Grab the best pie tips from pastry chef Colette Christian just a few days before you make your own for Thanksgiving! We have Colette on air with us for a whole hour on Monday, November 22nd at 1 pm CT.
Grab a fun and free Thanksgiving project from our Craftsgiving Miniseries that was completed last week!
Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for signing on to Craftsy Chats today. I posted on my website about some of the equipment we talked about today. Here is the link. http://www.bakingwithcolette.com/baking
I live in Denver, Co., will there be any adjustments to the pie dough?
How do you prevent fruit pies from making the bottom crust soggy.
Par cook your pastry for 10 minutes or so. I also recommend using a glass or metal pie pan rather than ceramic for a well cooked bottom crust.
Collette is amazing w/ her baking expertise!!
When I bake my crust sometimes it slides down the pie plate, how do I prevent that?
After you have put the bottom crust in the pan put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so before baking. If you are making a two crust pie- top and bottom- fill and top your pie and then chill it., Also do not overwork you crust when rolling it out as it develops the gluten and leads to tougher crust and more likely to shrink.
Ok, my question is not about the custard pie filling, it’s the meringue on the custard pit, HOW do you stop weeping??????
Ok, my question is not about the custard pie filling, it’s the meringue. How do you stop weeping?????
Stop beating the eggs just a hair earlier, and make sure you are gently folding in the sugar at the end of beating.
Don’t overtake the meringue. The more toasted it gets the more likely to have weeping
The pie crust recipe I use calls for half softened butter and half shortening. I also add 1 TBSP of vodka which is supposed to make the crust more flaky. Is there any disadvantage to using soft butter? And have you heard of adding vodka?
Personally I use cold fat – butter or shortening- to promote flakiness much the same way in biscuits. Vodka cooks off quicker than water so it also tends to promote flakiness. Use vodka when using just lard as lard has no additional water in it the way butter does.
I keep a Baking Steel in my oven. It helps my pies, galettes, etc., to brown. But I do put a baking sheet under the pie pan. With a galette, it’s already on a baking sheet.
I’ve had problems in the past in getting lemon meringue pies to set. Once, it seemed like it was set until I put on the meringue. I followed the instructions. Any tips?
Be sure you are cooking your filling long enough to develop the thickener you are using. If you are using the oven to cook the meringue be sure you are sealing the top of the pie well with the meringue.,should not see any of the filling and the meringue should touch and seal to the crust.
Alternatively you can cook your filling and place it in the crust. Let it come to room temp and then put on the meringue. Rather than cooking it in the oven you can use a kitchen torch and carefully toast the meringue. The texture of your meringue will be softer than baking it but it is pretty fool proof.
Have you ever added bacon fet to pie crust dough?
I’ve got my Fatworks, Pasture Raised Leaf Lard, a.k.a. “Baker’s Lard”, ready to go! But I have shortening, too…
Excited to learn about pie making, and crusts!
Love pies
Interested in baking