Do you have visions of walking into the next family gathering carrying a pie that not only looks amazing, but gets talked about for weeks? Well if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time then you know how much I love pies. In fact I’ve been know to hide a blackberry pie in the cupboard before and eat the whole thing myself within 24 hours.
But the thing is, pie making is almost a lost art. It has become a quick stop at the local bakery, and all of those secrets that Grandma learned have been somehow lost. So, here are a couple of sure fire ways to make sure your table has a beautiful, yummy pie that your future daughter in-laws will spend years trying to replicate. Ha.
- When making cream pies or custards, make sure to scald the milk first. It will prevent the filling from becoming watery.
- Add a man-sized pinch of baking soda to egg whites when making meringue. It will stand up higher.
- To get a flaky top crust, brush the top lightly with cold water just before you put it in the oven.
- If you want your crust to brown to perfection, lightly brush the edges with milk before popping it in the oven.
- For fruit pies {pumpkin too}, prevent sogginess by brushing the bottom and sides of the crust with egg white and sprinkling with flour before filling. It creates a barrier for the juices.
- To prevent pies with juices from spilling over, add 1-1/2 tbsp. sugar and 2 1/2 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca to the filling mixture.
- Ceramic and glass pie plates cook more evenly than metal pie pans.
- ALL the ingredients that go into making your pie crust should be COLD. You will get infinitely better results.
- The amount of water called for in the crust recipe is not exact. Add it a tbsp. at a time and go by feel. Humidity in the air plays a huge role in how much water your crust needs.
- Adding a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar to the ingredients of the crust helps mix the ingredients in and prevents overworking the crust {which is no good}.
How about you, do you have any secrets you’ve learned or that were passed down to you?
~Mavis
Be sure and check out My Favorite Pie Recipes
Charla Echlin says
I used to sweat when I made pies- never sure if my crust would turn out- I wish I had had the opportunity to watch my mom more closely when she made her pies, they were always perfect. Unfortunately she passed before I was really interested in baking. So my success in making pies comes from years of trial and error! One of the best tips I learned for a pretty top crust is to stop trying to make the edges perfect – just fold that top crust over and under the bottom! This way it’s nice and smooth and no one knows any different! Love your tips- I’m always learning!
Charla Echlin says
oops- the pie recipes link is broken 🙁
Brenda says
Substitute a tablespoon of vodka for water to make dough easier to roll out. Also a 2 tablespoons of flour to the dough at the very end of mixing for a flakier crust.
Mari says
Giggle… you would, of course, have to sample the vodka as well. giggle.
Vy says
And you can put the vodka in the freezer first without it freezing, for extra cold crust ingredients
Mari says
For Number 6….. quick cooking rolled oats does the same thing (and with out the sugar).
Wynne says
This doesn’t improve the flavor, but it makes the process easier: roll the crust between sheets of parchment or wax paper. So much easier to transfer to the pie plate.
Leslie on Wyoming says
Interesting that you use baking soda in the meringue instead of cream of tarter. Why is that?
Jessica says
My secrets for great pie crust are put everything in your mixing bowl except the water/liquid and then stick it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes, that way everything is nice and cold. My other one is for berry pies, add a tablespoon or two of fine ground cornmeal to your dry ingredients, helps soak up excess juices.