Baking - Chapter 12-13-14-15 - Pies and Tarts and Pastries

Why isn't butter frequently used in volume production, even though it contributes excellent flavor to pie pastry?

1. It's expensive 2. It melts very easily (making the dough difficult to work)

Procedure for Preparing Unbaked Pies

1. Line a pie pan with pie dough as in the basic procedure. 2. Dock the crust well with a fork to prevent blistering. 3. Place another pan inside the first one so the dough is between 2 pans. This is called double-panning. 4. Place the pans upside down in an oven preheated at 450°F (230°C). Baking upside down helps keep the dough from shrinking down into the pan. Some bakers like to chill the crusts before baking to relax the gluten and help reduce shrinkage. 5. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 10-15 minutes. The top pan may be removed during the last part of baking so the crust can brown. 6. Cool the baked crust completely. 7. Fill with cream or chiffon filling. Fill as close as possible to service time to prevent soaking the crust. 8. Chill the pie until it is set enough to slice.

Cooked Juice Method

Advantage is that only the juice is cooked. The fruit retains better shape and flavor because it is subjected to less heat and handling.

Crumb Crust

Graham cracker crusts are popular because they have an appealing flavor and are much easier to make than pastry crusts. Baking the crust makes a firmer, less crumbly crust and increases flavor.

What varieties of apples are best for making pies?

Granny Smith, Jonathan, Rome, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious

Fresh berries can be made into a pie filling by the Cooked Juice Method.

Some of the berries are cooked or pureed to provide juice. The remaining berries are mixed with the finished gel.

Place the pie on the lower level of an oven preheated to 425°-450°F

The high initial heat helps set the bottom crust to avoid soaking. Fruit pies are usually baked at this high heat until done.

Cooked Juice Method

When the fruit requires little or no cooking before filling the pie. Examples: cherry, peach, most frozen or canned fruits.

For best results, when should Éclair Paste be prepared?

Éclair Paste shouldn't be made in advance for the best baking results.

Baking Blind

Baking a pie or tart shell without a filling.

During mixing and makeup, what temperature should pie dough be kept?

-About 60°F

If all butter is used in place of shortening, how much should the percentage of fat in the formula be increased by?

-About one-fourth. -If 1 pound shortening is called for, use 1 pound 4 ounces butter. -The liquid should be reduced slightly, as butter contains moisture.

Hard Meringue

-Baked until crisp. -Made with up to twice as much sugar as egg whites.

How can you keep your Cream Puff from collapsing when taking it out of the oven?

-Be sure that it isn't removed too soon or cooled too quickly. -Some bakers like to leave them in a turned-off oven with the door ajar. -It may be better to bake the products thoroughly, remove them carefully from the oven, and let them cool slowly in a warm place.

What is Meringue?

-Beaten egg whites sweetened with sugar. -Most frequent use is for pie toppings and cake icings (known as boiled icing). -They are also used to give volume and lightness to buttercream icings and to such preparations as dessert soufflés.

Why shouldn't emulsified shortenings be used for pie pastries?

-Because it blends too quickly with the flour, making a flaky pastry difficult to achieve.

Why is regular hydrogenated shortening the most popular fat for pie crusts?

-Because it has the right plastic consistency to produce a flaky crust. -It is firm and moldable enough to make an easily worked dough. -It is desirable, if costs permit, to blend a quantity of butter into the shortening used for pie crusts to improve flavor.

How is éclair paste similar to popover batter, even though one is a thick dough and the other a thin batter?

-Both products are leavened by steam, which expands the product rapidly and forms large holes in the center. -The heat of the oven then coagulates the gluten and egg proteins to set the structure and make a firm product. -A strong flour is necessary for sufficient structure.

Whether water or milk is used in a pie pastry, what temperature must it be added?

-Cold (40°F or colder) -To maintain proper dough temperature.

Éclair Paste

-Dough used to make Éclairs and Cream Puffs. -Unlike puff pastry, éclair paste is extremely easy to make.

