Pie Baking Tips
You just can't have Thanksgiving dinner without pie—at least, that's how a lot of people feel. Do you find the thought to be intimidating?
Pies really aren't that hard, but the most challenging part is the crust. We all enjoy light, flaky crust, and we've all struggled to cut a hard-as-cardboard one, as well.
What does it take to make a good crust?
Basic Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening, chilled
3 Tbs. ice water
Directions:
Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.
And here are a few tricks of the pie-baking trade:
- Place a cookie sheet under pies to catch any juices that overflow while baking.
- If the edges of your pie are browning too fast, shield them with aluminum foil strips.
- Cook pies on a wire rack, so air can circulate underneath. This prevents the crust from becoming soggy.
- When cutting cream pies, dip the knife in warm water between slices so the filling does not stick. Refrigerate cream and custard pies after serving.
The rest is up to you. Choose the variety of filling and enjoy Thanksgiving!
