What is the difference between a pie and a pithivier?

[Cookie]

Can some one tell me what is the difference between a pie and a pithivier?
What is a pithivier?
I've only ever eaten pies I think.

 

[epicuric]

According to the "Larousse Gastronomique", a Pithivier is a speciality of Pithiviers, a municipality of North Central France (twinned with Ashby-de-la-Zouche, make of that what you will) and is made of puff pastry and almond paste. A pie is a much wider generic term.

 

[Morning Glory]

Pithivier is much more difficult to say! Especially after a few glasses of wine...

 

[sidevalve]

Pithivier is much more difficult to say! Especially after a few glasses of wine...

And dangerous for anyone standing nearby if you happen to be eating one at the time

 

[Cookie]

According to the "Larousse Gastronomique", a Pithivier is a speciality of Pithiviers, a municipality of North Central France (twinned with Ashby-de-la-Zouche, make of that what you will) and is made of puff pastry and almond paste. A pie is a much wider generic term.

Thank you. so a pithivier had to have almond paste in it?

 

[epicuric]

Thank you. so a pithivier had to have almond paste in it?

Apparently the original did, but I can't recall ever having eaten one. A more up to date definition in Wikipedia allows for other fillings:

A pithivier (English /pɪtɪˈvjeɪ/;[1] French: pithiviers, IPA: [pitivje] ( listen)) is a round, enclosed pie usually made by baking two disks of puff pastry, with filling stuffed in between. It has the appearance of a hump and is traditionally decorated with spiral lines drawn from the top outwards with the point of a knife, and scalloping on the edge. It is named after the French town of Pithiviers, where the dish is commonly assumed to originate.

The filling is always placed as a lump in the middle of the bottom dough layer, rather than spread on it, to prevent it liquefying and leaking during baking. The pie is traditionally finished with a distinct shine to the top of the crust, by egg-washing beforehand, or by caramelising a dusting of confectioner's sugar at the end of baking, or both. Whilst the filling of the Pithivier is often a sweet frangipane of almond paste, (optionally combined with fruit such as cherry or plum), savoury pies with a meat or cheese filling can also be labelled as a Pithivier.