Éclairs and Cream Puffs are made from a dough called:

-Eclair Paste (or Choux Paste.) -The French name pâte à choux (pot a shoo) means "cabbage paste," referring to the fact that cream puffs look like little cabbages.

Mixing Pie Dough

-Hand mixing is best for small quantities of dough, especially flaky dough, because it gives more control over the mixing. -Quantities up to 10 pounds can be mixed almost as quickly by hand as by machine.

Éclair paste must be firm enough to?

-Hold its shape when piped from a pastry bag. -Occasionally, you may find a formula that produces too slack a dough; correct such a formula by reducing the water or milk slightly.

Fruits must have sufficient acid (tartness) to make flavorful fillings. If they lack natural acid, you may need to add:

-Lemon, orange, or pineapple juice to supply the acid.

Italian Meringue

-Made by beating a hot sugar syrup into the egg whites. -This meringue is the most stable of the three basic meringues because the egg whites are actually cooked by the heat of the syrup. -When flavored with vanilla, this meringue is also known as boiled icing. -It is also used in meringue-type buttercream icings.

Swiss Meringue

-Made from egg whites and sugar warmed over a double boiler while beating. -Warming gives this meringue better volume and stability.

Common Meringue

-Made from egg whites at room temperature, beaten with sugar. -It is the easiest to make, and it is reasonably stable due to the high percentage of sugar.

-What's the most important rule when making Meringue?

-Make sure that all equipment is free of any trace of fat or grease, and that the egg whites have no trace of yolk in them. -Even a small trace of fat will prevent the whites from foaming properly.

What is the result of milk being used in a pie pastry?

-Milk makes a rich dough that browns quickly. -However, the crust is less crisp, and the production cost is higher. -Whether water or milk is used, it must be added cold (40°F or colder) to maintain proper dough temperature.

Pie Pastry Ingredient: Flour

-Pastry flour is the best choice for pie doughs. -It has enough gluten to produce the desired structure and flakiness, yet is low enough in gluten to yield a tender product, if handled properly. -If stronger flours are used, the percentage of shortening should be increased to provide more tenderness.

Pie Pastry Ingredient: Fat

-Regular Hydrogenated shortening is the most popular fat for pie crusts. -Lard is an excellent shortening for pies because it is firm and plastic. -It is desirable, if costs permit, to blend a quantity of butter into the shortening used for pie crusts to improve flavor.

Trimmings Pie Dough

-Reworked scraps or trimmings are tougher than freshly made dough. -They may be combined with mealy dough and used for bottom crusts only.

Pie Pastry Ingredient: Salt

-Salt has some tenderizing and conditioning effect on the gluten. -Main contribution is to FLAVOR. -Salt MUST be dissolved in the liquid before being added to the mix to ensure even distribution.

What is the difference between short dough and regular pie pastry?

-Short dough is richer than regular pie pastry, as it contains butter, sugar, and eggs.

The quantity of pie crust dumped in the garbage after customers have eaten out the filling is evidence that many people aren't satisfied with the taste of pie crusts made with _____________?

-Shortening -Lard is an excellent shortening for pies because it is firm and plastic. -Some people dislike its flavor, however, so it is not widely used in food service.

Explain the process of baking Éclair Paste:

-Start at a high temperature (425°-475°F) for the first 10 minutes to develop steam. -Then reduce the heat to 375°-425°F to finish baking and set the structure. -They must be firm and dry before being removed from the oven. -If removed too soon or cooled too quickly, they may collapse.

Pâte à Choux

-The French term meaning "cabbage paste," referring to the fact that cream puffs look like little cabbages. -It is the dough used to make Éclairs and Cream Puffs.

What is the result of too much water being used in a pie pastry?

-The crust will become tough because of too much gluten development.

What is the result of too little water being used in a pie pastry?

-The crust will fall apart.

Mealy Pie Dough

-The fat is blended into the flour more thoroughly, until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. The result is: 1. The crust is very short and tender because less gluten can develop. 2. Less water is needed in the mix because the flour won't absorb as much as in flaky dough. 3. The baked dough is less likely to absorb moisture from the filling and become soggy.

