations that are included, like German Chocolate Hand Pies and Red Velvet Pie.
The recipes are all clearly written and easy to follow, with readily available ingredients – not to mention relatively short ingredient lists – that you can easily find at the store to kick-start your pie baking. The names of the recipes might offer enough inspiration on their own, but the book is also packed with full color photos that make the recipes look mouthwateringly good. They show the finished pies, but also illustrate the pie making process as needed, so that your recipes will turn out right the first time – even if you’re not an experienced pie baker.
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