Pies Tips
Read these 44 Pies Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Dessert tips and hundreds of other topics.
Keep Pie From Sticking While Serving
If you have chilled your pie before serving, the crust will probably stick. To prevent this, rest the pie on top of a warm towel. The shortening in the crust will melt slightly and release the pie more easily.
Angel Cheesecake Pie
This wonderful light cheesecake pie was a winner in the Pillsbury Bake-Off long ago. It is a wonderful combination of flavors and textures.
Cookie Crumb Crust
1/3 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg yolk
12 oz. softened cream cheese
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
Combine 1/3 cup sugar, gelatin and salt in medium saucepan. Blend in egg yolk and milk and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and blend in cream cheese, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
Chill in refrigerator until mixture is thickened, but not set. Beat egg white until soft peaks form, then beat in 2 Tbsp. sugar and beat until stiff. Beat cream with powdered sugar until thick. Fold egg whites and cream into cream cheese mixture. Spoon into cooked cookie crust and chill before serving.
Cookie Pie Crust
This easy pie crust is a great choice for beginning cooks. The crust is crumbly, slightly chewy, sweet and nutty - a perfect foil for almost any chilled filling.
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
Combine flour, nuts and brown sugar. Cut in butter until a crumb mixture forms. Do not form into ball; place crumbs in a 9" square baking pan, and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Cool the crumbs and then press firmly into a 9" pie pan.
White Chocolate Raspberry Pie
1 9" pie crust, baked and cooled
1-2/3 cups milk
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 (3-oz.) pkg. vanilla pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
3/4 cup white vanilla milk chips
1 cup whipping cream
Topping
2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup white vanilla milk chips
2 tsp. oil
In medium heavy saucepan, combine milk and gelatin; mix well. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in pudding mix. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
Add 3/4 cup vanilla milk chips to pudding mixture; stir until melted. Place plastic wrap over surface of pudding and refrigerate 1 hour to cool.
In small bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into cooled pudding mixture. Fold in remaining whipping cream. Spoon pudding mixture into cooled baked pie shell; spread evenly.
Place raspberries on filling. In small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup vanilla milk chips and oil over very low heat until melted, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over raspberries. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until serving time.
Pecan Caramel Pie
This recipe was a winner in the 1988 Pillsbury Bake Off. If you love pecans, you have to try this pie!
1 9" pie shell
36 caramels
1/2 cup whipping cream
3-1/2 cups pecan halves
2 tsp. butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
Blind bake the pie shell and set aside to cool completely.
Combine unwrapped caramels and 1/2 cup whipping cream in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and melted together. Remove from heat and add pecans, stirring to coat. Spread in cooled, baked pie crust.
In small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring until smooth. Add 2 Tbsp. whipping cream and stir until blended. Drizzle over pecans. Chill for 1 hour or until firm.
Chocolate Sundae Pie
This recipe comes from my grandmother's collection. The name is somewhat deceptive, since the only chocolate in the pie is grated over the top - to form a "sundae". For food safety reasons, I strongly recommend that you use pasteurized eggs for this uncooked filling.
1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
3 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1-1/3 cups whole milk
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 egg whites
1 baked and cooled 9" pie crust
Sprinkle gelatin over the cold water to soften and set aside. In large mixer bowl, whip the egg yolks until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and a pinch of salt, beating until the mixture is light yellow and very fluffy.
Heat the milk in a saucepan until it forms a skin and steams. Pour a small amount of hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, beating well, then add the tempered egg yolk mixture to the hot milk in the saucepan. Heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat, add softened gelatin and mix well to dissolve. Then stir in nutmeg and vanilla. Cool by setting the saucepan in a large bowl of ice water for about 1 hour.
Beat egg whites until very stiff. Beat the cooled egg yolk and milk mixture until fluffy, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Pour into baked, cooled pie crust and refrigerate overnight.
Serve with whipped cream and lots of shaved chocolate to sprinkle over the pie.
