Pie Crusts: How to Choose

When making a pie or tart, you have to consider what kind of crust will best complement the filling.  Are you making a fruit pie, such as an apple pie or pear pie?  Or are you making a custard-filled pie, such as a banana cream pie or chocolate pudding pie?  Or even something savory such as a chicken pot pie or quiche?

The three most common French pastry crusts are pâte brisée, Pâte Sucrée, and pâte sablée.  The two crusts I normally use are pâte brisée and pâte sucrée.  Pâte brisée, the old French term for broken paste, is a rich, flaky pastry dough.  Pâte brisée is the most versatile of the crusts and can be used in sweet or savory recipes.  I typically use pâte brisée for apple pies, pear pies, and quiches.  Pâte Sucrée, the old French term for sugar paste, is a sweet, vanilla sugar cookie-like crust.  I like to use pâte sucrée when I make tarts and custard filled pies.  Pâte sablée is a sweet almond shortbread crust and complements pear tarts as well as fruit tarts filled with pastry cream.