A reader and friend asks, What is a “Pie Bird”?

Pie Birds date back to quaint Victorian times and are used when baking pies, to prevent the pie filling from boiling over into your oven.

Made of ceramic, these bird-shaped devices act as a clever vent, allowing the steam created from the fruit or other filling to escape from inside the pie.
They also support the pastry crust in the center of the pie so it does not sink in the middle.

“Pie Bird” • digital illustration – Lisa Rivas © 2008

To Use the Pie Bird:
First, line the pie dish with pastry, placing the “bird” in the center.
Pour the filling around the pie bird. Cut a hole in your pastry top
and place it on top of the pie, allowing the pie bird to stick out of
the hole. Pinch the crust around the bird’s shoulder, allowing the head
to stick through the pastry.

Happy baking!

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch,
you must first create the universe.
Carl Sagan