Breville's Personal Pie

[Sabriana]

I have a question!
What do we do with the remains after cutting the puff pastry? Throw them away? I don't think it can be reworked like the pie dough. I always do the pie dough from scratch, but not the puff pastry.
What I have in mind is using the remained cuts to bake them in the oven. They could be brushed with egg and sprinkled with shredded cheese. I doubt it can be reworked like I do with the pie dough.
Am I right?

 

[Addie]

You can cut the extra into strips and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake until golden.

 

[Sabriana]

You can cut the extra into strips and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake until golden.

Not bad at all! Good idea!
I love puff pastry with cheese or cashcaval (that yellow hard cheese), but some sweet stripes won't ruin my taste.
So, as a conclusion, puff pastry should not be reworked!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Not bad at all! Good idea!
I love puff pastry with cheese or cashcaval (that yellow hard cheese), but some sweet stripes won't ruin my taste.
So, as a conclusion, puff pastry should not be reworked!

Nope, only worked once and then make cook's dessert out of the scraps...

 

[Sabriana]

After reading the first 40 pages I understood this small problem. I did my first two apple pies using bought puff pastry. I only got 2 bases and 2 tops from one batch of pastry. I cooked the diced apples on the stove with a little butter, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon. I cooked the pies in the pie maker for 12 min. The top was golden/brown, but the base was quite pale. I think I should cook the base first for 4-5 minutes, and then ad the top. Has anybody tried this?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

That's why we suggest parchment paper for the top, the top browns much faster than the bottom bakes.

 

[Addie]

And the Princess is the one to know. She is the one who started this whole craze of ours with our pie makers. And she is the one who discovered the benefit of using the parchment paper.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Oh No!! It was Munky who got us rolling on this one...

 

[Sabriana]

I didn't use parchment paper because I brushed the pies with egg yolk. Only the surface in the end was not shiny as it is in the oven. But I checked the down side again. It was slightly more pale, but still golden brownish. So, in the end the pies came out OK. The taste was good, but I prefer apple pies done with pie dough.

 

[Addie]

Oh No!! It was Munky who got us rolling on this one...

Then we should hold a "Thanks Munky Day!"

 

[Kathleen]

How to fill a pie maker perfectly?

I love the pie maker and made mini pies for Thanksgiving desserts. I find that I fill the pies perfectly about 70% of the time. If I overfill them, the filling is squeezed out. If I under-fill them, the tops do not reach the top of the pie maker and so they do not properly bake.

My question is whether anyone has a trick or a tip to fill the pies perfectly every time?

Also, I continue to seek for a fool-proof pie crust. My crusts are lacking.

So I ask you all, obi-wan-pie-nobis....you are my only hope.

~Kathleen

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Shrek uses Pillsbury Pie dough for the bottom crust and Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry for the tops.

We also use a 1/3 cup to fill the pies.

 

[Addie]

Shrek uses Pillsbury Pie dough for the bottom crust and Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry for the tops.

We also use a 1/3 cup to fill the pies.

Thanks PF. I made a note on a Post-It and stuck it inside my pie maker. Now every time I open the lid, I see the amount for the filling before I even start to fill it. Also, my grocery chain sells a pie crust that is in Spanish. I have no idea what it says. But it is so much tastier than Pillsbury. And it is easier to work with. I swear there have been times when I bought a Pillsbury crust and they completely forgot the salt. Totally lacking in any flavor. The PF Puff pastry does make a difference for the top.

I am pie crust impaired. I need to get down the flour canister, some shortening, salt and ice water and spend an afternoon practicing making crusts until I get it right. ATK has one recipe that uses vinegar in the crust. They also have one that calls for Vodka. But since I don't have alcohol in my home, I think I will have to go for the vinegar one. I would think an apple cider vinegar crust would be perfect for an apple pie.

 

[FrankZ]

I love the pie maker and made mini pies for Thanksgiving desserts. I find that I fill the pies perfectly about 70% of the time. If I overfill them, the filling is squeezed out. If I under-fill them, the tops do not reach the top of the pie maker and so they do not properly bake.

My question is whether anyone has a trick or a tip to fill the pies perfectly every time?

Also, I continue to seek for a fool-proof pie crust. My crusts are lacking.

