Pie and Pastry Bible (183 page)

Stand mixer with (from left to right) whisk, paddle, and dough hook attachments

For me, the KitchenAid is the symbol of baking. It is the mini version of the Hobart, found in commercial kitchens all over the world. But if I had to choose between one or the other, it’s the Kenwood that would win for three reasons: its larger capacity; its conical-shaped bowl, allowing even small amounts to be beaten effectively; and its ability to tilt back, to make scraping the bowl easy.

Use the flat spade or paddle beater for general mixing and the whisk beater whenever the aim is to incorporate air into the mixture, such as for whipped cream and meringues.

If investing in a stand beater, it pays to buy an extra bowl and another set of beaters for the innumerable times egg whites need to be beaten after the rest of the ingredients have been mixed. As they require a spotlessly clean bowl and beaters, a second set comes in very handy. The K5 can handle up to 2 cups of egg whites (16 large whites), or any mixture that will not exceed 4 quarts in volume when beaten. The Kenwood can handle up to 2¾ cups of egg whites (22 large whites), or any mixture that will not exceed 6 quarts.

ICE CREAM MACHINES
The ultimate ice cream machine is one that has its own refrigerant and a fixed bowl. Though a removable bowl is convenient for cleaning, I don’t recommend this model because it takes 30 to 40 minutes more for the ice cream to freeze. The Lussino model #4080 by Musser from Italy is my favorite of the fixed bowl type of machines. It is made of stainless steel and it is seamlessly constructed, making the bowl very easy to clean.

Fixed bowl electric ice cream maker

I also enjoy using the Donvier, a hand-crank machine with its own refrigerant, but it requires thorough chilling of at least 12 hours in a very cold freezer to work effectively.

OVENS
I use several ovens. The winner for even baking is my large electric Gaggenau oven, which can be used with and without convection. But even in this oven, the back bakes a little faster than the front. Only an oven with a turntable will bake totally evenly. No two ovens are alike, so get to know your own: how it bakes, where its hot spots are. In some ovens, where there are no coils at the bottom, it is possible to bake a pie or tart right on the floor of the oven, which results in a wonderfully crisp bottom crust.

Pastry basks in convection heat. It rises to its full advantage and is most evenly golden brown. Unlike cakes or soufflés, pies and tarts are very forgiving. They can be moved around during baking without harm. If the oven is uneven front to back, turn the pie partway through baking. If the top is not browning enough, raise it up higher toward the end.

Always preheat the oven at least 15 minutes ahead of baking; 20 minutes if the required baking temperature is 375°F. or higher.

BAKING STONE
This slab of quarry stone absorbs heat when preheated and helps to make the bottom crust evenly brown when a pie or tart is placed directly on it. I leave mine on the floor of the oven, as it seems to improve the eveness of all baking. I also cover it with foil to keep it from staining (King Arthur catalogue, page 675).

PIE PANS
Pie pans come in many different materials, all of which conduct and retain heat differently. I collect antique pie tins to decorate my country kitchen, but do not find the thin tin variety good for even baking. One of the treasures in my collection, however, is a rare tin-lined copper pie plate, which bakes very evenly, as does all heavyweight copper.

I prefer, in the following order: nonstick black steel, ceramic, Pyrex, and natural stoneware. Each has different advantages. A pie also bakes well in a cast-iron skillet. Avoid shiny pie pans, as they neither absorb nor retain heat well.

If making a pie to give as a gift, Pyrex pans can often be purchased for under $5, making it affordable to offer the pan with the pie. Alternatively, foil disposable pie pans can be used as liners. They are too thin and shiny to be used alone. E. Z. Foil, in packages of 6 deep pie pans 8¾ inches by 1½ inches deep, are just the right size for the standard pie.

Pyrex is great for enabling you to see the exact degree of browning. It can go from freezer to oven, but only if the oven is fully preheated, as a rising oven temperature may cause it to crack. Also, it cannot be set directly on a hot baking stone or oven floor if it has been in the freezer.

Wilton (page 676) carries an excellent 9-inch pie plate as part of its Excelle line. It is made of heavy-gauge dark steel with a double nonstick coating. As with any metal, it can go from freezer to hot baking stone without risk.

Mini pie pans have recently been produced in black steel (King Arthur catalogue).

I adore the Emile Henry ceramic pans, both mini and deep-dish. The fluted tops enable you to create a beautiful edge without effort. The surface releases perfectly for unmolding (Williams-Sonoma, page 676). They can go from freezer to oven—even directly to a preheated baking stone. Believe me; I’ve done it!

