Pies Are Awesome

From the foreword: "A good pie is just a long sequence of easy tasks done correctly." Ain't that the truth, Duff.

Pies *ARE* awesome! They really are. This book is not so much a cookbook, but an artistic inspiration and coaching guide if you want to take your pies from simply delicious dessert, and level them up to works of art. I love to bake, including pies. I can't say that I would go to the lengths described in this book to take my pies from dessert to showstoppers (a la Great British Bake Off), but...oh, how it was fun to read this book and see how a showstopper pie is made, along with some of the history of pie art.

If you want to learn and master the fundamentals of pie crusts and fillings, I wouldn't recommend this book and would point you instead to Erin Jeanne McDowell's "The Book of Pie" to start. If you've got pie crusts and fillings mastered and want to try your hand at pie art, "Pies Are Awesome" would be a great addition to your baking library.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

Pies Are Awesome by Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin is so much more than just your standard pie book. This has everything you might need to know about pies, from the dough to the filling, to stencilling and baking. Eve thrum good is easily explained and the pictures complement the book so well.

Uh wow! My first experience with these 3D pies and just wow! Love the cover but the inside was amazeballs!

What did I like? Going through the pages I was completely shocked at all the gorgeous pies! Great pictures and details. The step by step was incredible. I had no idea this was a new trend with pie making. I’m not sure I have enough artistry in me to do this but it was definitely a gorgeous book!

Would I recommend or buy? If your into craft making and want to add in pie making artistry then this book is for you. From making the crust to evolving your pie 3D this book has it all. I wonder what these pies would taste like! I love pie!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

While I am not a gal who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, when I do, I like to bake! I like to follow instructions and recipes to a T and I like when I follow and things come out right! I have perfected the cookie, but I would love to dive into pie and I enjoy that you can personalize a pie with the decor on top, so when I saw this book, I had to get it and read it.

I love that beyond giving all tips and tricks with pie decor, this book also gives you the basics with various doughs and pie filling options. I think this book could be a good companion to your basic pie recipes and can take you to the next level once you perfect your basic pie.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this free eARC.
The cookbook is really well put together. Thr images are of high quality and everything about pies is so well explained.
If you - like me - are not a pie baking master but you have a will to try and learn this book is for you. Every step is nicely explained and there are a lot of nice recipes you can try out.
I really recommend this cookbook.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book!

There are beautiful pictures of pie art and information on creating your own. The book talks about different techniques, styles, and ways to find inspiration for your pie art. The book also includes recipes for crusts, fillings, and helpful trouble shooting tips.

The ebook version is a little less useful since the book has templates in it that are meant to be cut out. This book is a fun find for anyone who wants to up their pie game and create beautiful art!

"The definitive pie art book - step-by-step designs for every occasion."

With Thanksgiving in the United States just around the corner, many of you may be debating what to bring along for the annual family gathering. If you're a young adult, you might be assigned a vegetable dish or, heaven forfend, chips and dip if your kitchen skills are dubious. At the top of the culinary ladder are those tending to the turkey and trimmings, and perhaps most revered of all, the pie makers. Odds are that Aunt Louise has been bringing her specialty pies for decades now.

Maybe it's time to shake things up and climb a few steps up that dish-assignment ladder by showing up with your chips and dip in one hand, and a fabulous Goofy Turkey Pie in the other. This whimsical pumpkin pie will impress the grownups and delight the kids. Everyone will want to see what you bring next year.  Maybe an intricate Quilt Pie will re-win the heart of that auntie who got knocked down a few rungs when you shot up the ladder to family foodie fame.

And it's all thanks to a brilliantly photographed book with detailed, clear instructions and advice on how to bake a great pie and decorate it! You should have known from the start this book would be a winner when you saw the book's introduction was written by Duff "Ace of Cakes" Goldman.

My thanks to author Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin, Quarto Publishing Group – Rock Point, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is a fantastic book for people who want to learn to basically craft with pies and make artwork. The author does a great job telling how to do all the intricate steps and gives a variety of crust recipes, including a gluten free crust. She provides a handy chart that shows what various crusts are good for (all butter has great taste but is less fragile, for instance, and the gluten free crust only checks two boxes out of about 10). There's a lot of good tips here, like you should bake your top crust and add-ons first and then put them (cooled) right on top of the hot pie as it comes out of the oven. Otherwise they tend to need different amounts of time or ooze out the top and so on.