So I ask you all, obi-wan-pie-nobis....you are my only hope.

~Kathleen

I don't believe you heard any complaints about the pies. But if you need to keep practicing, we will have to continue to help you get rid of the evidence.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Kathleen always wanted a walking evidence disposal unit! Lucky girl.

Now I know where to send my failures...

 

[Janet H]

So I ask you all, obi-wan-pie-nobis....
~Kathleen

I make pie crust regularly and do a riff on the recipe on the back of the crisco can..


For a double crust:

2 C flour (plus some for dusting)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 C chilled butter flavored crisco
1/4 C chilled (cubed) butter
4 to 8 Tbls ice water

- Mix flour, salt and sugar
- Cut fat into flour mixture with a pastry cutter until it's pea-sized bits
- Sprinkle half the water into mixture and stir in with a fork. Add more water as needed until the mixture just begins to hold together as a ball.

Divide in two and pat into patties.

IF YOU HAVE TIME: Chill dough for a few mins before rolling

TIPS:

- If you have time, chill the flour before beginning.
- Avoid over mixing after you have begun to add water. Your hands heat up the dough and the mixing will begin to build gluten (makes the dough tough - not flaky)
- When using a full size pie dish, sprinkle a little flour in the naked pan. This seems to keep the crust crisper on the bottom and also makes crust placement easier because you can slide it around a little more easily.

- you need one of these:



not one of these:



They still make good cutters (new) but you can get an old one in a thrift shop for a buck or two. The slightly flexible tines are waaaaaay better than the stiff new-style.


May The Force be with you....

 

[Addie]

I have a large canister full of flour and some vegetable shortening. But I bit the dust and bought more flour, butter and a large can of veggie shortening. So I am going to bite the bullet and start working on improving my pie crust making skills. I don't know why, but I do make a reasonable puff pastry. And that is supposed to be the hard one.

 

[Addie]

I make pie crust regularly and do a riff on the recipe on the back of the crisco can..


For a double crust:

2 C flour (plus some for dusting)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 C chilled butter flavored crisco
1/4 C chilled (cubed) butter
4 to 8 Tbls ice water

- Mix flour, salt and sugar
- Cut fat into flour mixture with a pastry cutter until it's pea-sized bits
- Sprinkle half the water into mixture and stir in with a fork. Add more water as needed until the mixture just begins to hold together as a ball.

Divide in two and pat into patties.

IF YOU HAVE TIME: Chill dough for a few mins before rolling

TIPS:

- If you have time, chill the flour before beginning.
- Avoid over mixing after you have begun to add water. Your hands heat up the dough and the mixing will begin to build gluten (makes the dough tough - not flaky)
- When using a full size pie dish, sprinkle a little flour in the naked pan. This seems to keep the crust crisper on the bottom and also makes crust placement easier because you can slide it around a little more easily.

- you need one of these:

View attachment 19955

not one of these:

View attachment 19956

They still make good cutters (new) but you can get an old one in a thrift shop for a buck or two. The slightly flexible tines are waaaaaay better than the stiff new-style.


May The Force be with you....

Those old one always have a red handle. Don't know why. Once in a very blue moon, you might just come across a green handle one. But I think the red handle ones do a better job.

 

[taxlady]

...

- you need one of these:

View attachment 19955

not one of these:

View attachment 19956

They still make good cutters (new) but you can get an old one in a thrift shop for a buck or two. The slightly flexible tines are waaaaaay better than the stiff new-style.


May The Force be with you....

What's the problem with the second one? I find that the loops go every which way with the first one. But, now I have discovered the FP for cutting in the fat.

 

[Janet H]

What's the problem with the second one? I find that the loops go every which way with the first one. But, now I have discovered the FP for cutting in the fat.

Interesting observation. Maybe it depends on how hard you mash?

I prefer the older one for several reasons. The hoops are closer together, the fat gets cut to the right size faster, the more flexible hoops conform to whatever the curve of my bowl is, the hoops extend around the sides of the tool so you can use the side of the bowl as well as the bottom and finally because well... sometimes old seems better. Channeling my grandmas pie is a good thing

I have made crust in the food processor but find that it's easy to overwork the dough and frankly, the old way only takes about a minute. Getting the processor out and then cleaning it up after takes too long and is more work than just doing it the old fashioned way.