Big City, Little Kitchen

About a month ago, I signed up for the Great American Pies class at The New School.  I had been flirting with the idea of taking classes for awhile, and finally got so frustrated with failed pastry attempts that I decided it was time for professional intervention.  Three words:  so worth it! 

After four hours of pie-making bliss, I walked away with an aching stomach and a brain full of ideas.  I’ve made pies before, but now I feel prepared and competant, having spent time with an accomplished instructor, Bruce Beck.  Here are the best tips I’ve taken away:

1. Chill the dough!  You hear this all the time, and it’s tempting to take shortcuts, but don’t–it makes all the difference.  Chill it for 1 hour as soon as it’s made, wrapped in parchment or plastic:  this prevents sticking, stretching, and ripping.  Chill again, for at least 30 minutes, after rolling out and placing in pie dish to preserve its shape.
2. Pre-cook fruit filling.  To avoid an overly-liquidy, runny filling, combine ingredients as directed, then cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture becomes warm and juicy.  Strain mixture over a large bowl until it has cooled and most of juices have collected in bowl.  Place into chilled pie shell and bake as directed.
3. Substitute tapioca powder and/or cornstarch for flour as a thickener in a fruit filling.  This will make the juices run clear instead of muddy, and preserve the integrity of brightly-colored fruit, like plums or nectarines.  In contrast, a flour-enhanced filling is more appropriate for a heartier pie, such as apple.
4. Egg washes over crusts produce a shiny, European-style effect.  Use milk for a more rustic, American appearance.
5. Pyrex and glass plates are best for yielding a crisp, browned crust.
6. To avoid a soggy crust, cut the fat into the dry ingredients finely.  This is best done with a food processor:  add fat in cubes, then pulse repeatedly until mixture resembles sand.
7. Bake pie on bottom rack of oven.  This is another tip to ensure a crisp, non-soggy crust.
8. Weigh flour instead of measuring by volume.  Flour can settle into a container or become aerated when poured into a new one, so volume measurements, in this case, are unreliable.  Place a bowl on a kitchen scale, zero out the weight of the bowl, and add flour to reach desired weight. 
9. Do not stretch crust dough to fit dish; it will shrink.
10. Allow a freshly-baked pie to cool for a minimum of 5 hours; otherwise, its filling will collapse when you cut into it.  Do not put in fridge to cool!  It should be kept at room temperature.