Flaky Pie Dough

-The fat is cut or rubbed into the flour until the particles of shortening are about the size of peas or hazelnuts. -That is, the flour is not completely blended with the fat, and the fat is left in pieces. -When water is added, the flour absorbs water and develops some gluten. -When the dough is rolled out, the lumps of fat and moistened flour are flattened and become flakes of dough separated by layers of fat.

Rubbed Dough Method

-The mixing method for pie doughs, although the procedure has several steps, the two main steps are: 1. Rub the fat into the sifted dry ingredients. 2. Carefully mix the combined liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Cornstarch as a filling thickener

-Used for cream pies because it sets up into a firm gel that holds its shape when sliced. -May also be used for fruit pies.

Soft Meringue

-Used for pie topping. -May be made with as little as 1 lb sugar per lb of egg whites.

Pie Pastry Ingredient: Liquid

-Water is necessary to develop some gluten in the flour and to give structure and flakiness to the dough. -Whether water or milk is used, it must be added cold (40°F or colder) to maintain proper dough temperature.

What two groups may pies be classified into, based on method of assembling and baking?

1. Baked pies: -Raw pie shells are filled and then baked. 2. Unbaked pies: -Baked pie shells are filled with a prepared filling, chilled, and served when the filling is firm enough to slice.

Procedure for Cooked Fruit Method

1. Bring the fruit and its juice or water to a boil. Some sugar may be added to the fruit to draw out juices. 2. Dissolve the starch in cold water and stir it into the fruit. Return the fruit mixture to a boil and cook until it is clear and thickened. Stir while cooking. 3. Add sugar, salt, flavorings, and other ingredients and stir until dissolved. 4. Cool as quickly as possible. (Variation: Some fruits, such as fresh apples, may be cooked in butter rather than boiled in water for better flavor.)

Pie: Mise En Place

1. Collect all equipment. 2. Collect and scale ingredients. 3. Dissolve salt in water. Set aside. 4. Place flour and shortening in mixing bowl. 5. Rub or cut shortening into flour to the proper degree: -For Mealy Dough, until it resembles coarse cornmeal. -For Flaky Dough, until fat particles are the size of peas or hazelnuts. 6. Add salt and water. Mix very gently, just until water is absorbed. Don't overwork the dough. 7. Place the dough in pans, cover with plastic film, and place in the refrigerator or retarder for several hours.

3 Basic Meringues:

1. Common Meringue 2. Swiss Meringue 3. Italian Meringue

What is the greatest difficulty in cooking soft pies?

1. Cooking the crust completely yet not overcooking the filling. 2.Start the pie at the bottom of a hot oven (425°-450°F) for first 10 minutes to set the crust. 3. Then reduce the heat to 325°-350°F to cook the filling slowly.

Types of Starches used to thicken pies:

1. Cornstarch 2. Waxy maize (and other modified starches) 3. Flour, Tapioca, and other starches 4. Instant starch (or Pregelatinized Starch)

Procedure for Making French Crullers or French Doughnuts

1. Cut sheets of parchment paper to the same width as your deep fryer. 2. Using a pastry bag with a star tube, pipe choux paste onto the parchment in circles (doughnut shapes) about 2 inches across. 3. Slide the paper with the paste into a deep fryer heated to 375°F. -Remove the paper as the doughnuts release and float free. 4. Fry the doughnuts on both sides until golden brown. -French doughnuts must be completely fried, or they may collapse when cooling. -Remove and drain on absorbent paper. 5. When cooled, drizzle fondant icing over the tops.

Procedure for Cooked Juice Method

1. Drain the juice from the fruit. 2. Measure the juice and, if necessary, add water or other fruit juice to bring it to the desired volume. 3. Bring the juice to a boil. 4. Dissolve the starch in cold water and stir it into the boiling juice. Return the juice to the boil and cook until it is clear and thickened. 5. Add sugar, salt, and flavorings, and stir until dissolved. 6. Pour the thickened juice over the drained fruit and mix gently. Be careful not to break or mash the fruit. 7. Cool.

