PIE - A light-brown flaky crust holding fresh fruit, custard, or cream-pie, the traditional American dessert, is such a welcome sight on the table.
Learn to make your own piecrusts; it's not hard, and the results are so much better than commercial products. Each of the piecrusts here differs from others in taste, texture, and structure. Try them all; you will soon develop your own favorites.
TARTS - Open pies filled pastry shells without a top crust. Made with strong, buttery tart pastry, both small and large tarts are often freestanding, needing no pans to support their crisp, golden sides after they are baked. Small tarts are easy to serve and tidy to eat, conveniences you'll appreciate when you have a large group of guests. And they do look so enchanting, filled with a variety of different sweets and set out on a large platter.