Pie and Pastry Bible (34 page)

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 425°F. • BAKING TIME: 40 TO 50 MINUTES SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust for a 2-crust 9-inch pie (page 30)		22 ounces	624 grams
sugar	1 cups	9.3 ounces	266 grams
cornstarch	3 tablespoons	1 ounce	28 grams
salt	a pinch	•	•
red currants, rinsed, stems removed, and dried	3½ cups (four ½-pints)	19 ounces	540 grams

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan

Make the dough (page 30).

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 large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. 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, and salt. Add the currants
and toss to coat them. Allow them to macerate for at least 10 minutes or until the sugar mixture is completely moistened.

Transfer the currant 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 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). Make six to eight 2-inch slashes in the top crust, starting about 1 inch from the center and radiating toward the edge (see page 14), wiggling the knife to ensure that they open a bit to prevent resealing from the juices released by the currants during baking. 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 about 4 hours before cutting.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 2 days.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

If using frozen currants, they must defrost before baking in order to dissolve the thickener and sugar.

Some varieties of currants have a lot more seeds than others, which makes them better suited to currant jelly. A good pie currant will have no more than four little seeds. I have seen as many as 11 in one tiny berry!

RED CURRANT-RASPBERRY LATTICE PIE

R
aspberries, when baked alone in a pie, lose their character and become too cloyingly intense. When combined with currants, however, the flavors and textures blend together brilliantly, making each fruit even more delicious than either would be alone. I’ve chosen a lattice crust for this pie because the color of the baked fruit is so appealing.

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan

Make the dough (page 30).

Remove the larger piece of dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for 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 a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle. Transfer the dough to the pie pan. It should extend about ¾ inch past the side of the pie plate. Fold this dough under so that it is flush with the outer edge of the pie plate. Cover the pastry 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, and salt.

Place half the currants evenly over the bottom of the pie shell. Then place half the raspberries evenly over them. Sprinkle half the sugar mixture over the berries. Repeat with the remaining currants and raspberries and sprinkle on the remaining sugar mixture and the lemon juice.

Roll the remaining smaller piece of dough into an oval 10½ inches by 8 inches wide (and about 1/16 inch thick). Using a ruler and a pastry jagger or pizza cutter, cut ten ¾-inch strips.

To create a woven lattice decoration (see page 16), arrange half the strips evenly over the currants and raspberries. Gently curve back every other strip a little past the center and place another strip perpendicular on top. Uncurve the strips so that they lie flat on top of the perpendicular strip. Working in the same direction, curve back the strips that were not curved back the first time. Lay a second perpendicular strip on top and uncurve the strips. Continue in this manner with a third perpendicular strip, curving back the strips that were curved back the first time. Apply the remaining 2 strips to the other side of the pie, starting toward the center and working toward the edge. Remember always to alternate the strips that are curved back so that the strips weave in and out.

Use sharp scissors to trim the strips to a ½-inch overhang. Moisten the dough under each strip with egg white or water and tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border, pressing down to make it adhere.