Pie and Pastry Bible (32 page)

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan

Make the dough (page 22).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.

On a floured pastry cloth or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the dough
inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 13-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle. Transfer it to the pie pan, fold the excess under, and crimp the border using a fork or your fingers (see page 13). Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or a maximum of 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. at least 20 minutes before baking.

Line the pastry shell with parchment, pleating it as necessary so it fits into the pan, and fill it with rice or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Lift out the rice or beans with the parchment. With a fork, prick the bottom and sides and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until the crust is pale golden. Check after 3 minutes and prick any bubbles that may have formed.

Cool the crust on a rack for 3 minutes, so it is no longer piping hot, and then brush the bottom and sides with the egg white.

In a small heavy saucepan, place 1 cup of the strawberries and crush them lightly with a fork. Add the water, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice and stir until the dry ingredients have dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Immediately pour the mixture into a bowl and cool, stirring very gently once or twice.

In a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water,
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melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove the upper container from the lower one and allow the chocolate to cool completely.

In a mixer bowl, on high speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Pour in the cooled white chocolate all at once and beat for 1 minute. Add the sour cream and beat until well blended.

Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baked pie shell and top with the cooled strawberry mixture. Arrange the remaining strawberries on top, points up.

MAKE THE TOPPING

In a small saucepan or microwave oven, heat the currant jelly until melted and bubbling. Strain it into a small cup and stir in the Chambord or water. Brush it onto the strawberries.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 6 hours; refrigerated, uncovered, up to 2 days.

FRESH BLUEBERRY PIE

W
hen I was growing up, our family spent a month of each summer at a family-owned hotel called Spring Lake in Parksville, New York. The two activities I remember best were sharpening stones into various shapes by the brook and going into the Catskill Mountains in the sunny afternoons to pick blueberries. We would get large empty cans from the kitchen and wouldn’t stop until they were filled.

We always ate the fresh blueberries with sour cream. It wasn’t until I married a New Englander that I ate them cooked in a pie.

Blueberries become bitter on cooking. The addition of lemon zest and a judicious amount of sugar, however, makes this pie retain the sweetness of fresh blueberries.

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan

Make the dough (page 23).

Remove the dough for the bottom crust from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.

On a floured pastry cloth or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the bottom crust
inch thick or less and 12 inches in diameter. Transfer it to the pie pan. Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Add the blueberries and toss to coat them. Transfer the blueberry mixture to the pie shell.

Roll out the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle.

Moisten the edges of the bottom crust with water and place the top crust over the fruit. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border and press down all around the top to seal it. Crimp the border using a fork or your fingers (see page 13) and make about 5 evenly spaced 2-inch slashes starting about 1 inch from the center and radiating toward the edge (see page 14). Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour before baking to chill and relax the pastry. This will maintain flakiness and help to keep the crust from shrinking.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating. Place a large piece of greased foil on top to catch any juices.

Set the pie directly on the foil-topped baking stone and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the filling is
thickly
bubbling. After 30 minutes, protect the edges from overbrowning with a foil ring (see page 19).

Cool the pie on a rack for at least 4 hours before cutting. When set, the berries will remain very juicy but will not flow out of the crust.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 3 days.

OPEN-FACED FRESH BLUEBERRY PIE

I
n this pie, one cup of berries is cooked to form a syrup. The remaining three cups of berries are heated in this syrup just enough to turn the blueberries a midnight blue with overtones of purple. The filling is then spooned into a prebaked crust. If you’ve made the crust ahead, this pie comes together in minutes. By dessert time, the filling is set.

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan

Make the dough (page 22).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.

Using a pastry cloth and sleeve rubbed with flour or two sheets of plastic wrap lightly sprinkled with flour, roll the dough
inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 13-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle. Transfer the dough to the pie pan. Fold under the excess and crimp the border using a fork or your fingers (see page 13). Cover it loosely and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 24 hours.