Tarts, Pies and Pudding Cakes

A pie or tart always seems like a treat to me, whether it be an old-fashioned top-crust pie in a traditional pie dish with a thick but crumbly pastry top over fruit such as apples, plums or gooseberries cooked in their juices, or an elegant open tart with the most delicate wafer of pastry as a base.

Pies and tarts provide endless scope for experiment and new ideas and can suit all seasons, all occasions and a wide variety of ingredients. On the whole, a fruit filling for a plate pie or an open tart should be precooked – either baked, stewed or fried – and cooled. You can reduce the juices to intensify the flavour and to stop them making the bottom of the pastry soggy.