Pie and Pastry Bible (175 page)

Although the bleached and unbleached all-purpose flour from the same national brand have essentially the same protein content, the flours will not behave in an identical manner. Bleaching destroys the extensibility, or stretching quality, of the flour, so using bleached flour would result in a Strudel dough fall of holes. Bleaching also diminishes the strength of the gluten formed, so using an unbleached flour for a pie crust would make a tougher crust.

APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE OF PROTEIN CONTAINED IN DIFFERENT FLOURS

King Arthur stone-ground whole wheat flour: 14 percent

King Arthur reduced-bran flour (Green Mountain Gold): 12.7 percent

King Arthur special bread flour: 12.7 percent

King Arthur unbleached all-purpose: 11.7 percent

Heckers flour: 11.3 percent

Pillsbury and Gold Medal bleached and unbleached all-purpose flour: approximately 11 percent

Wondra flour: 9.8 percent

King Arthur whole wheat pastry flour: 9.5 percent

King Arthur pastry flour: 9.2 percent

White Lily bleached all-purpose flour: 9 percent

King Arthur bleached cake flour (Guinevere): 8. 5 percent

Swans Down or Softassilk bleached cake flour: 8 percent

SELF-RISING CAKE FLOUR AND WHITE LILY BLEACHED ALL-PURPOSE SELF-RISING FLOUR
Contain 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt per cup of flour.

REDUCED-BRAN WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
In whole wheat flour, the rough bran, which is the outer covering of the flour grain, interferes with the formation of gluten by cutting through it. Removing some of this bran makes it possible to retain the wheaty flavor but have a better texture, as in the croissants (page 477). King Arthur’s reduced-bran whole wheat flour is called Green Mountain Gold.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
King Arthur’s whole wheat flour contains a high percentage of protein but is much less “strong” than all-purpose flour because of the bran, which reduces its gluten formation to just a little more than that of cake flour. Their whole wheat pastry flour is only 9.5 percent protein, making it possible to replace one third the volume of all-purpose flour in the Basic Flaky Pie Crust (page 22) with this flour, resulting in a flakiness and tenderness equal to that of using all pastry flour but with the added flavor of wheat.

STORAGE
Flour should be stored away from heat so that it doesn’t dry out. Flour with the bran removed does not become rancid or attract bugs as readily as whole grain flour. King Arthur recommends storing whole grain flours for no longer than 3 months at room temperature, 6 months refrigerated (at 40°F.), and 1 year frozen. I have found that whole grain flours can be kept for as long as 6 months in a cool room. The best test for rancidity is simply to smell the flour. The nose knows!

FLOWERS

Some fresh flowers and leaves make beautiful and sometimes even flavorful additions to pies and tarts, but great care must be taken to ensure that they are not a poisonous variety and that they have not been sprayed—i.e., that they were grown for human consumption. Some edible flowers are apple blossoms, borage flowers, citrus blossoms (orange and lemon), day lilies (not tiger lilies, which have spots), English daisies, funda, hibiscus, hollyhocks, honeysuckle, lilacs, nasturtiums,
pansies, petunias, roses, tulips, and violets. Rose geranium leaves and mint leaves also make lovely garnishes, especially when sugared (see page 622).

FRUIT

Mature fruit picked at the height of the season is always the most flavorful. Smell is an excellent indication of ripeness and flavor potential. Sugar and baking, however, do wonders to bring out the flavor in slightly underripe fruits such as strawberries and apricots. Tasting will tell you how tart the fruit is. Some years or certain harvests will yield sweeter fruit than others and a little more or less sugar will be desirable. The most intense flavor in a fruit is in the peel, so if it is not tough, such as the peel of a Bartlett pear, it can be beneficial to leave it on. Alternatively, if poaching the fruit, the peel can be added to the liquid to extract the flavor.

APPLES
For my fall apple pies, I buy local apples like Macoun (tart and crisp), Stayman-Winesap (winey and tart but less so than regular Winesaps), Cortland (deep red, strong, and fruity), or Jonathan. Other great baking apples I’ve discovered that are available around the country are Baldwin; Golden Delicious (resists browning and holds its shape the best); Idared (mildly tart); Pink Lady (tart sweet, spicy, and holds its shape); Red Stayman (a sweeter apple that requires less sugar); Rhode Island Greening; Winesap (tart wine-like flavor with good storage capability, so it’s available October to August); York Imperial; Northern Spy; and Newtown Pippin (sweet/tart, firm, and holds its shape; available October through June). I like to combine or blend three or four varieties of apples. In the winter, I use tart and tangy Granny Smith apples from the supermarket, which also make a marvelous pie. Rome are the best apple for baked apples or apple dumplings (page 141) because they are the roundest in shape. They are also tart and have good storage capabilities.

