Among all the known pastries in the world, two of which are easily confused with each other: the pie and the tart. They may look the same as both have fillings and crusts, but they actually differ in a lot of aspects.
In terms of shape, pies are round pastries having sloped edges. The dimensions are usually 9 inches wide and 1.5-2 inches thick. The edge of the pie can be designed as purely flat or slightly fluted. The pans used to make this pastry are ordinarily made of Pyrex glass, ceramic, and even pure metal. Initially, it is in the mind of the pastry chef to ensure that the pie crust is big enough for it to cover the entire pan from its base towards its lipped edges. After the filling has all been placed inside, the crust is then cut in a circular fashion about its lip and then pressed towards the edge.
Tarts differ aesthetically because they can take almost any shape. Most are round or oblong-shaped while others tend to be square. The tart can be as short as 4 inches or as long as 1 foot (depending on its shape of course). With regard to the baking pans used to make tarts, it is somewhat shallower as opposed to traditional pie pans. It is just about 0.75 inches to 2 inches deep. Most pastry chefs use metal pans with straight sides and removable bottoms to bake tarts.
With regard to their crusts, the pie crust is arranged a little differently. Pies have its crust covering the sides, bottom, and even a fully covered top although open tops are nowadays very common. On the contrary, the tart’s crust rarely covers the top of the pastry. In terms of texture, pie crusts are flaky, light, and crisp while the tart crust is firm and crumbly sometimes even thicker than pie crusts.
Lastly, pies and tarts differ in terms of serving presentation. Because of the ingenious design of the tart pan having a removable bottom, the tart can be cleanly set on the serving plate. Pie pans are usually served using the same pie pans used in baking them.
Summary:
1.Pies are usually round while tarts have more freedom of shapes (oblongs, oval, squares, and even some irregularly formed).
2.Pies are baked using ceramic, Pyrex, or metal pans while tarts often use metal pans.
3.Pie crusts can cover the top of the pie while tart crusts rarely cover the top of the pastry.
4.Pie crusts are flakier, lighter, and crisper while tart crusts are firmer and crumblier.
5.Pies are usually immediately served using the actual pie pans used in baking them whereas tarts are first cleanly removed from the pan and then placed on serving plates.