Betty Crocker's Pie and Pastry Cookbook ... appetizers, main dishes, desserts

There are a number of editions and versions of this book out there right now. This review addresses the 1968 edition. Now reader, please take a word of advice. If you purchase this book, be sure you get the 1968 version. The newer editions, while satisfactory, simply are not the same and some of the recipes have been modified, none for the better. My wife is considered a expert in the area of pie backing, actually a better description would be "seer." People from miles around constantly contact her, asking that she bake for various pie sales, weddings, family gatherings, etc. Restaurants in the local area are constantly begging her to use her magic and bake for them. She does honor these requests, but never for money. Now that being said, one of her secrets is that she started with, and continues to use this little book as the single primary source for all she bakes. Now granted, she has made her own modifications over the years, yet and all, it always comes back to this book. The copy we have is tattered and worn and there is not one page in the book that is still attached to the binding. It is in constant use! The directions in this work are easy to follow and quite explicit. There are some colored photographs, but most illustrations are black and white drawings. The text is easy to follow and all of the recipes are absolutely doable. Each recipe lists several variations of the same pie. The first section of the book deals with various crusts, toppings, pastry preparation and glazes. I am sorry to say that over the years my wife has developed her own pie crust receipt, which is an absolute marvel and difficult, if not impossible to reproduce. One of the only secrets she has ever kept from me after 47 years of marriage is how she does it. The only living person she has ever shared this with is our daughter, and she, like my wife, does not seem inclined to pass the information on. Pity. Anyway, if you are into pie, then this is one you really must own. I have enjoyed, as have many others, the information found between its covers. Don Blankenship The Ozarks