Rolling-in Procedure for Puff Pastry:

1. Dust the bench lightly with flour. -Roll dough to a rectangle about 3 times as long as it is wide and about ½ inches thick. -Make the corners as square as possible. -Form the butter into a rectangle two-thirds the size of the dough, leaving room around the edges, and place on the dough as shown. 2. Fold the third without fat over the center third. 3. Fold the remaining third on top. -Fold all ends and corners evenly and squarely. -This procedure, enclosing the butter in the dough, does not count as one of the folds. -The folding procedure starts with the next step. 4. Turn the dough 90 degrees on the bench so the length becomes the width. -This step must be taken before each rolling-out so the gluten is stretched in all directions, not just lengthwise. -Failure to do this results in products that deform or shrink unevenly when they bake. -Before rolling, beat the dough lightly as shown so the butter is evenly distributed. -Roll the dough into a rectangle. -Make sure the corners are square. -Roll smoothly and evenly. -Do not press down when rolling, or the layers may stick together and the product not rise properly. 5. Brush excess flour from the top of the dough. 6. Fold the top edge of the dough to the center. -Make sure the corners are square and even. -Again brush off excess flour. 7. Fold the bottom edge to the center. 8. Fold the dough in half like closing a book. -You have now given the dough 1 four-fold. -Refrigerate the dough 15-20 minutes to relax the gluten. -Do not refrigerate it too long, or the butter will become too hard. ( let it soften a few minutes at room temperature before proceeding.) 9. Give the dough another 3 four-folds, -After another rest, the dough is ready to be rolled out and made up into the desired products.

Two basic types of pie dough:

1. Flaky 2. Mealy -The difference between the two is how the fat is blended with the flour.

Pie pastry is a simple product in terms of its ingredients, which are?

1. Flour 2. Shortening (Fat) 3. Water 4. Salt

Fruit pie fillings consist of:

1. Fruits 2. Fruit Juices 3. Sugar 4. Spices 5. Starch Thickener

When making pie pastry what determines success or failure?

1. How the shortening and flour are mixed. 2. How the gluten is developed. -The key to making pie dough is proper technique, and you will remember the techniques better if you understand why they work.

Making Cream Puffs and Profiteroles

1. Line sheet pans with silicone paper, or butter them lightly. 2. Fit a large pastry bag with a plain tube. -Fill the bag with the choux paste. 3. For cream puffs, pipe round mounds of dough about 1½ inches in diameter onto the lined baking sheets. -For profiteroles, pipe round mounds of dough about ¾ inch in diameter. 4. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. -Lower the heat to 375°F until the puffs are well browned and very crisp. 5. Remove from the oven and cool slowly in a warm place. 6. When cool, cut a slice from the top of each puff. -Fill with whipped cream, Vanilla Pastry Cream, or desired filling, using a pastry bag with a star tube. 7. Replace the tops and dust with confectioners' sugar. 8. Fill the puffs as close to service as possible. -If cream-filled puffs must be held, refrigerate them. 9. Unfilled and uncut puffs, if they are thoroughly dry, may be held in plastic bags in the refrigerator for 1 week. -Re-crisp in the oven for a few minutes before use.

Procedure for Preparing Baked Pies with bottom crust only or with both bottom and top

1. Line the pie pan with pie dough as in the basic procedure 2. Fill with cooled filling. 3. Roll out the dough for the top crust. 4. Perforate the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking. 5. Moisten the rim of the bottom crust to help seal it to the top crust. 6. Fit the top crust in place. -Seal the edges together firmly and trim excess dough. 7. Brush the top with the desired wash: milk, cream, eggs and milk, or water. Sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired. 8. Place the pie on the lower level of an oven preheated to 425°-450°F.

