Pie Crusts

No, it's no different than a pumpkin pie, using eggs and cream as a custard base.

Before baking the pie, make sure the meringue is spread over the filling all the way to the crust and over the inside edge of the crust. If it isn't anchored to the crust, it pulls away when it's browned. Be sure the oven is hot enough to brown the meringue quickly - you're putting the pie into the oven to brown the meringue, not to "cook" anything. Additionally, according to Alton Brown, when the meringue is spead, the filling must be hot. He says this will cook the meringue slightly. If the filling is cool, a layer of water forms in between and the meringue slides around. Answer: Forgive me but Alton Brown is incorrect. The statement "when the meringue is spread, the filling must be hot. He says this will cook the meringue slightly." Is scientifically inaccurate. Hot filling is what causes the sugar in the meringue to liquefy when condensation occurs due to the heat. The filling must be cooled first. Then, the meringue, when made should incorporate cream of tarter which is often left out during its preparation. This stabilizes the mixture and prevents the egg whites from separating. Also, excessive whipping can cause the meringue to separate, as does an inaccurate amount of sugar added to the egg whites. Here is a recipe for meringue: Rule of thumb: one cup of sugar for every 3 large egg whites. (for medium sized eggs, use four eggs and for jumbo sized eggs, add ¼ cup of sugar) Rule of thumb,: 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar for every 3 egg whites. (for meringue only) Egg size in this case doesn't matter. 1 teaspoon of vanilla for every cup of sugar. The whipping time varies. Room temp, size of eggs and speed of mixer are dependent on how fast the eggs whip. Always start on a low speed until the eggs start to foam. Then finish on medium speed. High speed on the mixer causes the egg whites to separate and the formation of the meringue can occur too quickly and control of the meringue is lost. The idea is to slowly incorporate air into the mixture, not breaking down the egg whites. The chemical properties of the sugar are what "cook" the egg whites. Not heat. During the browning stage of the meringue, the oven will tend to cause the sugar to further absorb the moisture from the eggs and cause it to become "syrup-like" Low temps on the oven are the culprit. Pre-heat and set your oven to "broil" then place the pie on the shelf lowest to the heating source. With the door open, watch the pie brown. It only takes a minute or two to do so. If you have to, rotate the pie for even browning and quickly remove it. Allow it to cool to room temp before putting it in the fridge. In a professional kitchen, I some times use a propane torch to brown the tops, but it takes a skilled hand. Source: La vie du Boulanger, Marcel Neau cir;1984

To mix pie crust, a pastry cutter or a fork is commonly used. A pastry cutter helps blend butter or shortening into the flour, creating a crumbly texture. Alternatively, a fork can be used to cut the fat into the flour and mix in water without overworking the dough. Some people also use their hands for a quick and effective method.

Pie dough should be safe for 3 - 5 days if stored in the refrigerator.

I think you get the best results if you do. There is nothing worse than uncooked pastry at the bottom of a quiche and as quiche mix is often quite runny this is a distinct possibility if you don't bake blind beforehand.

Don't bake the shell in advance but bake it blind while you prepare the other ingredients and in that way the oven is preheated and there is no interruption in the production of the quiche or waste of energy.

Take your pastry from the fridge and roll it out gently but briskly on a floured surface. No need to flour or grease the quiche dish. Drape the rolled pastry over your rolling pin and transfer it to the dish gently shaping it into the fluted edges and trimming the top with a sharp knife. Don't worry if the pastry cracks - simply press it together again with your fingertips - quiche pastry should be quite short with a high percentage of fat and it will melt together again during baking.

Prick over the base with the tines of a fork, line the dish with parchment paper (on top of the pastry) and weigh the paper down with old dried beans that you reserve for this purpose (you can use them repeatedly). Return it to the fridge till the oven is ready then bake it.

Separate one of the eggs you use for the filling. Remove the baked pie crust, carefully lift out the parchment paper and hot beans all in one go and pour the beans back into a storage jar. If the base of the quiche has risen then push it gently down. Brush the egg white over the hot base of the quiche with a pastry brush - this will seal the base and prevent any of the liquid filling getting under the crust. Return it to the oven for a further 5 or 10 minutes.

(You can stop at this point but it will be wasteful to reheat the oven again later).

Add filling and bake quiche according to recipe - till filling is risen and golden brown. It should still wobble slightly in the centre when you jolt the dish - it will continue to cook in its own stored heat after removal from the oven.

It is on the top of the box

cause they are tasty:)))))))

Yes

a lot of people recommend chilling it before rolling. I don't bother.

Fruit pie or tart

There are several purpose of the crust of a pie. However, the main purpose of the crust of a pie is defining the pies. A filled pie has pastry lining the baking dish, and the filling is placed on top of the pastry, but left open.

No, pie crust is called a "short" dough which means it has no leavening.

You'll have to in order to form it

Yes, if you bake it! It's delicious. You can sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar before baking, for a great treat. This works nicely if you have extra pie crust after making a pie.

Thawed just enough to form it

Norpro makes a non-stick pie pan that should solve your problem.

Yes. But seriously, you have access to the internet, you just proved that, why would you ask that here?? You could have even just typed in the search query "pi" into Google and it would have told you! Christ!

You must bake the bottom crust as per recipe or pie crust directions before adding the pie filling.

Bake blind is the process of baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling. For instance, if the filling could not to be cooked: a cream filling, for example, the filling is put into the empty baked case afterwards.