“Mother used to roll extra pie dough very thin, then top with cinnamon, sugar and dots of butter,” relates Florence C. of Sebastopol, California. “She’d roll it up, slice off 1-inch pieces and…
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To prevent the crust from bubbling up into the filling of a custard pie, pre-bake the crust at 450° for 5 minutes before you add your custard. Place foil over the crust and pour several cups of…
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To keep a pie crust's tender edges from burning, fold a 12-in. square of foil into quarters. Make a mark on the two folded sides about 3-3/4 in. from the closed corner. Holding the closed corner…
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Crust is Not Flaky
The shortening was cut in too much. Cut in shortening so it resembles coarse crumbs, not any smaller.
Crust is Tough and/or has Shrunk
The pastry was…
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Fold 2 Tbsp. of Bailey's Irish Cream, Kahlua or apricot brandy into an 8-oz. carton of thawed whipped topping. Serve with slices of apple or pumpkin pie.
Fold 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream…
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When making a two-crust pie, I brush a little water around the edge of my bottom crust before putting on the top crust. This creates a good seal once the two are crimped together—I never have any…
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Classic pie pastry recipes are prepared with solid shortening. Lard or butter-flavored shortening can be substitutes for plain shortening if desired.
Measure ingredients accurately, using…
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Fruit pies slice more attractively if you add a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with the other dry filling ingredients. It won’t change the taste, just give the filling more body. Plus, it won’t…
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The most common doneness test for custard pies is to insert a table knife about an inch from the center of the pie. If it comes out clean, the pie is done, Or try the jiggle test. Gently shake the…
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Thickeners help prevent fruit pies from being too runny. All-purpose flour, cornstarch and quick-cooking tapioca are the thickeners commonly used in fruit pies. Flour gives the filling an opaque…
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