BERRIES
There is no doubt about it: Summer brings special culinary rewards of a quality that simply does not exist other times of the year, sweet corn, alive with flavor, tomatoes, and, my favorite of all, the berries. First come the strawberries, then blueberries, quickly followed by red raspberries, currants, black raspberries, wine berries (red caps), gooseberries, and finally blackberries. Thankfully, all berries freeze wonderfully for at least a year and can be enjoyed year-round. If storing berries for a day or two in the refrigerator, don’t wash them until shortly before using them to prevent deterioration. To freeze berries, first wash them briefly in a colander under cold running water. Set them on paper towels to dry. To keep them from sticking together, it is best to spread them first in a single layer on baking sheets and freeze them for about 2 hours, then place them in heavyduty freezer bags or canning jars. (If using bags, expel as much air as possible. If using canning jars, fill them almost to the top or add crumpled plastic wrap.)

BLUEBERRIES
Available June through August, these berries have a pleasing balance of sweetness to tartness, requiring very little, if any, sugar when eaten raw but more than most berries when cooked, as they tend to become bitter.

MARIONBERRIES
For me, discovering a new berry is as exciting as discovering a new star. And this year I discovered the miracle of all berries: the Marionberry. It
is actually a hybrid from Marion County, Oregon, a happy marriage of the red raspberry and the blackberry, a velvety, intensely flavorful berry that resembles the long variety of blackberry in shape, with a reddish purple hue. The Marionberry is far less bitter than the raspberry and far less seedy than the blackberry, with a perfect balance of sweet/tart reminiscent of an earthy cabernet. I guess it was inevitable that I should adore these berries, as both of their ancestors, the blackberry and the raspberry, are members of the rose family
(Rubus).

The most remarkably distinctive characteristic of the Marionberry is that if frozen and defrosted, it is the only berry that maintains its texture, softening only very slightly as it releases some of its purple juices. This makes it possible to have a taste of the joy of fresh summer berries all year round.

Cooked berries in general become jammy and seedy in texture and lose much of their sweetness, necessitating as much as six times more sugar than uncooked berries. Stacey Pierce, the pastry chef at Union Square Café in New York City, has come up with a lovely solution: When she makes a tart, she cooks some of the frozen Marionberries and when cool, folds in some defrosted uncooked berries. This is possible because they hold their shape so well.

RASPBERRIES
These are my favorite berry because of their luscious velvety texture and tart intense flavor. I love them best uncooked in a tart but also adore them as a purée or sauce. The best raspberries come from the Pacific Northwest and are available June through mid-September.

STRAWBERRIES
There is no fruit more glorious than a strawberry at the height of the season (April through early July). Day Neutrals, so named because they were developed by a fortuitous cross between wild strawberries and June strawberries, are constantly blossoming despite the day’s length. This makes them available from June through October. But even less than perfectly ripened strawberries come alive if sprinkled with sugar and allowed to sit for about 30 minutes.

GOOSEBERRIES
Gooseberries are related to currants. They are pale green, sometimes tinged with pink or purple, an indication that they are slightly sweeter. They have a globe-like shape and papery thin husk and are a little more tart than sour cherries, with which they blend magnificently. They keep, refrigerated, for about 2 weeks, and freeze well. California gooseberries are available November through December and April through July (Frieda’s Inc., page 676).

CRANBERRIES
This beloved tart berry, indigenous to America, is usually associated with sauce for turkey, but cranberries also make a fantastically flavorful and juicy pie (page 129) and a delectable cranberry walnut galette (page 286). Available fresh in the fall and winter, they freeze perfectly for at least a year. If planning to freeze them, rinse and pick over them, discarding any stems or shriveled berries. Dry thoroughly on paper towels before placing them in reclosable freezer bags or canning jars. Dried cranberries, resembling ruby red raisins, are deliriously tart/sweet and are perfect for a cranberry walnut crostata (page 288). They are available at gourmet stores and from American Spoon Foods (page 676).