Procedure for making a Pie Topping

1. Make common meringue or Swiss meringue using equal parts sugar and egg whites. -Beat until just stiff. 2. Spread a generous amount (2-3 cups) of meringue on still-warm pies. -Mound it slightly, and be sure to attach it to the edge of the crust all around. -If this is not done, the meringue may slide around on the finished pie. -Leave the meringue in ripples or peaks. 3. Bake at 400°F until the surface is attractively browned. 4. Remove from oven and cool.

Procedure for Old-Fashioned Pie Method

1. Mix the starch and spices with the sugar until uniformly blended. 2. Mix the fruit with the sugar mixture. 3. Fill the unbaked pie shell with the fruit. 4. Place lumps of butter on top of the filling. 5. Cover with a top crust or with Streusel and bake.

Procedure for making Eclairs

1. Proceed as for cream puffs, except pipe the dough into strips about ¾ inch wide and 3-4 inches long. -Bake as for cream puffs. 2. Fill baked, cooled eclair shells with pastry cream. Two methods may be used: (A) Make a small hole in one end of the shell and fill using a pastry bag or a doughnut-filling pump. (B) Cut a slice lengthwise from the top and fill using a pastry bag. 3. Dip the tops of the eclairs in chocolate fondant. 4. For service and holding, see cream puffs procedure.

Procedure for Making Small Fruit Tarts

1. Roll out chilled short dough on a floured surface until it is slightly less than ¼ inch thick. 2. With a round cutter about ½ inch larger than the top diameter of your individual tart shells, cut the dough into circles. 3. For each shell, fit a circle of dough into a tin and press it well against the bottom and sides. -If you are using fluted tins, make sure the dough is thick enough on the sides so it won't break apart at the ridges. 4. Fit paper liners inside the shells and fill with dried beans to keep the dough from blistering or puffing while baking. 5. Bake at 400°F about 15 minutes, or until the shells are fully baked. 6. Cool the shells completely and remove them from the tins. 7. Fill the shells half full of vanilla pastry cream. 8. Arrange well-drained fresh, cooked, or canned fruits over the pastry cream. 9. Brush the top with apricot glaze, melted currant jelly, or other desired glaze.

Procedure for making Cream Horns

1. Roll out puff dough into a sheet ⅛ inch thick and about 15 inches wide. 2. Cut out strips 1¼ inches wide by 15 inches long. 3. Wash the strips with water. 4. With the washed side out, roll the strips diagonally onto cream horn tubes, making a spiral. -Overlap the edges by about ⅜ inch. -If you are using conical tubes, start at the small end. 5. Roll in granulated sugar and lay on baking sheets. -The end of the dough strip should be on the bottom so it does not pop up during baking. -Let rest 30 minutes. 6. Bake at 400°F until brown and crisp. 7. Slip out the tubes while still warm. 8. Just before service, fill the horns from both ends with whipped cream or pastry cream, using a pastry bag with a star tip. -Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Procedure for making Turnovers

1. Roll out puff pastry dough to ⅛ inch thick. 2. Cut the dough into 4-inch squares. -Wash the edges of each with water. 3. Portion the desired filling into the center of each square. 4. Fold diagonally and press the edges together. 5. Puncture the tops with a knife in two or three places to allow steam to escape. -Let rest 30 minutes. 6. Brush the tops with egg wash, if desired, or brush with milk or water and sprinkle with sugar. 7. Bake at 400°F until crisp and brown.

Procedure for making Napoleons

1. Roll puff dough into a very thin sheet about the size of a sheet pan. -Blitz puff paste or rerolled trimmings may be used. 2. Place on sheet pan and let rest 30 minutes. 3. Dock with a fork to prevent blistering. 4. Bake at 400°F until brown and crisp. 5. Trim the edges of the pastry sheet and cut with a serrated knife into equal strips 4 inches wide. -Set the best one aside for the top layer. -If one of the strips breaks, don't be upset. It can be used as the middle layer. 6. Spread one rectangle with Vanilla Pastry Cream or with a mixture of pastry cream and whipped cream. 7. Top with a second sheet of pastry. 8. Spread with another layer of pastry cream. 9. Place a third pastry rectangle on top, flattest side up. 10. Ice top with fondant. 11. To decorate, pipe 4 strips of chocolate fondant lengthwise on the white fondant. -Draw a spatula or the back of a knife across the top in opposite directions, 1 inch apart. 12. Cut into strips 2 inches wide.

