by on March 24, 2014   •   18 Comments Bakeshop

How to blind-bake a pie crust

Danny and I were trading off household jobs one recent Saturday morning and I pointed out that he should do the dishes. I was planning to blind bake a pie crust and needed to get the dough in the fridge to chill.

“You’re going to WHAT now?” He asked, clearly dubious of the credibility of my task.

“Yeah. You know, prebake a single pie crust, to hold a cream filling.” I explained. And because there was pie in his future, he conceded to doing the breakfast washing up.

It’s no wonder he had no idea what I was talking about. I seldom make cream pies, so strong is my fondness for the fruit-based variety. But I had an idea for a pie that I wanted to make for Sunday dinner and so a-blind-baking I went, while Danny kept an interested eye on my work.

Strawberry season is nearly upon us and that means fresh strawberry pie needs to be on your weekend brunch menu, as well as mine. To do so, we need to know how to blind bake a pie crust. Read on for the tutorial! Don’t worry, it’s a cinch.

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by on September 21, 2011   •   47 Comments Bakeshop

Let’s Bake an Apple Pie

Written by Diana of Spain in Iowa.

The temperatures are dropping and school has officially started.  This is my first time as a parent with a child at school and I have to admit, the first couple of weeks I was heartbroken.  I missed my little guy during the days and what made it worse, he was having a rough time being away as well.

Now that he’s adjusted and quite happy to be in kindergarten, I’ve been on the upswing. I have found myself with more time on my hands and, in this season, there is nothing more relaxing than baking an apple pie.


All photos by Diana Bauman

With my 3 year old at home, we’ve been able to turn up the music, dance and bake. There’s so much freedom and peace in listening to good music and playing in the kitchen.

What’s even more rewarding is that the older boys are happy to see what you’ve created after a long day of school and work. I’m starting to enjoy these school days and the season in which I have found myself.

So, with fresh local apples at every farmers’ market (or your neighbor’s tree) let’s have some fun. Let’s bake an apple pie!

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by on July 5, 2011   •   35 Comments Bakeshop

Pie Party: Rhubarb-Raspberry Cream Pie Recipe

My neighbor has given me carte blanche with his handsome rhubarb patch, although at the time he probably had no idea just how close of an affection I have for rhubarb. While most of you have moved on to strawberries, blueberries and other summer fruits, I’m still hung up on puckery stalks of pink.

I tend to like this late crop of rhubarb best; it may be just my imagination, but it has a more pronounced flavor than its watery spring equivalent. Perhaps the summer heat contributes to a more intense flavor? All speculating aside, I’m still pushing back the leaves to get at the tender red shoots.

For this pie, I decided to marry the saucy rhubarb with the sweeter raspberries and the result, I am convinced, is a seasonal pie to rival any other. It is reminiscent of one of my favorite simple desserts, rhubarb compote with custard, only served up much more elegantly in a rich pie crust.

The words Cream Pie by themselves bring a smile to my face; couple them with the season’s most delicate berry and a brazen vegetable and you have a perfect pie. While some may argue that a classic strawberry-rhubarb pie can’t be beat – and indeed it is not a simple conquest – after this pie, I think I new classic should be established.

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by on March 14, 2011   •   86 Comments Cooking School

Rich Pie Crust Recipe for Pi Day: A Tutorial

Today is ‘Pi Day’ or 3.14, a fun play on the date that a few of my (geek) Facebook readers pointed out last week. It just so happens that I’ve been meaning to share my fail-safe pie crust recipe, and so, propelled by a mathematical symbol and a calendar date, here it is!

Everyone needs a reliable pie dough recipe in their repertoire, for where would we be without strawberry tarts, spinach quiche, or deep dish apple pie? Store-bought crusts just don’t meet the mark in flavor or texture, not to mention they contain plenty of trans fats and preservatives. Nope, a pie crust should be made from scratch, and that’s what we’re going to take on in this post.

You already know that I’ve given you the best muffin ever, perfect roast chicken, and the best zucchini bread ever, so I hope that you find similar success with my favorite pie dough recipe.

I’ve always come back to this pure butter pie crust for a few reasons:

  • It holds up well. Whether it is supporting a jiggly quiche or runny fresh fruit pie, the bottom crust always cooks perfectly. Soggy crust is horrible; I like a nice browned bottom that holds together when a slice is transported from pan to plate. TIP: another key to a well-cooked underside is a Pyrex Pie Plate.
  • It freezes well. Raw crust can be frozen, in a well-wrapped ball, for up to five weeks. I also use this recipe for my meat pies and freeze the pies unbaked and whole. Pie crust in the freezer means an impromptu dessert is just around the corner!
  • It is rich and flavorful. Thanks to the addition of pure butter and egg yolk, this crust leaves all others behind. Forget about greasy and pale shortening-based pie crusts, this one colors beautifully, tastes buttery, and crisps just right.
  • It manages to remain flaky even after after manipulation. My boys love to get in on pie making, and goodness knows, they manhandle the dough to bits. Incredibly, it pulls through, and after a significant resting period, still comes out flaky.

If this is your first attempt at homemade pie dough, or whether you’re a seasoned baker, I’m confident that the recipe and the steps below will guide you to a perfect pie crust, suitable for a wide variety of uses including tart shells, hand pies, free-form galettes and classic pie shells.

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