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3 Party Pies You Can Eat With Your Hands
Pie bars offer most of the same delights as their latticed counterparts, but are a lot more convenient, Melissa Clark writes.
![A slab of creamy peach bars sits atop a piece of parchment paper set onto a marble cutting board. About half of the slab is cut into cubes. The orange-colored peach slices pop against the cream-cheese base.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/08/31/dining/31Appetite-Creamy-Peach-Bar-a/merlin_211670874_5cd95f88-de9d-497d-be2d-7e1bd7c86369-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)
A golden-domed, syrupy-centered fruit pie may be the ideal dessert to serve at a summer gathering. But for eating out of hand, say, at a Labor Day cookout or picnic, a pie bar is superior.
Pies are a pleasure to eat but can be awkward to serve, especially when their insides are a little runny with fruit (which is exactly how I like them). You’ll need a pie server or a large spoon to transport the dripping slices, plates to put them on and forks to eat it all with. And, to feed more than a handful of guests, at least two or three pies are required.
Pie bars offer most of the same delights as pie, but make your life a lot easier. You can prepare them entirely in advance (even days ahead), then slice and plop them on a platter like cookies. Guests can grab one and nibble it standing up, pie bar in one hand, refreshing summer beverage in the other. One recipe serves a crowd.
Think of it this way: A pie bar is to a pie as a burger is to a big beefy steak. Each has its best time and place to be enjoyed.
Any pie can become a pie bar with a few tweaks. The biggest concern is the crust. For a pie bar, the crust needs to be firm enough to hold together, even when topped with loads of ripe and juicy fruit.
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