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Rules for Good Pie Making




Source of Recipe


Lily Wallace New American Cookbook 1945


List of Ingredients




1. Keep shortening in refrigerator until ready to use. Have water cold. In warm weather, it is a good plan to chill the flour and the shortening mix before and after adding the water. It takes longer but success is more certain.

2.Cut shortening into flour until the mixture is coarse and granular.

3. Cold water should be added a little at a time, tossing the mixture with a fork until all particles are moistened. Press into ball and divide into two parts.

4. Rolling out the dough calls for a delicate touch. Place ball on a lightly floured board or canvas, roll with short strokes toward the edges, keeping it round. Roll 1/8 inch thick. NEVER turn the dough while rolling. Lift with a spatula and dust board with flour if it sticks. The dough for the upper crust need to be rolled thinner than 1/8 inch.

5. The lower crust should be 2 1/2 inches greater in diameter than the upper crust. and the upper crust should be slightly larger than the pie it is to cover.

Recipe



6. The lower crust should be placed in a pan so that it covers the surface smoothly. And be sure no air lurks beneath the surface for the air, expanding when baking will push the crust out of shape.

7. The short slashes cut in the center of the upper crust are there for the purpose of letting steam escape but they may be decorative too.

8. After rolling out dough for the pie shell, the entire surface should be pricked to allow air to escape. The pastry is put in a pan and trimmed 1/2 inch larger than pan, then the edge rolled under and fluted.

9. The perfect fruit pie keeps the filling within the boudnds. The lower crust is as flaky and tender as the upper crust. A deep pie plate should be used to keep the juice from escaping. With very juicy fruits the lower curst may be burshed over with egg white. A little thickening helps too but many do not like this so use sparingly.

10. In making custard pies, the crust shoudl be baked at a high temperature until set then the filling added and the baking continued at low temperature until the custard is done.