French Apple Pie
This pie with the streusel topping is a classic. I especially like the easy press-in-the-pan crust for beginning cooks.
Nut Cookie Crust
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add remaining ingredients until crumbs form. Press crumbs against bottom and sides of 9" pie place, building up a 1/2" rim.
8 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
Mix together apples, sugar, 3 Tbsp. flour and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Place into Nut Cookie Crust.
Mix together 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples in the crust.
Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake 25-40 minutes longer, until apples are tender when pierced with fork and juices are bubbling. Cool pie on wire rack. Serve warm.
For information about making pies, see Pastry 101.
Roll dough on waxed paper
When you are using waxed paper to roll out your pastry, dampen your countertop or table before applying the wax paper. It will prevent the paper from sliding around.
Tin Roof Fudge Tart
1 9" pie shell
2 oz. dark chocolate candy bar
1 Tbsp. butter
20 caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup whipping cream
1-1/2 cups Spanish peanuts
8 oz. dark chocolate candy bar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla
Blind bake the pie shell at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, melt 2 oz. dark chocolate and 1 Tbsp. butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Spread over bottom and up sides of cooled baked pie crust.
In heavy saucepan, melt 20 caramels with 1/3 cup whipping cream until smooth, stirring frequently. Stir in peanuts until coated and spoon into chocolate lined crust.
In another heavy saucepan, melt 8 oz. dark chocolate and 2 Tbsp. butter, stirring frequently until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.
In small bowl, combine 1 cup whipping cream and the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Fold into cooled chocolate mixture and spread over the caramel peanut layer. Chill for 2 hours or until set.
Great Thickener
For a wonderful way to thicken fruit pie juices without cloudiness or taste, use potato starch in the recipe instead of cornstarch or arrowroot.
Apple Peach Pie
This pie is a fabulous combination of flavors and textures. The juice produced during baking is like a wild nectar. This pie was the first place winner in "Pie On The Square", a local baking contest our editor judged.
1 2-crust recipe Refrigerator Pie Crust Mix
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. tapioca
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4-5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 peach, peeled and sliced OR 1/2 cup frozen solid-pack peaches
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
2 Tbsp. dry lemon Jell-O
2 Tbsp. butter
Line 9" pie pan with one crust.
Combine sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, and apple and peach slices. Sprinkle corn flakes in the bottom of the pie crust, and fill with apple-peach mixture. Sprinkle with the dry lemon Jell-O and dot with butter. Add top crust and flute. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 45-50 minutes, until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown.
Lattice Crust
Lattice crusts aren't difficult. Start by laying half the pastry strips in parallel rows over the pie filling, with a space in between each equal to one strip width. Then fold back every other pastry strip onto itself. Place one strip at right angles to the rest, in the middle of the pie. Unfold the folded strips over this new strip. Then fold back every other pastry strip onto itself. Repeat, working out to the pie edges from the center in both directions. Then crimp the edges and bake.
Glaze Pie Crust Before Baking
Before baking your two crust pie, brush it with a little milk or beaten egg and sprinkle with a little sugar.
Bake Graham Cracker/Cookie Crusts
After you make your graham cracker or cookie crumb crust, bake it at 350 degrees for about 3-4 minutes and it will crumble less when you cut it.
Non-stick dough rolling
When rolling doughs between waxed paper or parchment paper, dampen the countertop first, to keep the paper from slipping.
Moving Pie Crust
When you need to move the top pie crust on top of pie fillings, roll it partway around the rolling pin and support it with your other hand.
Oil Pastry
Competing giants Pillsbury and General Mills came up with this pie crust method at about the same time. Use the waxed paper method of rolling for this pastry.
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup plain oil (peanut, safflower, NOT olive)
1/4 cup cold whole milk
Mix flour and salt together. Add the oil and milk all at once and stir lightly until a dough forms. Use in any recipe calling for a two-crust pie.
