Pie birds also known as pie funnels pie chimneys and pie whistles are hollow ceramic devices used to keep pies from bubbling over in the oven by providing ventilation from the hot filling through the crust.
How to use a ceramic pie bird.
The small ceramic bird is hollow and shaped so the head is in a raised or upright position with an open mouth that serves as a funnel.
After the pie is filled the top crust is then draped.
When baking a pie the bird is placed in the center of the pie shell so the pie filling can be laid around the bird.
Lay out your dough as normal.
Place pie bird in the center of the crust and pour berries around the bird.
Follow your recipe of choice to prep all the ingredients as noted.
Ceramic versions are classic but they come in silicone now too as seen on the right in the photo below.
How to use a pie bird all you do is place it in the middle of the pie with its beak pointing up add the filling and lay the pastry over it making sure it peeps out of the middle of the pastry birds need to breathe after all.
Place your bird right in the middle of the dough.
The bird can also keep a crust supported preventing a collapse in the center.
They originated in europe and historians often argue over whether they came about in the 1500 s or during victorian times.
Place bottom layer of dough.
Line the bottom of your pie plate with your bottom crust place the pie bird in the center and scrape your filling into the crust and around the pie bird.
If you parbake your crust do not place the pie bird yet.
A pie bird is a ceramic gadget in the shape of a bird that you use when you are baking pies that are topped with a pastry lid to stop the pastry becoming soggy.
Dating back centuries the use of pie birds began in europe as a means to allow the heat to be released from the pie as it baked to keep the juices from boiling out and over the pie crust.
Drop dollops of cream cheese all around the top.
Pie birds or pie whistles pie vents pie funnels or even pie chimneys are hollow ceramic statuettes that bakers can use to vent steam from their pies in order to prevent a filling from bubbling over.
Now the question of how to use a pie bird.
Place the pie bird.
Try it with a pie that has a top crust like apple pear pie.