The mixing method for pie doughs is called the rubbed dough method. Although the procedure has several steps, the two main steps are characteristic of the method:

1. Rub the fat into the sifted dry ingredients. 2. Carefully mix the combined liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Procedure for Rolling Pie Dough and Lining Pans:

1. Scale the dough: -8 ounces for 9-inch bottom crusts -6 ounces for 8-inch bottom crusts -6 ounces for 9-inch top crusts -5 ounces for 8-inch top crusts -Experienced bakers are able to roll crusts using less dough because less must be trimmed when the dough is rolled to a perfect circle of the exact size needed. 2. Dust the bench and rolling pin lightly with flour. Too much dusting flour toughens the dough. Use no more than needed to prevent sticking. 3. Roll out the dough. Flatten the dough lightly and roll it out to a uniform ⅛-inch (3-mm) thickness. Use even strokes and roll from the center outward in all directions. Lift the dough frequently to make sure it is not sticking. The finished dough should form a perfect circle. 4. Place the dough in a pan. To lift the dough without breaking it, roll it lightly around the rolling pin. Allow the dough to drop into the pan and press it into the corners without stretching it. Stretched dough shrinks during baking. There should be no air bubbles between the dough and the pan. 5. For single-crust pies, flute the edges, if desired, and trim off excess dough. 6. For two-crust pies. Fill with cold filling, place the second crust on top, and seal the top and bottom crusts together at edges. Flute, if desired, and trim excess dough. Apply desired wash or glaze to top. 7. Bake

To test Custard or Soft Fillings for doneness:

1. Shake the pie gently. The center will still be slightly soft but will continue cooking in its own heat after the pie is removed from the oven. 2. Insert a thin knife 1 inch from the center. It will come out clean if the pie is done.

Pie dough should be kept cool, about 60°F, during mixing and makeup for what two reasons?

1. Shortening has the best consistency when cool. -If it is warm, it blends too quickly with the flour. -If it is very cold, it is too firm to be easily workable. 2. Gluten develops more slowly at cool temperatures than at warm temperatures.

Two criteria are important when selecting apples for pies?

1. Taste: apples should have a good flavor and a good level of acidity. The sugar content, or sweetness, of the apple, is less important, as the sugar in the recipe can be adjusted. 2. Texture: apples should hold their shape when cooked.

The flour is more completely coated with fat in a Mealy Pie Dough, so the result is:

1. The crust is very short and tender because less gluten can develop. 2. Less water is needed in the mix because the flour won't absorb as much as in flaky dough. 3. The baked dough is less likely to absorb moisture from the filling and become soggy.

General Guidelines for Makeup of Puff Dough Products

1. The dough should be cool and firm when it is rolled and cut. -If it is too soft, the layers may stick together at the cuts, preventing proper rising. 2. Cut with straight, firm, even cuts. -Use a sharp cutting tool. 3. Avoid touching the cut edges with your fingers; this can make the layers stick together. 4. For best rising, place units upside down on baking sheets. -Even sharp cutting tools may press the top layers of dough together. -Baking upside down puts the stuck-together layers at the bottom. 5. Avoid letting egg wash run down the edges. -Egg wash can cause the layers to stick together at the edges. 6. Rest made-up products for 30 minutes in a cool place or in the refrigerator before baking. -This relaxes the gluten and reduces shrinkage. 7. Press trimmings together, keeping the layers in the same direction. -After being rolled out and given another three-fold, they may be used again, although they will not rise as high. 8. Baking temperatures of 400°-425°F are best for most puff dough products. -Cooler temperatures do not create enough steam in the products to leaven them well. -Higher temperatures set the crust too quickly.