Whipping Cream
When whipping cream, make sure that it is cold and wait until it is almost done before adding the sugar otherwise it may not whip up. You should add about 2-3 tablespoons of sugar per cup of cream. And don't forget the vanilla!
Keeping Pie Crust Flaky and Tender
When making pie crust use ice cold water and mix very quickly. Pastry becomes tough from too much handling. The less you handle it, the more tender it will be.
Dough Rolling
When rolling doughs, always start from the center and work your way out in all directions, rolling with even pressure.
Freeze Pie Crusts
Next time you make pie crusts, make a few extra and roll them out between sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Store them in the freezer inside a clean, empty pizza box to protect them.
Let Dough Rest
Once you've made your dough, flatten it into a disk and chill the disk in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. This step helps the dough to roll out better and keeps it from springing back because the gluten in the flour has a chance to relax.
Refrigerator Pie Crust Mix
6 cups flour
1 Tbsp. salt
4 tsp. sugar
2-1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the vegetable shortening until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. Store in refrigerator in airtight container.
For pie crust, scoop out 2-1/2 cups of the mix and combine it with 3-5 Tbsp. cold water and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Mix lightly with a fork, tossing the mixture, until it holds together when squeezed gently into a ball. Separate into two balls and roll out for double crust pie.
Food Processor Shortcut
To make a pie crust in your food processor, place shortening, flour and salt in the bowl. Cover and process using quick pulsing until mixture is crumbly. With the processor running, pour the cold water all at once through the feed tube just until dough leaves sides of bowl. A ball shouldn't form at this point. Gather into a ball, then roll out.
Chocolate Chip Pie
This wonderful pie is also known as Derby Pie. The filling is a combination of chocolate chip cookies and pecan pie. Yum!
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup melted butter, cooled
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (or use 2 cups chips and leave out the nuts)
1 9" unbaked pie shell
Beat eggs well. Add flour and sugars and mix until well blended. Stir in the melted butter. Add chips and nuts (if using). Pour into unbaked pie shell, and bake at 325 degrees for 55-65 minutes until puffy and golden brown.
Making Cookie Crumbs
There are several ways that you can make cookie crumbs for pie crusts.
1) Toss cookies into a food processor.
2) Place cookies in plastic bag and whack with a meat tenderizer.
3) Place cookies in a bag and roll over with a rolling pin.
4) Crush cookies with the flat bottom of a drinking glass.
Frozen pastry
When you are making pie pastry from scratch, double the recipe and freeze half in a fat round. This pastry can be grated on top of pies for a super easy top crust. Just bake as directed in the recipe.
Hot Water Pastry
It's really hard to ruin this pastry. It makes the most tender crust you've ever tasted! This recipe works best if you use the waxed paper method for rolling out the dough.
1 cup minus 2 Tbsp. shortening
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tbsp. milk
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Place shortening in large bowl. Pour hot water and milk over the shortening. With a dinner fork, break up the shortening. Tilt bowl and beat quickly until the mixture looks like whipped cream. Pour flour and salt over shortening mixture and beat well with the fork, forming a dough that cleans the bowl. Divide into two parts and roll out with waxed paper instructions (see Pastry 101 in my Articles section).
Mini Jam Tarts
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
3/4 cup preserves
Beat together butter and cream cheese until blended. Mix in brown sugar, then vanilla and eggs and beat well. Add flour until dough forms. Chill in refrigerator 2-3 hours.
Press dough into 48 miniature muffin cups to form tart shells. Spoon jam into each filled cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-15 minutes until set and very light brown. Remove from cups and cool.
Lemon Truffle Pie
This fantastic pie from the 1992 Pillsbury Bake-Off has a cream cheese and white chocolate base and a tart lemon topping. It's one of my favorites.
