Pi Day: 5 Best Selling Pie-Centric Cookbooks To Elevate Your Circular Sweets

I’ve never been a big fan of guided cooking, with one hot exception: baking. The practice is so precise and often demands such accurate ratios between the ingredients of any given recipe that a list of measurements and step-by-step instructions is a must.

And whether it’s for Thanksgiving dinner or a Pi Day celebration, pies can dominate an evening’s desserts. And when it comes to pies, there are so many varieties and styles, whether former President Barack Obama’s favorite sweet potato pecan pie or the lauded tomato pie. What’s sure is that learning from others, or at least giving their concoctions a try, is a great way to widen your pie aperture.

We put together a list of some of the best selling pie-centric cookbooks out there, complete with their prices and some publisher info. These are perfect for your own sweet tooth or as a great gift that you will benefit from when it culminates in a pie you get to try.

The New Pie: Modern Techniques for the Classic American Dessert, $20

By Chris Taylor

“In The New Pie, Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin — winners of more than 500 awards for baking (including 2017’s Best of Show Award at the National Pie Championships) — re-examine the wholesome world of pie … With step-by-step instructions and playful photography, you'll learn to make groundbreaking creations, including a magnificent Blueberry-Maple Pie with wood-grain lattice, the King Fluffernutter Pie, and a striped chocolate Pie of the Tiger. Whether you are a pie voyeur, new baker, or baking enthusiast you will find inspiration at every turn and pies to satisfy every craving.”

Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit, $17

By Lisa Ludwinski

“At Sister Pie, Lisa Ludwinski and her band of sister bakers are helping make Detroit sweeter one slice at a time from a little corner pie shop in a former beauty salon on the city’s east side. No one leaves without a slice—those who don’t have money in their pockets can simply cash in a prepaid slice from the “pie it forward” clothesline strung across the window. With 75 of her most-loved recipes for sweet and savory pies—such as Toasted Marshmallow-Butterscotch Pie and Sour Cherry-Bourbon Pie—and other bakeshop favorites, the Sister Pie cookbook pays homage to Motor City ingenuity and all-American spirit.”

Art of the Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and Life, $24

By Kate McDermott

“Kate McDermott, who learned to make pie from her Iowa grandmother, has taught the time-honored craft of pie-making to thousands of people. Here she shares her secrets to great crusts (including gluten-free options), fabulous fillings, and to living a good life. This is the only PIE cookbook you need.

Kate McDermott,  James Beard Award–nominated author of Art of the Pie, teaches pie-making workshops across the United States. She has been featured in USA Today, TheNew York Times, The Boston Globe, Real Simple, Saveur, and on NPR, among other outlets.”

The Pie and Pastry Bible, $42

By Rose Levy Beranbaum

“The Pie and Pastry Bible is your magic wand for baking the pies, tarts, and pastries of your dreams—the definitive work by the country's top baker.

More than 300 recipes, 200 drawings of techniques and equipment, and 70 color pictures of finished pies, tarts, and pastries

Easy-to-follow recipes for fruit pies, chiffon pies, custard pies, ice-cream pies, meringue pies, chocolate pies, tarts and tartlets, turnovers, dumplings, biscuits, scones, puff pastry, croissants (chocolate, too), Danish, brioche, sticky buns, cream puffs, and profiteroles.”

The Lost Art of Pie Making Made Easy, $6

By Barbara Swell

“The Lost Art of Pie Making shows you how to make a darn good pie in a jiffy. You'll feel like you're in your grandma's kitchen, where she teaches you the secrets of her tender, flakey pie crust and shares recipes taken from handwritten 19th century cooking journals, recipes like Dutch Oven Apple Cherry, Vanilla Crumb, Fresh Raspberry, Louisianna Peanut, Sour Cherry Ammaretto, and dozens more. There are also scores of vintage photos, pie insults, pie superstitions, pie advice, why men love pies and tips on how to host your own pie contest.”

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