Superstone™, by Sassafras, makes a 9½-inch pie pan made of natural stoneware. Pies baked in this pan unmold perfectly, although the surface would not be damaged if the pie were cut in it. The natural stoneware draws some of the moisture from the pastry, thus producing a wonderfully golden crisp crust, except for the center section, which never gets as browned. The major drawback is that it cannot be taken from freezer to oven.

SIZES AND VOLUME
A 9-inch pie pan sometimes measures only 8½ inches across the inner edge of the top, so it is helpful to know the volume of the pan, should you need to adjust quantities.

9-inch Pyrex pie plate: 4 cups

9- by 2-inch Emile Henry ceramic pie plate: 6 cups

10-inch Pyrex pie plate: 6½ cups

9½-inch Pyrex deep-dish pie plate: 7 cups

4¼-inch mini pie pans: 14 tablespoons (7 fluid ounces)

4¼-inch deep-dish mini pie pans: 1½ cups

8- by 2-inch Pyrex square baking dish: 9 cups

9½-inch copper tarte Tatin pans: 5¼ cups

9- by 3-inch brioche pan: 8 cups

TART PANS

Two-piece removable-bottom tart pans are essential for ease in unmolding. The smallest two-piece tart pans at the present time are 4 inches in diameter.

As with pie pans, dark metal produces a better crust than shiny metal. My favorite fluted tart pans are produced by Gobel. They are dark metal and have an excellent nonstick surface that is slightly rough so that the pastry develops a nice texture. They also produce plain fluted tart pans that are shiny metal with a plain finish. The 2-inch-deep pans are not available in the dark nonstick finish. Gobel pans are carried by J. B. Prince (in large quantities only; page 675) and La Cuisine (page 675). (La Cuisine carries all sizes necessary for the wedding tart).

SIZES AND VOLUME
Tart pans are made in Europe, according to metric measure in centimeters. In converting to the inch measurement, I have rounded off to the nearest ½ inch. For ordering purposes, I also list the centimeter measurement where needed.

VOLUME OF ONE-PIECE TARTLET PANS

1-inch: 1 tablespoon

3- by
-inch: 3½ tablespoons

3½- by
-inch: 5 tablespoons

1-inch tartlet pans

VOLUME OF TWO-PIECE TART PANS (WITH REMOVABLE BOTTOMS)

4- by ¾-inch: 6 tablespoons

4- by 1¼-inch: ¾ cup

4¾- by ¾-inch: ¾ cup

5½- by 1-inch: 1½ cups

7¾- by 1-inch: 3 cups

9½- by i-inch: 4 cups

10- by 1-inch: 5½ cups

10- by 2-inch: 8 cups

11- by 1-inch: 7 cups

12½- by 1-inch: 9 cups

Gobel dark nonstick tart pans are currently available in the following sizes, measured in centimeters across the top: 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32. Gobel plain metal two-piece fluted tart pans are available in the following sizes, measured across the top in centimeters (from 4 inches to 12½ inches in ¾-inch/ 2-centimeter increments): 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32. All are 2½-cm/1-inch deep except for the 10- and 12-cm ones, which are just under 2 cm/¾ inches deep. The 10-cm/4-inch tartlet pan is my favorite size for tartlets and is now available in two-piece.

Gobel also makes the extra-deep 4-cm/1½-inch tart pans in 15-cm/6-inch, 20-cm/8-inch, and 23-cm/9-inch sizes, and 5-cm/2-inch deep pans in 25-cm/almost 10-inch and 28-cm/11-inch sizes.

PIE CRUST SHIELD AND FOIL RINGS
Although it doesn’t work for every size or shape of pie crust border, the Mrs. Anderson’s Pie Crust Shield is a wonderful and inexpensive device to protect the edges of a pie from overbrowning. I do not advise placing it on the crust until after it has set, because if the dough is still soft, the shield will flatten the design slightly. This shield was invented by Georgette Anderson of Portland, Oregon, who donated the design to the Challenge Center, a rehabilitation agency, which receives the proceeds from the sale (The Complete Kitchen, page 675).

Pie crust shield

I also designed a foil ring to use with pies or tarts when I was working on my first job in food, at Reynolds Metals Company, over thirty years ago.
To make your own foil ring:
Tear off a piece of heavy-duty foil a few inches larger than the diameter
of the pie or tart pan. As a guide, use a pot lid or cardboard circle and a pencil to mark a cutout in the center that will expose the pie’s top surface but not the decorative edge. With scissors, cut out the circle, leaving at least a 3-inch border, cut around the outside to form a ring. Shape it so that it will curve over the rim of the pie crust. This foil ring can be rinsed and reused several times. Disposable foil rings are also available in some specialty shops.