1 9 inch pie crust, baked and cooled
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup water
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup lemon juice
1-1/2 cups vanilla milk chips
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
Combine sugar, cornstarch and flour in heavy saucepan. With wire whisk, stir in water until smooth. Cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes. Stir about 1/4 cup of cooked mixture into egg yolks and blend. Return egg yolk mixture to saucepan and cook 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and lemon juice.
Transfer 1/2 cup of the cooked lemon filling to small bowl with the vanilla milk chips. Set rest of lemon filling aside. Microwave the chip mixture on low 1-2 minutes or until chips are melted. Beat cream cheese and add vanilla chip-lemon filling mixture and beat well. Spread over cooled crust. Spoon lemon mixture over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 4 hours to set.
Nut Cookie Crust
This crust can be used for any pie. It's very simple and has a wonderful flavor and texture.
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add remaining ingredients until crumbs form. Press crumbs against bottom and sides of 9" pie plate, building up a 1/2" rim. Fill with desired filling and bake as directed in pie recipe.
Dough Cinnamon Treats
Make tasty dessert treats out of leftover scraps of pie dough. Braid or twist dough scraps into desired shapes, roll in a cinnamon and sugar mixture and bake for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Chocolate Silk Pecan Pie
1 pkg. refrigerated pie crust
1 tsp. flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup hot milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1-1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Prepare pie crust according to package directions for filled one crust pie using a 9" pie pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, beat sugar, corn syrup, butter and eggs at medium speed for 1 minute and stir in pecans. Pour into pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 40-55 minutes until center of pie is puffed and golden brown. Cool for one hour.
While filled crust is cooling, in blender or food processor, combine milk, vanilla and chocolate chips; blend 1 minute or until smooth. Refrigerate until mixture is slightly thickened, about 1-1/2 hours. Gently stir filling and pour into cooled filled crust. Refrigerate until firm, 1-2 hours.
Cream Cheese Pastry
I found this recipe in the marvelous book "Cook My Darling Daughter" by Mildred O. Knopf. That's definitely a book worth searching for! The pastry is easy and works beautifully every time.
2 sticks butter, softened
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 cups flour
Cream the butter with the cream cheese until thoroughly mixed. Add flour and mix well until a dough forms. Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight before using. Use the flour method for rolling out this dough.
Perfect Streusel
For perfect pie streusel, add a bit of cornmeal to the flour, and use melted butter instead of softened. The structure of the fat breaks down when melted, so the fat soaks all the way through the flour instead of remaining on the surface. The result? Crisp, tender streusel.
Want Your Pie to Shine?
While your pie is cooling, brush the top with diluted honey to make it shine.
Pie Weight Holder
Whether you use special metal pie weights or dried beans to keep your crusts from puffing up, try using a doubled-up oven cooking bag to store them. You can just place the bag with the weights in the pie shell, then lift it up again to store. Reuse the same bag as often as you like.
Cookie Crust
This easy pie crust is a great choice for beginning cooks. The crust is crumbly, slightly chewy, sweet and nutty - a perfect foil for almost any chilled filling.
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
Combine flour, nuts and brown sugar. Cut in butter until a crumb mixture forms. Do not form into ball; place crumbs in a 9" square baking pan, and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Cool the crumbs and then press firmly into a 9" pie pan.
Flaky Crust
The secret to tender, flaky piecrust is to handle the dough as little as possible.
When Stretching is Not Good
When you are placing your crust into a pie tin, be careful not to stretch or pull the crust to the edges. It will shrink back when it is baking.
Grands Little Pies
Grands! Little Pies
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired
1 17-oz. can refrigerated biscuit dough
1 21-oz. can apple, blueberry or cherry pie filling
Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in nuts.
Separate dough into eight biscuits, and split each in half to make 16 rounds of dough. Using floured fingers, flatten each to form a 4" round. Place in ungreased muffin cups, pressing to form a crust. Spoon about 2 Tbsp. pie filling into each cup. Sprinkle each with about 2 Tbsp. crumbly mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-22 minutes until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes, remove from muffin cups, and cool on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jerry Mayo |
