The New Pie: Modern Techniques for the Classic American Dessert

In this creative cookbook, Taylor and Arguin—both doctors as well as winners in the 2017 National Pie Championship— share their passion for creating pies with fresh flavors and outstanding presentation. Their apple cider pie, for example, is topped off with a sun ray–like pastry, and its filling contains surprising ingredients like dried apricots and crystallized ginger to intensify the apple flavor. With a cocoa pastry crust and an edible cherry-shaped decorative element, the classic cherry pie gets an appealing upgrade. There is also a birthday cake cream pie with a chocolate ganache and candy coating, as well as a banana pudding cream pie with candied bacon and peanut butter mousse, inspired by Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich. Throughout the book are several pie-decorating tips: for their Pie of the Tiger, the authors create a tiger stripe–like effect on the pie’s surface by sifting cocoa powder through a stencil. The authors also present such drinks as strawberry margarita pie with a salted rim. However, the book lacks photographs for difficult steps, such as in making the various rings of strawberry and chocolate mousse in the cosmos pie. Nevertheless, this is an excellent guide to creating decadent pies. (Mar.)