Pies and Pastries

Pastry is another term for pie crust

Pie crust can frame so many wonderful fillings!

• Fruit, custard, meringue or chiffon pies.

• Meat fillings, vegetable fillings, fish all to make a hearty main dish

• You can make regular size pies, tiny tarts or individual pies.

• Just use some imagination!

A perfect crust has

• Pleasant flavor• Delicate brown color• Is both “short” and flaky• A “ short” pastry is one that is tender and

breaks easily• A flaky pastry is layered throughout and tiny

blisters show on the surface• A pastry that is “short” and not flaky is crumbly.

But if it is flaky and not “short” it will be tough.

How do you get the right amount of tenderness and flakiness?

• Start with the right ingredients.

• All purpose flour – this is best. Has enough gluten for flaky yet tender pastry.

• If you use self rising flour you pie will be mealy and tender rather than flaky and tender.

• Measure accurately

Shortening

• Produces the tenderness and richness.

• Tender – shortening interferes with the gluten development. ( shortens the strands)

• Be accurate – it is important

Salt and Water

• Important in our pastry

• Salt adds flavor.

• A pastry made without salt is flat and flavorless.

• Water

• It is essential

• Without water, we could have no gluten developed and no structure for the pastry.

What is Gluten?

• Gluten is made up of insoluble proteins found in flour (gliadin and glutinen)

• It is formed when flour and water are mixed to a stiff dough.

• It is a tough, elastic substance

• It is a mesh-like structure of loosely connected strands which forms the framework for our pastry.

What Pan should I use?

• Never shiny - crust will be soggy and soaked because shiny pans deflect the heat.

• For well baked, tender, browned undercrust, select glass, darkened pans, aluminum pans with dull finish, or enamel ware.

How to roll the dough

• Place ball of dough on lightly floured surface

• Cut in half and turn one half over onto cut surface.

• Flatten with hand.• Flour rolling pin lightly.• Place rolling pin on center of dough.• Roll dough from center to edge with quick,

light strokes.

Watch the edge that it does not become too thin.

• Roll dough to a 12 inch circle for a 9 inch pie. (11” for 8” pie).

• Hold inverted pie plate over dough to check the size.

• Fold pastry in half. Place in pie plate with fold at center.

• Unfold or• Drape crust over rolling pin and roll over pie plate

Successful Pies

• Measure accurately on all three main ingredients – too little or too much will make the results disappointing.

• Use a light hand – Handle too much and it will be tough.

• Do not reroll dough for the pie crust.

• Put scraps together and make some little goodies -

Meringue

• Whip to stiff peaks

• Never use plastic bowl to whip in

• Spread evenly over pie and seal to the edge of the crust – it will shrink

• To prevent meringue from weeping ( little drops of moisture over surface) be sure to spread meringue over hot filling and bake at once.

• Egg yolk and white separate best when cold.

• If you let whites stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, they will beat to a better volume.

• Soft peak – peaks bend over• Stiff peaks are glossy and hold their shape• Meringue foam made of beaten egg whites

and sugar can be used for desserts.• Hard Meringue used to make shells that

can be filled like a pie.

Other tips

• Cook fillings for cream pies in a heavy saucepan and stir constantly to prevent scorching

• Don’t overcook fillings with a cornstarch base. Overcooking tends to thin cornstarch fillings.

• Two pie crust pie – make a halo with foil to keep the edges from browning too quickly.

Top Crust

• Roll upper crust like the bottom crust.• After it is rolled out, fold into quarters• Make slits with the kitchen shears.• Why – let steam escape• Moisten very little the bottom crust edges• Place over filling and bottom crust• Seal the edges - fold • and pinch, use fork,• fold and tuck

Pie Shell

• Make edges higher

• Prick thoroughly the bottom and sides of the shell.

• This allows the air to escape in baking

• Bake 8-10 min very hot oven

Baking a pie shell

• Some pies need a cooked shell

• Make only one crust

• Fill it to bake - parchment paper/beans/rice

• Invert it to bake on cookie sheet or put one on top of the other. Why?

One crust pie

• When filling and pie are baked together – do not prick the bottom

• Keep edges high to allow for shrinking.

• You may want to fill ¾ of the way, put on oven rack that is pulled out and then finish filling.

Important!!!!!

• Remember to put foil in the oven on the rack below or on the bottom of the oven.

• Make a halo for one or two crust pies.