She provides step-by-step instructions for about two dozen very intricate pies, with templates. In each one, you just pick your crust and your own filling and then follow the instructions to make the art element of it. She uses copious amounts of food coloring and artificial add-ons like food glitter, which I am not a fan of. I appreciate the beauty of these pies but wouldn't really want to eat them. She does offer some suggestions for natural coloring but she says they're basically not as good for a variety of reasons. Some don't require food coloring.

This is not really a recipe book, so don't expect actual pie filling recipes. It is very much a craft book, just with food. It is a really wonderful one, especially for people who want to make these over the top creations. I would rather just eat a tasty pie. 😊 But for those who want to spend the time on this kind of culinary art, this will be a fantastic guide.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

Wow, this is a great book!

I wasn't familiar with the author's Instagram page, being a very casual Instagram user, but having a look now, there are some absolute works of art on there. The book talks you through several pie projects but I think what really does this for me was the technical section at the start. I swear pastry can be a bit of a dark art and there's only a few rare occasions where I've made it from scratch and gotten it right, otherwise just opting for the store bought pre-prepped stuff. But here, the author has really broken it down into the different types of dough, what problems you may encounter and how to fix it and more.

This really does seem to be an essential book if you are wanting to take your pie making up a notch and make something that is both delicious and aesthetically pleasing.

Need to get a creativity boost before upcoming holidays or just to show off to your friends and family?
This is a must have in my opinion. So many ideas that will for sure break the boredom in your kitchen.
Besides patterns, there are explanations of the differences between pie doughs, and even filling recipes. Step by step pictures are there but they are not in a way is real refreshment to see. I can feel all the love and passion that was put into this project. Well done!
Been searching for a long time for a good pie book to look up to and I was not disappointed.
It is up to us to combine all of that to our tastes and then reap the sweet pleasure from your oven!

I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley for a review. Pies are awesome is a introduction to pie art, well written and informative. Pies ranging from easy to hard.

Well this is an extensive book designed to give you everything you would like to know about making pies and making them beautiful. I would recommend this for more experienced bakers and not for beginners. I think this book would be overwhelming for the first time baker.

Every page of this “cookbook” is beautiful, well written and brilliantly illustrated. The technical details are excellent and the instructions on all the techniques are very thorough. The section with the pictorial comparisons of different pie crust types is especially informative even if you aren’t going to be doing high art pie baking. The recipes and guides for each pie are complete with all the needed templates, and the pictures are gorgeous. While the pies look very complex, and many are, the directions, recommended tools and supplies are accessible. This book will make everyone, including pie beginners, inspired to make some beautiful confectionery creations.

If you want to take your pie decorating game to the next level, you need this book. The first 75 pages are dedicated to techniques (like how to overcome major pie dough issues like shrinkage, color loss on tinted doughs and more) and the rest is page after beautiful page of the most gorgeous pie decorations I've ever seen. Really next level stuff here. Even if you aren't interested in crafting pie art like she does, the techniques are super helpful and the images are inspiring.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This is a fabulous book if you like making pastry and want to take it to the next level. Jessica provides very detailed instructions borne out of her experience of becoming a pastry art expert in a very short period. It's written in a light hearted manner (you just know she's experienced all the trials and tribulations). This will be a book I'll consult often

This is a super cool book for anyone looking for make some pie art. As someone who bakes a lot, I loved learning techniques on how to make really pretty bakes!

This is an excellent pie cookbook for the novice and the experienced baker. I am experienced, and I never knew that pie could be done individually on sticks or built upwards! It starts with listing basic equipment needed, and continues with luxury equipment. The book is complete with descriptions and photos. There are templates and recipes to make the delicious pies featured. I can't make up my mind which I want to make first! I'm very excited! I'm 50, and I've been baking my whole life. I feel like I'm just starting again!

This book is about turning your pies into artwork, and the examples are gorgeous! There is extensive info about techniques, including coloring, templates, and sculpting dough. There are "recipes" with step by step color photo instructions to create your art pie, but this is not a book with a bunch of different flavor options for pies. The example pies are mostly based on a holiday or another reason for celebrating. While some of the recipes say "beginner," this is not a book for a novice baker. If you already love pie and pie making and want to try something new for decorating, this book is full of great ideas to wow your family and friends. I'm giving this book 5 stars because it delivers wonderfully on its purpose of pie art, but it is not a general purpose book of how to make all the different flavors of pies.

