The Essential Guide To Baking

do not stick together, mix in a little more melted butter or margarine. Do not get the crumbs

too wet, because the crust will taste greasy.

PIE PAN PREPARATION

I. Spray your pie pans with a release agent before lining them with graham cracker or crushed

cookie crusts.

II. Use a spray without added flour.

III. A very thin coating of all−purpose shortening rubbed on the pie pan with your fingers

will cause the crust release.

IV. When a refrigerator type filling is used in a graham cracker crust, it is best to place the

pie on a warm surface just long enough to soften the bottom of the crust, causing it to release

from the pan. Glass pans are pretty to look at and extremely useful in making pies, but they

are very stubborn about releasing a crumb crust. You can wrap a hot towel around the bottom

and sides of a pan to warm it enough for easy crust removal.

BAKING PIES

I. Turn on your oven about twenty minutes before using. This simple step will help insure the

temperature will be more accurate when you start baking.

II. Set your oven at 365 degrees. When the heat shuts off, check the oven's temperature with

an oven thermometer.

III. Place the thermometer at different points (front and back) and at different levels

(bottom, middle, top shelf). The results will let you see how to best bake pies in your unique

oven.

IV. When your recipe reads −− "bake for 45 minutes" set your timer for 35 minutes and check

your pies. Each oven is different and it's a good baking practice to check on baking progress.

The most common mistake is to under bake fruit pies, but it's awful to burn the top crust.

V. Top crusts baking too fast are usually caused by excessive top heat in the oven. Cover your

pies with brown paper or an extra foil pan. When you spray or paint milk on the pie top it will

brown off too fast.

VI. Thin the milk−wash with water and it will take longer to brown.

VII. Pans with a dark colored, non−stick coating will cause pies to bake good on their bottoms.

VIII. Always season new pans (before using) by applying a thin coat of vegetable oil and

placing in a 400 degree oven for about twenty minutes. Wipe the pans clean, cool and prepare as

usual for baking. Pans coated with a dark colored, non−stick coating or glass pans do not need

seasoning.

FINISHING AND STORING PIES

I. Brush the top of a two crust pie with water, milk, evaporated milk, or egg wash ... then

Baking Pies