There are few foods as synonymous with Christmas as beautiful pies. There's just something about a holiday pie that is more special than any dessert.
With so many events during the holiday season, traditional standby desserts such as cookies and bars start to feel a little old. Oh goodness, chess bars and sugar cookies again?
There's an artistry that goes into making a pie with a beautiful crust and a filling that makes your mouth water. Each bite says Christmas more than any other dessert.
"The Perfect Pie," a new cookbook from America's Test Kitchen, is, as its subhead reveals, the ultimate guide to classic and modern pies. And it's been released at the perfect time, as "The Perfect Pie" makes the perfect gift for the pie lover on your list this year.
Not only is the book filled with amazing recipes and beautiful pictures and step-by-step photos of many of the recipes showing you how to create them, it also gives full descriptions of the equipment and tools you'll need to make them. In addition, the book gives a great deal of detail about the kinds of flour, fats, sweeteners and thickeners you can use, as well as techniques used to roll the dough and all the different ways you can make a crust worthy of praise.
The cookbook is divided into sections that include regional pies; icebox and ice cream pies; big pies; little pies ... all sorts of pies and variations thereof, such as tarts and galettes.
Get your hand on a copy of this book, and you might find yourself feeling like a professional baker. Not only will the photographs and recipes make your mouth water, there's a good bit of pie knowledge you'll pick up as you peruse the pages. Such as:
* Never use salted butter when baking. You never know how much salt is in the butter, and most recipes call for adding salt to the filling anyway.
* Store whole-grain flour in the refrigerator, as it will go rancid if left at room temperature for too long. Plain, all-purpose flour should be stored at room temperature away from heat in a pantry.
* It's best not to use liquid egg whites in recipes calling for egg whites only. The pasteurization process they undergo compromises their structure, and you won't achieve the same volume you would when using regular egg whites.
It's tips such as these, plus hundreds more, that will teach you how to make showstopping pies, such as this Southern Praline Pecan Pie, a richer version of traditional pecan pie.
Southern Praline Pecan Pie
Pie dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
3 tablespoons ice water, plus extra as needed
For filling:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
For dough: Process flour, sugar and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter chilled shortening over top, and process until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter over top, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses.
Transfer mixture to a bowl. Sprinkle ice water over mixture. Stir and press dough with a spatula until dough sticks together. If dough does not come together, stir in up to 1 tablespoon ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it does.
Transfer dough to sheet of plastic wrap, and form into a 4-inch disc. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Let chilled dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes, before rolling. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.)
To make pie: Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto a 9-inch pie plate, letting some excess hang over the edge. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into plate bottom with your other hand.
Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of plate, and tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Wrap the dough-lined plate loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line chilled pie shell with double layer of aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning, and fill with pie weights. Bake on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet until edges are set and just beginning to turn golden, 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove foil and weights, rotate sheet, and continue to bake the crust until golden brown and crisp, 10-15 minutes longer. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack. Crust must still be warm when filling is added. Decrease oven temperature to 275 degrees.
Meanwhile, cook sugar, butter and salt in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar is melted and butter is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in eggs, one at a time; whisk in corn syrup, vanilla and bourbon. Return pan to medium heat, and stir constantly until mixture is glossy and warm to the touch and registers about 130 degrees, about 4 minutes. Do not overheat; remove pan from heat if mixture starts to steam or bubble. Off heat, stir in pecans.
With pie shell still on baking sheet, pour mixture into warm crust. Bake until center looks set but yields like gelatin when gently pressed with back of spoon, 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let pie cool on wire rack until filling is set, about 4 hours before serving.
For a late-night pie, increase bourbon to 1/4 cup.
Anne BralyEmail Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.