These pies are ridiculous and I love them so much! I will NEVER be able to make pies as good as these so I'm not even going to try.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I did not know there were so many ways to approach and create works of art through pie. I mean, I guess I should have, as I’ve watched every season of Great British Baking Show I can get my hands on, but this book took pie to a whole new level for me. Not only that, the authors included all the info necessary for me to become a pie master in my own kitchen. I really like that this book starts by providing a foundation of basic pie techniques and things you need to know. It’s perfect for a novice like me, but can be easily glossed over by a more expert baker who already knows these things. What bakers of any skill level are likely to find appealing here is the variety of creative ideas for new pie recipes and the array of provided templates in the back that you can use to help you prep perfect pie designs.

The pictures and use of color throughout the book are useful and inviting without being overwhelming, and I actually found the whole aesthetic of the book to be relaxing, if that makes sense.

Check this one out if you’ve always wanted to create a showstopper masterpiece worthy of Paul Hollywood, even if you don’t yet know your way around a pie tin. If you’re a seasoned baker, this one might still be worth it for some new creative inspiration. I can’t wait to get in the kitchen!

Pros: The photographs throughout this book are fantastic and show off the true artistry in the pies. I loved how inclusive the holidays featured were (Lunar New Year, Diwali, Pi Day!) and that it wasn’t just Christmas. My favorite pie design was the folk art bee pie—it is lovely. I think many of these designs are beyond my artistic abilities except for maybe the goofy turkey pie, but I loved seeing the creativity that went into these pies. That being said, I think these designs are accessible to many bakers and artists—they made me think of the “show stoppers” on the Great British Bake Off!

Cons: This is not a con about the content but a note to readers that this book is about creating art and not about pie recipes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Rock Point for the opportunity to read this book.

Gorgeous! If the recipes weren’t included (they are) I would call this an art book. That’s how beautiful these pies are! I love that the author included templates and doesn’t just say “hey good luck”. Now don’t get me wrong some (read most) are way above my pay grade but there’s some “starter” pies that are totally doable for a newbie like me.

You don't have to wait until Pi day to make pies. If you have ever even thought about making pies or learning to make pies this is the book for you. Some of these pies are way too pretty to cut. Don't let those pies intimidate you. There's plenty in this book that will be in your comfort zone. If you have never made pie crust this book will walk you through the steps of making a good pie crust. Yes your pies can be works of art as well.

Pies Are Awesome: The Definitive Pie Art Book: Step-by-Step Designs for All Occasions by Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin is currently scheduled for release on November 23 2001. The pie art projects in this book are centered around some of our most popular and cherished celebrations in the hopes that they will encourage you to develop your own tasty new traditions with friends and family. The ample step-by-step photos take you through Jessica’s easy-to-follow, groundbreaking pie art techniques, while the writing style encourages experimentation and creative discovery. From decorative patterns to more elaborate themes, the pie art designs in this book, ranging from easy to difficult, for novice and experienced bakers alike, include amazing-looking and -tasting pies to celebrate Birthdays (children and adults)Weddings, Baby Showers, New Year’s Eve/Day, Super Bowl, Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, Pi Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Bastille Day, Diwali, Halloween, Day of the Dead, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. The book also includes tricks for working with your own tried-and-true dough recipes and store-bought dough; modifications to personalize projects; and online resources for printable templates, pie communities, friendly challenges, and more.

Pies Are Awesome offers readers exactly what the title promises. The information and techniques are well described with easy to follow instructions. The tone of the writing is fun, occasionally geeky, and simply very personable. I liked that the author stressed the importance for certain steps or actions for success, they also encouraged creativity and trying things your own way to find out what works best to fit their own needs. They never seemed to take themselves too seriously or became condescending or superior in their writing tone, which sometimes happens in this type of book. As someone who enjoys baking and has always been a bit intimidated by dealing with pie crust in general, this book made the prospect both more and less intimidating at the same time. She made everything seem so doable, but the photographs of some of the completed pies are just so beautiful and complex that it still feels a bit daunting. If I do attempt some of this pie art, I think I will start with some of the simpler projects, like the Monster Mouth pie. I love that the author included encouragement ad inspiration for people to tackle this edible art for, and included resources for templates and further information to readers that want to explore the art and community involved in it if they so choose.