Recap...Cooking Club-Pie Making

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Becoming a Pie Pro

The Crust:

Basic Double Pie Crust

(Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook with “secret” Logan

family alterations)

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

8 to 10 Tbsp ice-cold orange soda

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives cut in shortening until pieces are pea size.
2. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of orange soda over part of flourmixture, toss with fork. Push moist dough to side of bowl. Repeat this using 1 Tbsp of orange soda at a time until all of flour mixture is moist. Divide in half and form each half into a ball.
3. On lightly floured surface use hands to flatten one dough ball. Roll dough at least into a circle 12 inches in diameter.
4. Wrap dough around rolling pin and unroll into a 9-in pie plate. Try not to stretch dough and pat dough into pan. Trim pastry even to edge of pie plate. Put filling into crust.
5. Roll remaining dough and top pie. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Cut along edges ½ inch beyond edge of plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Bake according to individual recipe
   
   

Basic Single Pie Crust

(Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook with secret Logan family alteration)

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

4-5 Tbsp ice-cold orange soda.

1. Mix the dough same as for a double pie crust.
2. If baking pie crust without pie filling, after transferring pastry into dish, crimp edge as desired, and prick bottom and sides or pastry with fork. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5-6 minutes more or until crust is golden.

Tips for Making Pie Crust

1. Use ice-cold orange soda instead of water. Never use diet soda. Ice-cold orange soda will provide a more flaky and rich crust with a depth of color.
2. Use a food processor to make pie dough. Saves time in cutting dough. Mix flour, shortening, and salt in food processor bowl. Process until mixture resembles cornmeal but a few larger pieces remain. Quickly add 6 Tbsp of ice-cold orange soda through feed tube. Stop food processor when all orange soda is added. Scrape down sides. Process with 2 more on/off turns.
3. For better sealing of top and bottom pie crusts brush edges of pie crusts with water or orange soda before putting top crust on.
4. For a beautiful golden top, brush pie crust with milk, cream, half-and-half, or evaporated milk and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
5. Bake multiple pies at a time and freeze in gallon Ziploc bags. When pies are frozen stack them on top of each other. When needed, take frozen pie out of plastic bag and bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes
6. If cooking pie shell without filling, keep pie shells from shrinking by pricking bottoms with fork before baking. Either bake shell on bottom of upside-down pie tin or after lining pie tin with dough, line with aluminum foil and pour beans, wheat, or rice in shell and bake for half of the baking time. Lift out foil and contents and continue baking for remainder of time.
7. Increase the pie crust recipe by ½ so that you don’t run out of pie crust for extra embellishments.

Tips for Making a Perfect Meringue

1. Let the egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating to ensure a meringue with great volume
2. Begin to gradually add the sugar as soon as soft peaks form (Tips bend over slightly)
3. After adding all of the sugar, continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is completely dissolved. (Rub a little of the meringue between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth). Underbeaten whites may cause meringue to shrink
4. To prevent beading (the fine drops of moisture that form on the meringue surface), avoid over-baking the meringue.
5. To prevent weeping (the watery layer that forms between the meringue and filling), spoon meringue onto piping hot filling to help the underside of the meringue cook at the same rate as the top surface. Don’t underbake meringue.

3 Level Caramel Apple Pie (Recipe from Marles Riessland)

The great thing about this recipe is you can make three different apple pies since this recipe has three different levels. If you stop after level one, you will have a basic old fashioned apple pie. If you stop after level 2 you will have a creamy caramel apple pie. If you complete all three levels you will have a creamy caramel apple pie with streusel topping that will be sure to impress anyone.

Ingredients

Basic Double Pie Crust

Level 1:

6 cups apples

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Level 2:

1 tsp vanilla

4 Tbsp heavy cream

4 Tbsp butter

Level 3:

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp butter

2 crushed Heath bars or 3 oz crushed chocolate covered peanut or pecan brittle

Instructions

1. Prepare pie crust from above recipe.

Level 1:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Peel and slice apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
3. Combine dry ingredients from level 1 category in a large bowl. Add apples. Toss to mix.
4. If you are stopping at a level 1, turn apples into pie shell and skip to ending instructions. If you would like to continue to make a caramel apple pie continue to instructions starting on level 2.

Level 2:

1. Add vanilla and cream to apples.
2. Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Add apple mixture to butter and cook approximately 8 minutes to soften apples.
3. Turn into pie shell
4. If you are stopping at level 2, skip to ending instructions. If you would like to continue to make a caramel apple pie with streusel topping continue to level 3.
   
   

Level 3:

1. Combine the flour and sugar. Mix in butter with fork until coarse crumbs are formed. Stir in crushed toffee bars.
2. Sprinkle mixture over pie

Ending Instructions

1. Add top crust. Seal, flute edge and vent top.
2. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
3. Cover edges of pie crust with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 45 minutes longer. Take off foil on edges when pie has 10 minutes remaining.
5. Cool completely so filling can set before eating.
   
   
   Lemon Meringue Pie

(Alton Brown)

Ingredients:

Lemon Filling:

4 egg yolks (Reserve whites for meringue)

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 ½ cups water

1 1/3 cups sugar

¼ tsp salt

3 Tbsp butter

½ cup lemon juice

1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest

1 pre-baked pie shell

Meringue Topping:

4 egg whites

1 pinch cream of tartar

2 Tbsp sugar

Instructions:

Meringue:

1. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
2. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar.
3. Continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1-2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.

Lemon Filling

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Turn heat to medium and, stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.
6. Return egg mixture to saucepan and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 more minute.
7. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined.
8. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while filing is still hot. Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.