Who made all the pies? You can!

There's nothing more irresistible than the smell of a freshly baked pie. Just ask Wendy Morgan, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef who pretty much grew up in a Canterbury pie shop.

Morgan, whose hard-working parents owned Hillyer's Bakery, told Kathryn Ryan that they were only too keen for her and her brother to learn the tricks of their trade.

"We actually ate our breakfast in the bakery every morning, watching our parents begin their production for the day. There was a bit of osmosis going on right from a very, very young age, that's for sure.

"I can remember being incredibly young when mum started teaching us how to do things."

Morgan trained at Christchurch Polytech and Le Cordon Bleu in Auckland, before beginning her hospitality career. She and husband Rex owned Citron restaurant in Wellington for many years before Morgan opened her own deli, Plentiful. Now living back in Christchurch, Morgan has packaged up a lifetime's knowledge of pies into her debut cookbook - aptly called Who Made all the Pies: The Ultimate Collection of Pastry Treats for Every Kiwi Household.

Making a great pie is all about getting the pastry right, Morgan says.

"Short pastry has a bit less butter, is easier and quicker to make, and is equally as delicious as the flaky and puff pastry, which do take a lot more butter and they do take a lot more time. They're more of your your weekend pastry for sure."

Morgan uses "everyday supermarket high grade flour" for her pastry making: "It works just fine. No need to go out and get any fancy flours, I don't believe."

As long as the filling isn't too wet (which could make the pie have a soggy bottom) there's plenty of scope to experiment beyond the tried and true flavour combinations, she says.

"Pastry can be a carrier for so many things."

Home cooks should resist the urge to over-fill their pies, because things can get messy, Morgan says.

"Although messy can sometimes be good, because those bits of gravy that seep out caramelise and become really yummy."

Poking a few air holes in the pie lid will also prevent pie explosions in the oven, she says. 

"You've got to be able to let some steam out or it's going to force itself out somehow which may be a bit disastrous."

Flaky and puff pastry pies need a decent heat to enable a good rise – about 210-220C depending on your oven. Short pastry can be cooked at a lower heat, around 200C.

Is it a sin to splash tomato sauce over a lovingly prepared homemade pie? Morgan doesn't think so.

“If I’m having a meaty pie, like a mince and cheese, I’ll happily douse it in tomato sauce, that's just my thing. But there are purists out there who don't need any sauce at all. It’s up to you.”