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At the core of all get pie recipes is an outstanding crust. Here is my family's flakey pie crust recipe.
There are two main kinds of pie recipes: custard pies like pecan and pumpkin, and fruit pies. To make a really great pie requires the right crust and great fillings. No matter what the season, you can enjoy seasonal produce as a great dessert, once you've learned the basics of pies.
No collection of pie recipes would be complete without the secrets to a perfect pie crust. If you want to keep things simple, buying a frozen pie crust from the store is fine. If you're aspiring to homemade pie perfection then read on. Good dough starts with the right kind of flour, either pastry flour or all-purpose flour. If you're looking for a great taste, use unsalted butter in your recipe. For a lighter texture, use shortening. When your recipe calls for water or juice, make sure it is ice cold. Once you've mastered the basics, you can experiment with different flours or fats, as well as adding spices or flavors to the dough.
When you make your crust from scratch, you will often find you have leftover dough. Don't let this go to waste! Using small cookie cutters, you can create fun and festive shapes. Bake these up and use them on top of your finished pie. You can also roll the leftover dough into a long strip to add to the edge of your pie. Use the extra for crimping or other decorative touches. If you still have leftovers, twist them into thin sticks, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, bake and enjoy! These treats are the perfect reward for all your hard work learning pie recipes.
Once your pie is cool, and ready to cut and serve, it's time to eat! The only thing you need is the perfect topping. Warm fruit pies are great with a scoop of ice cream on top. Vanilla is the gold standard, but offering something more unusual like ginger or praline is another way to up the ante. You can buy other toppings like whipped cream, or you can make your own. With a mixer, heavy whipping cream and some sugar you can make a basic topping. Adding vanilla, liqueur or another flavoring can help you complement the flavors of your pie even better.
The wonderful thing about pie recipes is their wide variety. Even something as classic as apple pie can come in many forms. If you're in a hurry, just add some thinly-sliced apples, along with some sugar, spices and a little flour to a store-bought crust, bake and you're done! Make it fancier by preparing your own crust, adding berries or nuts, flavoring the filling with caramel or liqueur and adding a top crust. Spend some time learning the basics of pie recipes and you'll soon be impressing all your friends and family with your delicious creations. |