The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [74]
If you want to fully bake the pie and then freeze it, you can. After you bake it, allow it to cool completely. Double-wrap it in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to thaw the pie, you can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Or you can thaw the frozen, wrapped, baked pie for 30 minutes at room temperature and then place it in a preheated 350°F oven, on a preheated baking sheet, and reheat for no longer than 30 minutes.
BATTER UP!
Don’t think you’re limited to making large, 9-inch pies. Cute little tarts are perfect individual desserts for a brunch or wedding and can easily be made by cutting piecrust to fit your teeny, tiny pie tins. They bake at the same temperature, but watch the timing. Some are baked longer than others. You’ll know they’re done when the crusts turn light golden brown and the filling starts to bubble.
A Note on Blind-Baking
Blind-baking, also known as prebaking, is the method of partially or fully baking an empty crust specifically for pies and tarts that are filled with pudding or cream fillings, refrigerated fillings like this chapter’s Cool Blueberry Pie, and for piecrusts that need a little more baking time than the filling needs. Partially blind-baking also helps prevent the crust from becoming soggy when baking pumpkin, pecan, or custard pies.
For either completely baked or partially baked piecrusts, chill crust at least 2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line crust with parchment paper, or thin aluminum foil, and fill with dried beans (kidney beans, black beans, lentils, dried peas, rice, etc.), or with specially designed pie weights.
To partially blind-bake crust: bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is light brown. Remove the beans or pie weights, cool, and continue with pie recipe.
To fully blind-bake crust: return partially baked crust (beans and parchment removed) to the oven, and continue baking for another 8 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. If the crust begins to pucker, do not prick the crust to allow steam to escape as this will only allow juice or liquid to leak through the holes. Instead, press the crust down with a metal spatula to flatten. Cool crust completely before filling with cream, pudding, or refrigerated fillings.
Grandma’s Apple Pie
The apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar are all in perfect harmony in this homey dessert. Baked in a hand-rolled Flaky Piecrust, this all-American pie is so simple, and yet so good—just like Grandma’s.
Yield:
1 (9-inch) pie
Prep time:
60 to 70 minutes
Bake time:
50 to 60 minutes
Serving size:
1 slice
2 Flaky Piecrust dough balls (recipe
in Chapter 13)
6 cups (about 6 medium to large
apples) Granny Smith apples,
peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice
¾ cup plus 1 TB. unbleached cane
sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, firmly
packed
½ cup unbleached all-purpose
flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 TB. cold nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine, cut into small pieces
1 TB. soy, rice, or almond milk
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out Flaky Piecrust bottom and top (see Chapter 13 if you need a refresher), leaving enough overhang to fold underneath. Place bottom piecrust evenly in a 9-inch pie pan or ceramic pie dish. Fold top crust in ½ and place a kitchen towel over it so it doesn’t dry out.
3. In a large bowl, combine Granny Smith apple slices, lemon juice, ¾ cup unbleached cane sugar, light brown sugar, unbleached all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg, tossing to coat. Arrange into piecrust, and dot with cold vegan margarine.
4. Unfold top crust, and place it over apple filling. Fold edges of top crust over and under bottom edges, and flute with your fingertips. Crusts can also be sealed with the tines of a dinner fork.
5. Brush crust with soy milk, and sprinkle