Pies & PAstry Unit 7

Pies & Pastry Pastry is the dough used to make: Pie crust Tarts Turnovers Shells for main dishes

4 Types of Pies Fruit 2 crust pies Canned frozen, dried or fresh fruit Cream Pie One crust pie Corn starch thickened pudding mixture, may have meringue Custard Pie One crust, cooked custard (eggs, milk, sugar) Chiffon Pie One crust Filled with mixture containing gelatin and beaten egg whites

Ingredients Flour Structure All purpose is the most common type used Fat Tenderizes & makes layers (shortening or lard is best) Butter adds flavor A mix of butter and shortening can be used Water Provides moisture for development of gluten and production of steam Salt Contributes to flavor. If salt is not added it will NOT affect pastry.

Mixing Method Biscuit Method Cut fat into sifted dry ingredients Texture should resemble course crumbs

Achieving a Perfect Crust Basic Rules to Follow: Use the correct ingredients Measure accurately Handle dough gently and as little as possible Chill the dough to solidify the fat (easier to roll out) Ingredients that help to achieve a perfect crust: Gluten helps to create & separates layers Fat Too little= tough Too much= crumbly Fat should be cut in until pea size crumbles Water Too much = tough Too little= crumbly & difficult to roll

Overmixing & Overworking Dough Avoided by: Minimally mixing when adding liquid Don’t be to vigorous with rolling pin Don’t stretch the dough when fitting in pie pan When you begin rolling, start from the center and roll out

Baking Do NOT grease pie plate Double Crust Pies One Crust Pies Fruit Pies Fruit fillings will shrink—so be generous One Crust Pies Prick bottom and sides to prevent blistering Do NOT prick if filling before baking Use pie weights or beans (blind baking) to prevent a soggy bottom Pan Type Dull color- increase baking time Choose glass or dull finish pan—not shiny 9-inch pie pan is the most common size

Preventing Over-browned Edges

Characteristics of a High Quality Pie Tender Flaky Lightly and evenly browned Filling has pleasing flavor No soggy bottom

Decorative Pie Crusts How to Create Decorative Pie Crust Edges 23 Ways to Make Your Pies More Beautiful