What's that doing in my pie? Derin hates it when the pie filling runs out of the vents cut into the pie crust. So we got a Pie Bird to try with our pies. Kinda cute don't you think? But it does make the top pie crust harder to get on with no tears or rips.
A "Pie Bird" is a hollow ceramic device, designed to release steam to keep a pie from boiling over, was traditionally used by English bakers as early as 1800's. The fancy Pie Birds didn't take on the bird forms until migrating to the States in the 1930s. Inspired by the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence" - Four and 20 black birds, baked in a pie. Pie Birds are sometimes also know as Pie Vents, Pie Whistle, Pie Funnel or Pie Chimney. They also help to support the pastry crust in the center of the pie, so it does not sag. Pie Birds can cost anywhere from $5 to $3,000 for collectors.
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