My growing pie plate collection

In order to accomodate my growing collection, I removed a bunch of cake pans from my cupboard and relocated them to a less desireable place in the house. Now I have room for even more pie plates. Every year I tell my husband to just go to Home Goods and buy pretty much anything there for my Christmas present. Last year he bought me these adorable little bugs. Still hoping for a pie plate. . .

The Weight of a Pie

I never know when I'm going to come across a cool accessory for my kitchen. I'm forced to be in condition yellow at all times just so I don't miss a great find. The other day I was in Home Goods and saw a box of pie weights tucked back on a shelf amidst the dry pastas and crackers. Yippee!
You can't just walk into Target and buy this stuff!

I came right home and tested them out. The idea with pie weights is that you can pre-bake a crust without all those holes punched into the bottom of your crust. If you did nothing, then of course the crust would rise into a fun, albeit useless dome. The holes allow the steam to escape without raising the crust. To use the weights means leaving your crust intact which is important if your filling threatens to seep through the holes. Also, sometimes the holes split the crust and it comes out cracked and broken. Or sometimes the holes seal back up and your crust still rises.

I did a test and was surprised with the results. I baked two crusts, one with each method, for the same amount of time and temp (15 minutes at 400 degrees). The pie weight crust was not fully cooked and didn't brown as nicely as the poked crust. Also, one box of weights wasn't really enough for my generous 9" pan. I think each method has advantages and it depends on your pie as to which one you should use. But remember to adjust the baking time.

Pie Bird #2

Here is my second attempt at getting my black bird to sing. Unfortunately, it was another failure. 

I made another apple pie and used my favorite crust recipe. I cut a hole in the crust before I layed it on the top of the filled pie plate where the bird was already in place. I sealed the crust to the bird with a little milk and couldn't resist making my pie nostalgic. It took a long time to cut and weave all those strips for the nest!! Then I brushed on some milk and sprinkled sugar over all. In the pie goes into the oven for a very long stay.

After an hour of waiting for the bird to sing, I had a dark pie and a mushy filling.  It still tasted good though! All was not lost. I somehow think I'll be making plenty of apple pies with each a new opportunity to hear the bird sing.

 

-Quenta

Wannabe Collector

I guess you could say I’m a wannabe collector. Sometimes, a pretty plate inspires a certain pie. On other occasions, you need just the right plate for it’s depth, width and construction. Apple pies need deep, cream pies need wide and shallow, and pear pies need huge in every way. Here is a picture of my pie plate collection. 

 

 

 

In fall you’ll need the glass, the reds, the browns. But when it’s summer and the blueberries are out, nothing but a pretty white plate that’s wide and shallow will do.  

Pie plates are not that easy to come by. I’ve found them at TJMAXX and at Walmart. Sometimes Tuesday Morning will have something interesting. Since my budget is about $7 per plate, my options are limited. If you know of a good source, I’d love to hear about it.

 

-Quenta

Bird in a Pie

Today I tried 3 new things in one pie. I tried a new, supposedly low fat pie crust, I tried my new pretty green pie plate and I tried my new pie bird.

First the pie crust. I’m not sure how it could be low fat because it is made with butter and cream cheese instead of shortening. It was hard to work with until I added a lot more water than it called for. But the taste wasn’t bad. I prefer the texture of a shortening crust because it’s more flaky than crumbly, but for a crumbly crust, it was passable. I may try this again and tweak the recipe. Here is the original from Health magazine (November 2010) for your testing pleasure:

Low Fat Pie Crust  
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons block-style, reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup very cold water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Second, the pie plate. I am maxed out on space in my kitchen.  But when I saw this pretty dish, I knew I could make room for one more pie pan. 

Third, the pie bird.  When I first heard of pie birds, I was browsing a Country Living magazine. They had a selection of several pretty birds.  It took me awhile to understand that the birds are a method for releasing steam from a double crust pie and that when they do, they make a whistling sound. I ordered the cheapest one I could find and tried it out. My mistake (which forces me to try again) was not sealing the crust sufficiently so the steam came out in many places, not just the bird’s yellow beak. But, amazingly enough, I heard a whistle! I must try this again. Here is a link to the site where I bought my sweet black bird:  http://www.cheftools.com/Norpro-Ceramic-Pie-Bird/productinfo/02-3218/

-Quenta