Pie and Pastry Bible (2 page)

At Christmas break I tried again, this time lighting the oven myself—though I did forget to remove the soap again. My creative though absurd solution to the sealed vents was to insert little straws in them so that the juices could bubble up and down without spilling. Finally, I discovered that all that is necessary is to make little cutouts, which, unlike the slits, cannot reseal. But these days I prefer a lattice crust for my cherry pies. The fruit is simply too beautiful to hide.

My next attempt at pie was two years later as a new bride. I wanted to surprise my Vermont husband with a New England specialty he claimed to enjoy: pumpkin
pie. As I was emptying the contents of the can into the pie shell, I licked my finger, which confirmed my suspicion that this was not a pie I was going to like. When I presented it for that evening’s dessert, I couldn’t resist adding: “I don’t know how you can eat this; it tastes like a barnyard.” To which he answered: “It does and I can’t! What did you put in it?” “Pumpkin,” I said, thinking what a ridiculously obvious question. “What else?” he asked. “What else goes in?” I queried. “Eggs, brown sugar, spices, vanilla,” he enumerated as I sat there feeling like a total fool. Coincidentally, I was reading James Michener’s
Sayonara,
in which the Japanese bride did the same thing, making her American husband a pumpkin pie using only canned pumpkin without sweetener or flavorings, thinking that it was pumpkin pie that somehow appealed to Western taste. It made me feel a lot better. (Too bad I hadn’t reached that chapter before my own misadventure!) The next week I tried again, making it from scratch. To my surprise I loved it. It took me thirty years to achieve what I consider to be the state-of-the-art pumpkin pie.

Making pie crust and other pastries was another story. Pie crust, in particular, never came out the same way twice in a row. My goal in writing this book was to delve into the mysteries of pie crusts so that they would always come out the way I wanted them to be—tender and flaky—and if not, to understand why. My goal was also to convey this knowledge in a way that would encourage and enable others to do the same. This was far more of a challenge than cake baking. When it comes to cake, if one follows the rules, perfection is inevitable. But for pastry you must be somewhat of an interpretive artist as well as disciplined technician. You have to develop a sense of the dough: when it needs to be chilled or when it needs to be a little more moist. The best way to become proficient is by doing it often. And here’s the motivation: The best pastry is made at home. This is because it can receive individual attention and optimal conditions. Try making a flaky pie crust in a 10O°F. restaurant kitchen and I’m sure you’ll agree. Also, there is nothing more empowering than the thrill of achieving good pastry. I’ll always remember my first puff pastry. My housekeeper and I sat spellbound before the oven, watching it swell open and rise. It seemed alive. It was sheer magic. I also cherish the memory of my nephew Alexander unmolding his first tartlet when he was a little boy (and didn’t kiss girls). The dough had taken on the attractive design of the fluted mold and he was so thrilled he forgot the rules and kissed me!

Many people think of me as “the cake lady,” but the truth is I am more a pastry person! I love cake, but I adore pastry because of its multiplicity of textures and prevalence of juicy, flavorful fruit. I have had the pleasure of developing the recipes in this book for more than ten years. All were enjoyable, but I have included only those I personally would want to have again and again.

My fondest wish is that everyone will know the goodness of making and eating wonderful pastry. Then they will walk down the street with a secret little smile on their faces—like mine.

Rose Levy Beranbaum

BASIC PASTRY INGREDIENTS WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EGGS	OUNCES	GRAMS PER UNIT	GRAMS PER CUP
1 large, in shell	2	56.7
1 large, without shell (3 T + ½ t)	1.7	50	253
1 large egg white (2 T)	1	30	240
1 large egg yolk (3½ t)	0.6	18.6	255

CRUSTS

FLAKY PIE CRUSTS

M
y pastry odyssey began twenty-one years ago, when I started making pie crust. At first it was a complete mystery to me. Sometimes it needed just a little water and the crust came out too fragile to roll. Other times the same amount of flour required lots of water and the crust came out flaky but as tough as cardboard. I hadn’t the slightest idea that in the first instance I had mixed the flour and fat too much before adding the liquid so the fat in effect moisture-proofed the flour, preventing it from absorbing water. In the second instance, I hadn’t mixed the flour and fat enough so that the water could absorb into the flour readily and form gluten, resulting in a tough crust.

My dream was to turn out a flaky and tender pie crust on a regular basis. And, of course, just as for cakes, I found that the only way to have complete control is to understand the ingredients—what they contain and how they react. But that was not enough. Theory is one thing, practice another. Now, many hundreds of pie crusts later, after trying every flour, fat, liquid, and technique I could think of, I have realized my dream. Now my goal is to share this knowledge and skill with others. There is simply no commercial pie crust equal to a homemade pie crust made well. I am convinced that if pie lovers had the experience of tasting one of this quality, they would start making pies from scratch, because it’s not something one is likely to forget—ever.

But even with the clearest directions, making pie crust is a craft, and one must develop a feel for the dough. The more you make dough, the better you get. The French have a saying for this:
Il faut mettre la main àla pâte,
which means, “It is necessary to put your hand to the dough”—or, to paraphrase,
hands-on experience is everything.

COMMERCIAL PIE CRUSTS
I have tried many commercial packaged and frozen crusts over the years and find them all lacking. Most are too salty for sweet fillings. The problem with frozen crusts is that when baked blind (without filling), they tend to develop cracks that allow liquid ingredients to leak through them during baking, sticking to the pan at best and messing up the oven at worst. If I had to recommend a commercial pie crust, it would be the Betty Crocker crust in a box. Though it is salty, it has a good flavor (unfortunately not from butter). The texture is flaky and it is foolproof and easy to mix and roll. Of the frozen crusts, Pillsbury has the best flavor (it’s made with lard), but don’t prebake it!