Pies or Cakes

Thanks to Chris Evans on this morning's breakfast show, its time to think about making pies and cakes in tents and caravans, ready for his CarFest - even if we don't get to go along.

So what is a pie?  Does a cake have to be baked?  What can you do in a tent to create an oven?  So let's take one topic at a time - or more properly, one per day.

What is a Pie?


Most people will think of a pie as having at least a pastry base, or, more properly, a pastry base and a pastry lid.  If you are in a fairly new caravan, you will almost certainly have an oven with a regulo, and after using it a few times will know how it behaves and might be confident enough to chance making pastry.

I think this might be a good time to cheat and buy ready to roll pastry - but that is because I always make a mess rubbing in, whether I use fingers or a food mixer.  Oh, don't forget that at this CarFest there won't be any hook-ups, so it will be back to basics.

So - does a pie have to be a traditional pastry pie to qualify for the name?  Listening to the show, it seems that Chris will accept almost any type of pudding, citing Bannoffee Pie, which traditionally has a biscuit base, so I guess that lets in cheesecake.  As both have a biscuit base why is one a pie and one a cake?  If you are in a tent the best bet might be to bend the rules and look for no-cook cakes and pies.

To make a start have a look at what we've got so far under desserts, then please send me your ideas to make our very own pie section.