Making pies is like doing most things - the more you do it, the easier it gets. Here are a few tips from experienced pie baker Karen Foster of London, Ont.
-The utensils required are a sifter, a hand-operated pastry blender, a bowl, a pie plate, measuring cups and spoons, a knife and fork and a pastry brush.
-Metal pie plates work better than glass because they conduct the heat better.
-Always start a pie at 230 C (450 F). It makes the bits of shortening in the dough "implode" to blend with the flour and create the flakiness. Cook pies on the bottom rack of the oven, closest to the element.
-To make sure you have enough dough to cover the pie plate, make a double recipe and use a sharp knife to trim the dough to the edge of the pie plate. The excess can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator, although reworking it can make it tough. Or it can be used to make tart shells or a single pie shell that can be frozen raw in the pie plate and then baked and filled another day. If you have children, make small circles with leftover dough, dust with sugar and cinnamon and bake for 6 minutes at 200 C (400 F) OR for 10 to 12 minutes at 180 C (350 F) to make pastry "cookies."
-Flour can be used to thicken apple pie filling, but for other types of fruit minute tapioca works better. It creates a clear gel that absorbs the juices and doesn't cloud the colour of the fruit.
-Most fruit pies should set at least two hours before serving.
-The same formula for pie fillings can be applied to almost all fruit. A 20-or 25-centimetre (8-or 9-inch) pie plate requires 1 l (4 cups) of washed fruit, 125 ml ( 1/2 cup) sugar and 30 ml (2 tbsp) minute tapioca. A deep-dish pie will require closer to 1.5 l (6 cups) of fruit, plus an extra 50 ml ( 1/4 cup) of sugar and 15 ml (1 tbsp) more of minute tapioca.
-To crimp the edges of a pie, put the index finger of each hand about 1 cm ( 1/2 inch) apart on the pastry on the rim of the pie plate and push one of your thumbs up under the pastry between them. Repeat all around the edge of the pie plate.
-When making a pie shell without filling, put the dough in the pan, then use a fork to prick the dough all over, including the sides, to avoid having the crust bubble. Another option is to place the dough in the pan, then fill it with dried beans or pie weights before baking to make it hold its shape. Discard the beans or remove the pie weights before proceeding with the recipe.
