Piecrusts are made from flour, shortening, water, and salt.

FLOUR.- General-purpose flour should be used to make piecrust as it produces pie dough that is easy to handle and pan. Do not use bread flour. It will cause tough pastry.

SHORTENING.- General-purpose shortening compound should be used as it makes the crust flaky and tender. Rancid shortening or shortening that has absorbed other odors causes off-flavors in piecrust and should never be used. The shortening should be approximately 60F when ready for mixing and just soft enough to blend with the other ingredients. At 60F, the shortening blends well into the flour while giving firmness so that a flaky piecrust is produced. Bakery emulsifier shortening, melted shortening, or salad oil should not be used as they will cause the dough to be oily and hard to handle and will not produce flaky piecrusts.

WATER- The quantity of water and the method of mixing it with the other ingredients are the most important factors in making a tender piecrust. The water should be cold (40F to 50F). The amount of water

should be sufficient to make a dough that forms a ball that does not crumble, but also is not sticky when rolled out. Too much water will cause toughness.

SALT.- Salt aids in binding the ingredients together and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

Mixing

The flour and shortening should be mixed together until they form very small particles and are granular in appearance. When mixing by hand, the water should be added gradually until the dough reaches the right consistency-neither sticky nor crumbly. When you are machine mixing, the water is added all at once and mixed just until the dough is made.

Rolling the Dough

Divide the mixed dough into three sections (about 5 pounds 3 ounces each) and chill for at least 1 hour. The chilled dough will be easier to handle. When you are rolling the dough, handle it as little as possible, The pastry board or workbench and rolling pin should be dusted lightly with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Using a dough divider, cut the dough sections into 7-ounce pieces for top crusts and 7 1/2-ounce pieces for bottom crusts when making two-crust pies. For one-crust pies, 7 1/2-ounce pieces should be used.

Lightly dust each piece of dough with flour and flatten the pieces gently with the palm of the hand before rolling. Use quick strokes and roll from the center toward the edge to forma circle about 1 inch larger than the pan and about one-eighth inch thick. If the dough is stretched or forced, it will shrink back during baking. Pie dough pieces may be placed into a pie rolling machine, if available. The pie dough will be rolled out automatically into a circular shape and ready for panning. Do not grease pie pans. The dough has enough shortening to keep the crust from sticking.

Fold the circle of dough in half and place it in the pan, then unfold it to fit smoothly in the pan. Make sure to fit the dough carefully into the pan so that it is flat and air pockets cannot form between the pan and dough.

Types of Pies

The types of pies prepared in the GM are one-crust (custard type), one-crust (prebaked shell), and double-crust pies.

ONE-CRUST PIE (CUSTARD TYPE).- After you roll out the dough and place it in the pan, make an edging by forming a high-standing rim on the pie shell and fluting  i  -4 . Fill the pie with filling and bake according to the recipes.

ONE-CRUST PIES (PREBAKED SHELL).After placing the dough in the pan and fluting the edges, the dough should be pricked with a fork or docked. This enables air or steam that is formed underneath the crust during baking to escape without causing the crust to puff

Figure 8-4.-Making crusts for one-crust pies.

Figure 8-4.-Making crusts for one-crust pies-Continued.

up or crack. After baking the shell, you should fill with the appropriate filling. Examples are coconut cream and chocolate cream pies.

DOUBLE-CRUST PIES.- The bottom crust is filled with pie filling. The piecrust rim is brushed with

water. Before placing the top crust on the filling, several small slits should be made in the top crust to allow steam to escape. The top crust should be folded in half for ease in handling, then placed on the pie filling. Unfold it carefully to prevent the crust from tearing. The edges of the piecrust are pressed lightly together. The excess dough is then trimmed. The pie may be fluted in the same manner as one-crust pies. If a finish or glue is desired, the pie top may be sprinkled lightly with sugar or brushed with pie wash. Select the pie wash that is applicable to the type of pie being prepared.

PIECRUST VARIATIONS.- The AFRS has recipes for other piecrusts using graham crackers. Graham cracker crusts may be prepared from either crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter or prepared ready-to-use graham cracker crust. Pie Fillings

Pie fillings may contain either fruit or cream. Some pie fillings are already prepared.

PREPARED PIE FILLINGS.- Prepared pie fillings are convenient to use as they require no preparation. The required amount of filling is poured into an unbaked pie shell. Apple, blueberry, cherry, and peach are the varieties available. For further information, see the AFRS cards for prepared pie fillings.

FRUIT.- Fruit fillings, except those using pregelatinized starch or canned prepared pie fillings, are cooked before being placed in an unbaked piecrust. If recipe instructions are carefully followed, the filling will be properly thickened and cut edges of the pie will ooze slightly. The pieces of fruit will look clear and distinct and the color will be bright. The AFRS gives information on ingredients used to thicken pies.

CREAM FILLINGS.- The AFRS has basic recipes for chocolate and vanilla cream pie tilings. Cream fillings should be smooth, free from lumps, and rich in appearance. The fillings should never be boiled. Boiling will cause curdling. If fruit is to be added, follow the recipe directions carefully to avoid a thin, runny filling. Follow the AFRS procedure to prevent this from occurring. Once the pie filling has been prepared, pour it into a baked piecrust and top with the desired topping.

Instant pudding mixes are available for making cream filling. They require no cooking. Available in chocolate, butterscotch, and vanilla flavors, they are designed to be prepared with nonfat dry milk and water. Chocolate mousse pie is prepared from instant pudding to which whipped topping is folded in to make a rich pie filling.

PUMPKIN.- Pumpkin pie filling is a custard-type filling to which pumpkin and spices are added. The filling is added to the unbaked crusts and baked. Note that the pumpkin mixture for the filling should set 1 hour before adding the eggs. If not, the full amount of absorption will not take place and the filling will shrink and crack during baking.

Cream or custard fillings are highly susceptible to the formation of bacteria that cause food-borne illness. Never hold custard or cream fillings between 40F and 140F longer than 4 cumulative hours. Always keep cream pies refrigerated until they are served.

LEMON.- The AFRS lemon pie filling recipe specifies water rather than milk as the liquid. Lemon juice is the flavoring and should be added after the filling is cooked. If the lemon juice is added while the filling is cooking, it will prevent the mixture from thickening. Prepared, canned lemon pie filling is also available. The filling is ready to use and requires no cooking unless it is to be topped with a meringue. In that case, the pie filling should be heated to 122F before pouring it into the baked piecrust. Dehydrated lemon pie filling mix is available. When mixed with water, it is ready for filling piecrusts. Follow manufacturer's preparation instructions.

CHIFFON.- Lemon, pineapple, and strawberry chiffon pie fillings are made easily by combining whipped topping with flavored dessert powder gelatin that has been beaten slightly after it has thickened. Well-drained fruits such as strawberries or pineapple are added. The filling is poured into a baked pie shell. Another variation of chiffon pie can be prepared by using fruit-flavored gelatin cubes of different colors mixed with whipped topping.

OTHER FILLINGS.- Pecan, mincemeat, and sweet potato pie fillings may be prepared for pie filling variations. These fillings are poured into unbaked pie shells and baked according to AFRS recipe directions.

Pie Toppings

Meringues, whipped cream, and whipped toppings are most often used as toppings to attractively garnish cream pies.

MERINGUES.- Meringues are generally used for topping cream or lemon pies. Meringues are made with egg whites, sugar, vanilla, flavoring, and salt. They must always be baked.

Dehydrated meringue powder is made from egg albumen, powdered sugar, cornstarch, flavoring, salt, phosphates, sulfates, dextrose, and stabilizers. It requires only the addition of sugar and water. Once dehydrated, it should be spread over the filling and baked in the same method used for fresh meringue.

OTHER TOPPINGS.- Toppings for pies maybe a slice of processed American cheese or a scoop of ice cream to top apple pies. The AFRS has a large selection of frostings, fillings, and toppings.