How To Make The Ultimate Summer Pie Slideshow
Choose the Right Pie Plate
Make sure to use the size pie plate that's called for. Note how the 9-inch pie plate in the foreground is much more shallow that the 9 ½-inch in the rear. Pyrex pie plates allow you to see how the crust is browning and are easy to find, even in many large supermarkets.
Nifty Tools Always Help
A Flour Wand will dust your work surface with a fine sprinkling of flour. When you squeeze the two handles, the spring mechanism opens, capturing your flour. Shaking this tool over your work surface yields a thin, even, thin coat. Of course, if you don't have a flour wand, make sure to carefully sprinkle a light dusting of flour on your work surface. You don't want to overdo it with flour because it'll affect the outcome of the dough.
The Shape
Shape your fresh pie crust dough into a flattened disc before chilling to make rolling out as easy as possible.
How to Roll
Lightly flour your work surface before rolling out pie crust thinly and evenly. A marble surface remains cool and helps keep crust from warming, but isn't necessary. The light dusting of flour will prevent sticking. Roll from the center to the edges, working in a circle to create a round shape. Roll your crust to about 12 inches in diameter for a typical 9-inch pie plate.
Trimming
Ease the bottom crust into the prepared pie plate. Trim the edges with a scissors or sharp paring knife before crimping.
Crimping
Fold the extra crust outward and underneath toward the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges nice and high to hold in filling.
How to Fill
Add filling to pie crust after oven is preheated and ready. Here you can see how to "dot" the pie filling with butter, which enriches the filling.
Lattice Work
To make cutting lattice strips easy, use the right tools. The pizza cutter in the center is fine, but you can also buy pastry cutters for the job, both fluted and plain.
Basket Weave
Lattice pieces are woven directly on top of pie in basket weave.
Give It Shine
A lattice crust allows the juicy filling to show through. Edges of lattice are sealed to bottom crust with a little water. For a bit of shine and crunch, brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Finishing Touches
Bake the pie until golden brown and until the filling is bubbling. Cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing to allow the filling to firm up.
Filling to Crust Ratio
A slice of Rhubarb Lattice Pie is a way of showing a ratio of filling to crust. Too much thickener than this and the pie wouldn't be juicy.
Don’t Forget Those Scraps!
Your sweet journey is not finished with a pie. Brush the pie scraps with milk, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar, and bake until golden brown for a frugal, old-fashioned snack.