Jessica Clark-Bojin remembers at one time having a reputation for her lack of cooking skills.

害羞草研究所淚 couldn害羞草研究所檛 crack an egg. I was shooed out at family gatherings,害羞草研究所� says the Vancouver native, laughing. 害羞草研究所滻 had no experience in a kitchen whatsoever.害羞草研究所�

Now Clark-Bojin is shaking up the baking world with her elaborate pie creations, which range from detailed celebrity portraits to towering three-dimensional 害羞草研究所減ie-scrapers.害羞草研究所�

The former filmmaker害羞草研究所檚 journey from kitchen klutz to pastry pro started with a New Year害羞草研究所檚 resolution to cut down on sugar in 2016, when she began experimenting with pies to sate her dessert cravings. What began as a creative foray has become a full-time gig.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the most fun job that I害羞草研究所檝e ever had in my life,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 never thought I害羞草研究所檇 be doing anything like this.害羞草研究所�

Clark-Bojin害羞草研究所檚 multi-tiered masterpieces include Calvin and Hobbes riding a wagon down a hillside and an Aladdin-themed castle. The self-described science fiction nerd has also concocted a glow-in-the-dark Tron apple pie and Star Wars themed fruit turnovers shaped like Jabba the Hut.

Along the way, Clark-Bojin has tapped into her science background as a former university physics student to develop new methods and materials. Her innovations include colouring pastry dough, creating pigments that glow in the dark and baking three-dimensional shapes.

害羞草研究所淭his isn害羞草研究所檛 cooking. This is chemistry!害羞草研究所�

The American talk show The Chew invited Clark-Bojin to New York to present a pie on the show in late 2016, which was followed by an invitation from the Food Network to start making videos for the cooking channel, she said.

Pies are especially challenging because pastry dough quickly becomes tough when overworked and its inconsistency means it often changes shape unpredictably in the oven, Clark-Bojin said.

She said one 害羞草研究所渁ha moment害羞草研究所� came while designing an alien face from the sci-fi franchise 害羞草研究所淧redator,害羞草研究所� when Clark-Bojin came up with a method of blending different layers of pastry together, 害羞草研究所渓ike modeling clay,害羞草研究所� using an egg mixture.

害羞草研究所淭hat opened a whole new world,害羞草研究所� she said.

Clark-Bojin said most of her baking gets done late at night after her five-year-old son, Cillian, is in bed. She described him as her harshest critic.

害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檒l look at something that I害羞草研究所檝e been slaving over for days and I害羞草研究所檓 really proud of and he害羞草研究所檒l be like, 害羞草研究所淗mm. It害羞草研究所檚 not your best work, mommy,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� she said.

Clark-Bojin doesn害羞草研究所檛 sell her pies directly. She supports her work by offering how-to guides and dough stencils for sale.

Her next task is to simplify her techniques.

害羞草研究所淢y mission with all of this is not just to be a snooty pie artist,害羞草研究所� she said, adding that the overall goal is to create a new industry.

害羞草研究所淚 want to teach other people and inspire other people to create cool things in this medium that they love with this food that they love.害羞草研究所�

Geordon Omand, The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .