Early September is a fine time to make a pie. The weather is cooler so you don’t mind using the oven, there’s still plenty of flavourful, local fruit around to fill it with, and making one yourself provides a sense of accomplishment, not to mention something tasty to eat.
Now I can hear some of you saying, Eric, that sounds wonderful, but pie-making skills are lacking and that may lead to disaster, rather than delight. If that’s you, reduce the risk of that happening by reading these pie-making tips.
Read the recipe before you begin: Sounds simple, but some folks don’t do this and mid-recipe realize they are missing a key piece of equipment or ingredient. So read the recipe before you begin to ensure you have or can acquire all you need.
Start clean: Before you begin making a pie, make sure your workspace is clutter-free. When rolling out the crust and forming the pie, you don’t want to be bumping into things or having to move stuff.
Measure accurately: If you add too much or too little of an ingredient it could lead to a tough crust, or a watery filling. Use measuring cups and spoons and make level measurements, not heaped or almost full ones.
Chill the fat and water: The butter, shortening and/or lard you mix into your pie dough must be cold, as this will aid in the creation of small pockets of fat. When the dough is baked, those small pockets will create tender flakes in the crust. The water added to the dough must also be cold to aid this process. To easily incorporate the chilled fat, cut it into smaller pieces before using.
Don’t over-mix: Once you’ve blended the fat into the flour, it’s time to add the liquid ingredients, which often include water and, in my recipe, egg. Gently mix them in until just distributed throughout the dough and it begins to hold together. If you mix too much or too vigorously, you’ll over-develop the gluten in the flour and you’ll end up with a tough crust.
Getting ready to roll: Once you’ve made your dough for a double-crust pie, gently form it into a ball and cut in half. Shape each piece into a half-inch thick disc. Wrap and refrigerate each disc 30 minutes. This chilling gives the gluten that has developed time to relax, making the dough easier to roll.
How to roll: Set your disc of dough on a lightly floured surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll it from the centre out. Don’t push too firmly; let the roller do the work. To help create a round shape and to make sure the dough is not sticking, give the dough an eighth of a turn after each roll. Sprinkle additional flour on the rolling pin and under the dough as needed. Make sure your round of dough is rolled wide enough to fit the pan. If the pie dough cracks when rolling, simply press it back together.
Setting the dough in place: There are different techniques for this, but what I do is carefully fold the rolled dough in half and lay it across the centre of the pie plate. Then I unfold and gently nestle it into the pan. Try not to stretch the dough when doing this, as it will shrink back during baking. After spooning in the filling, brush the edges of the bottom crust with egg wash (see today’s recipe), which will help fuse the top crust on. Fold the top dough in half, lay it across the centre of the pan, and then unfold to cover the filling, crimp the edges together to seal, and then trim away the excess dough.
Let the steam out: After egg washing the top of the pie, cut a half- to one-inch hole in the very centre of your pie to allow steam to escape from the filling as it bakes. Don’t make this steam vent or any other small holes around the edges of the pie. If you do, the filling will bubble out of these low-lying areas and ruin the look of your pie.
Chill and then bake: Once you’ve formed the pie, refrigerate it 30 minutes before baking. This chilling time will cool down the fat again, prevent the crust from overly shrinking and help to create a more tender crust.
Testing for doneness and resting: For today’s recipe, to check if your filling is cooked, insert a small paring knife into the filling through the steam vent. If the apples are quite tender, they and the pie crust below are cooked. If they are firm, keep on baking. Once it’s baked, if you want to serve cleaner-looking slices of pie, let it to rest on a baking rack an hour or more to allow the filling to set before cutting.
RECIPE: Apple Blackberry Pie
In-season blackberries and apples fill this pie that features a wonderfully flaky crust.
Preparation: 45 minutes, plus chilling time
Cooking time: 50 to 55 minutes
Makes: eight servings
For the crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups cold vegetable shortening or pure lard, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg, beaten with 1/3 cup ice-cold water
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. With a pastry cutter, two forks, or with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, cut the shortening (or lard) and butter into the flour until thoroughly blended.
Pour the egg/water mixture into the bowl; gently work it until it forms a loose, moist dough that just holds together. (The dough is meant to be moist. Additional flour will be added in during shaping and rolling.)
Transfer the dough
to a lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured hands, knead and shape the dough into a ball. Cut the ball in half. Press each half into a 1/2-inch-thick disc. Wrap and refrigerate each disk for 20 minutes before rolling out as described below.
For the filling and to finish:
6 medium apples (about 2 lbs), peeled, quartered, cored and cut in 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1Ú4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1Ú8 tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• pinch salt
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 Tbsp butter
• egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 2 Tbsp milk or cream)
Place the first seven ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Now gently toss in the blackberries. Set filling aside.
Unwrap one of the disks of dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Flour a rolling pin and roll dough from the centre out into a round big enough to fit a 10-inch wide, deep-dish pie plate with a 4-cup capacity.
Spoon the filling into the bottom pie crust, gently packing it in (this will prevent the filling from sinking too much during baking and leaving a large gap between it and the top of the pie once baked). Dot the top with small pieces of the butter.
Roll out the second disc of dough for the top of the pie. Brush the edges of the bottom crust with egg wash. Place on the top dough, crimp the edges and trim away any excess dough. Save excess dough for another use.
Brush the top of the pie with egg wash. Cut a small vent in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape. Refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Bake the pie in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 F. Bake the pie for 30 to 35 minutes more, or until the crust is beautifully golden and the apples are tender when poked through the steam vent with a paring knife.
Let the pie rest and set on a baking rack at least an hour before serving. If desired, top wedges of the pie with a dollop of whipped cream, or scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Test your pie-baking skills at the Metchosin fair
Metchosin Day takes place this Sunday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Metchosin Municipal Grounds, 4450 Happy Valley Rd. During the day, among many other things, this family event will offer a farmers’ market, horse shows, vintage cars, great food vendors, a beer garden, sheep shearing, bingo and pie and baking contests.
With regard to the latter, if you think your baking skills are award-winning, why not enter your pie or cake? Categories for pie, which must be made by the entrant, include apple, berry, fruit, mixed fruit and exotic pie, such as those made with nuts. Categories for the cakes, which also must be made by the entrant, include butter cakes (white, spice, yellow), egg cakes (chiffon, sponge, angel food), specialty cakes (fresh or dried fruit, nut), and chocolate cakes.
Ribbons and other tokens of achievement will be awarded for each category and age group, such as under 12, under 16, and adults. To enter the contest, please deliver your pie and/or cakes directly to the Metchosin Municipal Hall Council Chamber between 9.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. this Sunday. Mark your name and phone number on the bottom of your baking dish, plus your age if you are under 16.
Prizes will be awarded at 1 p.m. The winning baked goods will be raffled off; all others will be cut and sold for $3 a slice at the Metchosin Day barbecue dinner taking place later in the day. For more information about the contest, call 250-474-1865, or visit metchosinday.ca. — Eric Akis
Eric Akis is the author of Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear on Wednesday and Sunday.