A common pie fault is an under-baked bottom crust or a crust that soaks up moisture from the filling. Soggy bottoms can be avoided in several ways:

1. Use mealy dough for bottom crusts. Mealy dough absorbs less liquid than flaky dough. 2. Use high bottom heat, at the beginning of baking, to set the crust quickly. Bake the pies at the bottom of the oven. 3. Don't add hot fillings to unbaked crusts. 4. Use dark metal pie tins, which absorb heat. If you use disposable aluminum pans, choose pans with the bottoms colored black.

Scaling Guidelines for Baked Pies

8 inch = 26-30 oz of dough 9 inch = 32-40 oz of dough 10 inch = 40-50 oz of dough (Weights are guidelines only. Exact weights may vary, depending on the filling and the depth of the pans.)

Special puff pastry shortening is also available. What are it's advantages and disadvantages?

Advantages: -It's much easier to work with than butter because it is not as hard when refrigerated and doesn't soften and melt as easily as butter at warm temperatures. -It is also less expensive than butter. Disadvantages: -Puff pastry shortening can be unpleasant to eat because it tends to congeal and coat the inside of the mouth.

When possible, all or part of the sugar and strong acids like lemon juice should be added ______ the starch has thickened.

After Sugar and strong acids reduce the thickening power of starch.

Why is puff pastry or puff dough one of the most difficult of all bakery products to prepare?

Because it consists of over 1000 layers, many more than Danish dough, the rolling-in procedure requires a great deal of time and care.

Dried Fruit for Pie Filling

Before being made into pie fillings, the dried fruit must be re-hydrated by: Soaking and Simmering

Waxy maize and other Modified Starches as a filling thickener

Best for fruit pies because they are clear when set and make a soft paste rather than a firm gel. Waxy maize should be used for pies that are to be frozen because it is not broken down by freezing.

Old-Fashioned Pie Method

Best suited to pies made with fresh apples or peaches. Not as widely used in food service as the other methods because it is more difficult to control the thickening of the juices.

Blitz Puff Pastry

Blitz puff pastry is actually a flaky pie dough that is rolled and folded like regular puff dough. Much easier and quicker to make than classic puff dough. (Blitz is German for "lightning")

Meringue Pie Toppings and Cake Icings

Boiled Icing

What is the preferred fat for rolling in because of its flavor and melt-in-the-mouth quality.

Butter

Canned Fruit for Pie Filling

Frozen fruits are widely used for pies because they are consistent in quality and readily available. Canned fruits can also be of high quality. Solid pack (with little juice) gives a higher yield of fruit per can than syrup or water pack.

Chiffon Pie Fillings

Chiffon fillings are made by adding gelatin to a cream filling or to a thickened fruit and juice mixture and then folding in egg whites and/or whipped cream. The mixture is then poured into baked pie shells and allowed to set. -These preparations are the same as chiffon desserts, Bavarian, and some mousses and cold souffles.

Fruit Pie

Contain fruit fillings and usually have a top crust.

Cream Pie Fillings

Cream pie fillings are the same as puddings, which, in turn, are the same as basic pastry creams with added flavorings such as vanilla, chocolate, or coconut. Lemon filling is made by the same method, using water and lemon juice instead of milk. The one difference between puddings and pie fillings you should note is that CREAM PIES ARE MADE WITH CORNSTARCH (so that slices hold their shape when cut). Puddings may be made with flour, cornstarch, or other starches.

What crust is used when making an unbaked pie, such as cream pies and chiffon pies?

Crumb Crust Be sure the flavor of the crust is compatible with the filling. Some cream fillings are so delicate that they would be overwhelmed by a crust that is too flavorful.

Custard pies include those containing large quantities of:

Egg Ex. pumpkin pie and pecan pie.

Custard, pumpkin, pecan, and similar pies are made with an uncooked liquid filling containing

Eggs; they coagulate when the pie is baked, setting the filling.

Flaky dough is used for bottom crusts in baked fruit pies because it resists sogginess.

