Flaky Pie Crust or Mealy Pie Crust? Avoid Soggy Bottom Pies With The Right Choice

Choosing a flaky pie crust or a mealy pie crust for your pie can mean the difference between pie pride and pie purgatory. It's not that you need different recipes for the two types of pie crust, you just need to employ two different methods.

Flakypies will absorb more moisture than a mealy pie crust. Thus, they're best used for a top crust or lattice design. The flaky variety is also great for cold pies when pre-baked and filled with mousse or cream fillings.

Thus are more resistant to absorbing moisture and are best used for cooked fruit or fresh fruit pies to avoid a soggy bottom. Where the home baker can experience disappointment is in using a flaky pie crust for a cooked fruit pie. The longer baking time allows the dough to absorb the liquid, resulting in a weepy pie.

What's the difference between these two types of pie dough? Very simply, it's the size of the fat. The first step in making a crust is cutting fat directly into flour. Your Grandmother did this with two forks or the potato masher, but I use an electric mixer.

The larger the pieces of fat, the larger the 'holes' left when fat melts during baking. The larger the 'holes' in your dough, the more air-space, and the flakier the resulting product. A flaky pie crust is made with pea-sized fat mixed into the flour.

Mealy pie crusts are made from a fat and flour mixture that more resembles coarse corn meal. The pieces of fat are very small, making a more dense dough, and resisting the urge to absorb moisture.

The easiest pie dough recipe in the world is this: "1, 2, 3". One part water, two parts fat, three parts flour makes any crust you'd like and in any quantity.

If you're trying to make a flaky pie crust or a mealy one, the recipe really doesn't matter. What is of the greatest importance is the METHOD you use to create the dough. Pea sized pieces of fat in flour will give you a more flaky texture. Coarse sand texture in the mixture will give you a mealy crust for use in wetter fillings.

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Maple Buttermilk Pie

Serves6
Active time:30 min Start to finish:3 1/2 hr

1 (9-inch) baked pie shell
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2/3 cup Grade B maple syrup
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons maple sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Accompaniment:lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Put pie shell (in pie plate) in a shallow baking pan.
Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl until just combined and pour three fourths of custard into shell. Carefully put pan in middle of oven and pour in remaining custard with a cup.

Bake until just set in center, about 55 minutes, then transfer pie to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cooks’ note: Pie can be made 4 to 6 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Recipe by Katy Massam

Photograph by Dana Gallagher

All from Gourmet.com

Orange Buttermilk Pie

Many people are very fond of buttermilk pie. This creamy pie concoction, is often the best-selling dessert in some of the nicer restaurants and many tea rooms. If you want to give your buttermilk pie a different flavor, try this recipe for Orange Buttermilk Pie. The orange juice in this pie makes it really special.

ORANGE BUTTERMILK PIE

3 large eggs, separated
1 to 1 1/4 cups sugar, to taste
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp grated orange peel
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 to 1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup orange juice
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/4 tsp cider vinegar
Pre-baked (lightly) and cooled 9-inch single pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Carefully separate eggs into 2 very clean mixing bowls. Allow whites to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, beat yolks briskly for a few seconds with a whisk. Add sugar, flour, orange peel, vanilla, cinnamon and salt; whisk again. Whisk in orange juice and butter; beat until blended. Stir in buttermilk and mix well. Set aside.

Sprinkle vinegar over the egg whites. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites at medium-high speed just until they hold slight peaks. Stir a large spoonful of egg white into the yolk mixture and mix well. Fold in remaining egg white and mix gently but thoroughly until blended. Pour filling into the pie shell.

Place the pie on the lower shelf of 350 degree oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until puffed and light brown and a knife comes out almost clean when inserted in the center. If the crust starts to brown to quickly, cover the edge with strips of foil. Cool on a wire rack. If refrigerated, allow to warm slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

For more delicious sweets, visit http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

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