CITRUS FRUIT

ZEST
Zest refers to the colored portion of the citrus peel. The white portion, or pith, should be avoided, as it is quite bitter. The fruit is easier to zest before squeezing. (See Zester, page 661.)

APPROXIMATE YIELD OF JUICE

1 large lemon = 3 tablespoons

1 small lime = 2 tablespoons

1 orange = ¼ cup

MEYER LEMONS
from California have the most delicious flavor. My cousin Joan Wager, who lives just up the hill from Chez Panisse, has a Meyer lemon tree and when I visit in season, I always come home with a bagful. Meyer lemons are available mid-January through February.

BLOOD ORANGES
are more intense in flavor than the ordinary juice or navel oranges. They boast a vivid color that can vary from deep rose to purple. The grated zest is a stunning mélange of orange and crimson and can be frozen. Usually, the more crimson the skin of the blood orange, the deeper the color of the fruit within. Blood oranges are available January through March. The best I have ever tasted were imported from Sicily. Flash-frozen blood orange juice from Sicily is now available year-round from Balducci’s (page 676).

BITTER SEVILLE ORANGES
have the most acidity and intensity of all oranges. They are ideal for making a true orange curd, but the peel, which has a horribly bitter taste unless heavily sugared as for marmalade, should be discarded. These oranges are very thick skinned but also very juicy. The juice freezes well. They are available January through March.

MANGOES
This lush tropical fruit is available all year round and the quality is always excellent. Florida mangoes are available June and July.

PASSION FRUIT
is available year-round from Florida, California, and New Zealand. Store the fruit at room temperature until it is slightly dimpled, then store refrigerated in a moist area or frozen (in the skin) in reclosable freezer bags for up to a year. Although no one would question the appropriateness of the name once having indulged in the fruit, it actually came from Catholic missionaries in Brazil who, upon seeing passion fruit vines in flower around Easter, found the flower symbolic of different parts of the crucifixion, or Passion of Christ. One fresh passion fruit yields 1½ tablespoons purée. An excellent frozen purée is carried by Albert Uster Imports (page 675).

PEARS
The two great baking pears are Bartlett, available August and September, and Bosc, available October through February. The Bartlett’s peel is tender so it does not have to be removed, but the Bosc’s peel is bitter and tough. The flesh, however, is firm and holds up best when poached.

Pears do not ripen properly on the tree, so they are picked mature but hard. They should be refrigerated until 2 or 3 days before using and then removed to room temperature to complete ripening. They are ready when they yield to slight
pressure near the stem end. If allowed to soften all over, they will be overripe and fall apart when poached or baked. Barletts turn from green to yellow when ripe and become very fragrant. Boscs maintain their russet brown color.

PERSIMMON
This beautiful vermilion fruit has a unique and seductive flavor (see page 217). Ripe Hachiya persimmons puréed in a food processor will keep frozen for over a year. An excellent persimmon purée is available frozen from Dillman Farms (page 676).

PINEAPPLE
The relatively new variety of pineapple called Golden Pineapple is so sweet and flavorful I wouldn’t even consider purchasing any other.

FRUIT FRESH
Juicy fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, and apricots, lend themselves well to freezing. To prevent discoloration, I like to toss them first in ¼ cup of sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of Fruit Fresh for each 4 cups of sliced fruit. The sugar draws out some of the fruit’s juices and creates a syrup that coats the fruit. Fruit Fresh, which is ascorbic acid (vitamin C), prevents darkening and discoloration.

FRUIT AND FLAVORED OILS AND ESSENCES

Boyajian orange, lemon, and lime oils, squeezed from the rind of the fresh fruit, have a perfectly pure flavor and are great for adding extra intensity. Rule of thumb: ½ teaspoon of the citrus oil = 1 tablespoon grated zest. These oils are available at gourmet stores and catalogues such as the King Arthur catalogue (page 676), Dean & DeLuca (page 676), and Williams-Sonoma (page 677). Exquisite steam-distilled French fruit essences and flower waters, such as wild strawberry, passion fruit, and apricot, and rose and orange water, are available in tiny bottles from La Cuisine (page 676). They are expensive but well worth the price. A few drops go a long way.