Here is part of page 10 of the vintage recipe booklet “Good Pies & How To Make Them” that was published in 1928 by Crisco.

To review all pages in this booklet, simply visit the Crisco: Good Pies & How To Make Them Category and click on a page title to review that section.

There are scans available of each page, just click the images to view a full size copy.

Color of Crust

The color and appearance of a finished pie has a great deal to do with its sale. Color is a rather hard quality in a pie to describe yet it is one of the pie’s most important attributes and is of far-reaching importance in building repeat business. Opinions vary as to the ideal color but it should be every baker’s aim to determine the color his customers desire and then make every effort to maintain it. We believe most women prefer unwashed pies.

While we can give no definite time and temperature combination for a desirable color, we do know that to obtain any degree of uniformity, much attention should be paid to oven heat and baking time.

As brought out under “Ingredients,” sugar and milk or egg washes are used for their bearing on crust color.