False -Mealy dough is used for bottom crusts in baked fruit pies and soft or custard-type pies because it resists sogginess. -Flaky doughs are used for top crusts and for prebaked pie shells.

Fresh Fruit for Pie Filling

Fresh apples are used extensively for high-quality pies. The quality of fresh fruits can vary considerably, and fresh fruit pies require a lot of labor.

For machine mixing pie dough, use a pastry knife or paddle attachment and blend at _____ speed.

Low -To avoid over-developing gluten.

Chiffon Pie

Made with fillings that are lightened by the addition of beaten egg white.

Cream Pie

Made with pudding or boiled custard-type fillings.

Instant Starch

Needs no cooking because it has already been cooked. When used with certain fruit fillings, it eliminates the need to cook the filling before making up the pie. There's no advantage if the filling contains such ingredients as raw fruit or eggs, since it must be cooked anyway.

How can you avoid spilling custard filling when pouring it into a pie pastry?

Place the empty shell on the rack in the oven and then pour in the filling.

An easy way to fit the top crust in place is to:

Press the rim with the tines of a fork or the rim may be fluted. An efficient way to trim excess dough is to rotate the pie tin while pressing on the edges with the palms of the hands.

Short Dough

Short pastry is actually a kind of cookie dough. It is richer than regular pie pastry , as it contains butter, sugar, and eggs. Because short dough is difficult to handle, it is used primarily for small fruit tarts.

What is the difference between short-flake and long-flake pie dough?

Short-Flake Pie Dough The fat is cut or rubbed into the flour until the particles of shortening are about the size of peas or hazelnuts. Long-Flake Pie Dough The fat is left in pieces the size of walnuts and the flour is even less coated with shortening.

Many kinds of pie filling, especially fruit fillings and cream fillings, depend on _______ for their thick texture.

Starch

How can you avoid lumping when cooking starches?

Starches must be mixed with a cold liquid or sugar before being added to a hot liquid.

Although Puff Pastries include no added leavening agent, it can rise to 8 times its original thickness when baked.

Steam, created when the moisture in the dough layers is heated, is responsible for the spectacular rising power of puff pastry.

Puff Pastry

Steam, created when the moisture in the dough layers is heated, is responsible for the spectacular rising power of puff pastry.

What reduces the thickening power of starch?

Sugar and strong acids.

Soft Pie

Those with custard-type fillings or, in other words, liquid fillings that become firm when their egg content coagulates. Usually baked as single-crust pies.

Cooking starches

To avoid lumping, starches must be mixed with a cold liquid or sugar before being added to a hot liquid. Sugar and strong acids reduce the thickening power of starch. When possible, all or part of the sugar and strong acids like lemon juice should be added after the starch has thickened.

It is important to reduce the heat to 325°-350°F after 10 minutes when baking Custard pies

To avoid overcooking and curdling the custard.

Gluten develops more slowly at cool temperatures than at warm temperatures.

True

True or False: Blitz Puff Pastry doesn't rise nearly as high as true puff pastry, so it is not suitable for patty shells and other products where a high, light pastry is desirable.

True -But it does bake up crisp and flaky, and is perfectly suitable for napoleons and similar desserts that are layered with cream fillings.

Shortening has the best consistency when cool.

True -If it is warm, it blends too quickly with the flour. -If it is very cold, it is too firm to be easily workable.

Puff pastry is a rolled-in dough, like Danish and Croissant Dough. This means it is made up of many layers of fat sandwiched between layers of dough.

Unlike Danish dough, however, puff pastry contains no yeast.

Flour, Tapioca, and other Starches as a filling thickner

Used less frequently. Flour has less thickening power than other starches and makes the product cloudy.

Cooked Fruit Method

Used when the fruit requires cooking or there is not enough liquid for the cooked juice method. Ex. Fresh Apple, Rhubarb.

For variation in a Crumb Crust:

Vanilla or chocolate wafer crumbs or gingersnap crumbs may be used instead of graham cracker crumbs. Ground nuts may be added for special desserts.