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| Tic Tac Toe |
What you see before you is the result of another of my attempts to make a creditable, edible pie crust with something great tasting inside - I did what I was told in preparing this crust and could not figure out why mine crumbles the way it does. I see in Patricia's fabulous tutorial, a wonderful large squared off smoothly elastic appearing piece of dough - really dough. I am showing you here parts of my attempts this weekend. You will see myriad shattered parts of dough and flour. I even put the last batch back in the Cuisinart at Patricia's behest, and got rid of a few 'butter peas larger than a small pea'. Nonetheless, the dough was still crumbly. I just went about my business at that time, and as we speak the thing has been put together, and bottom and sides patched, is resting in the fridge and will bake on the stroke of midnight + fifteen minutes. I ran out of dough in the blending so only ended up with a tic tac toe embellishment instead of the fab basketweave which I would undoubtedly, right brained as I am, be unable to complete.
So, it is my hope that the pie will emerge with all its parts unburnt [if I remember to put its hat on], and will go off to work for the worker bees to consume. Of course they will have to watch it for the three hours it requires before being cut. *I did remember to his its hat on and it is too small. When I turn it I will have to put foil, but I didn't.
It has been said this sour cherry pie is the best cherry pie that some of us, and guests, have superextolled, and so I hope I feel this way. As we go along I have been wondering what to serve with this pie as a dessert. What would blow your hair back, as my daughter used to say? I don't know if I would like vanilla ice cream with it, unless it were one with extremely heavy cream base. Perhaps a dab of creme fraiche. But what else? Perhaps nothing but a drink of some kind. I dont know - fresh out of thinkings - off now to put the creation into the oven.
So now the test will come tomorrow. I know the filling is great, the color and bubbles tell me, and the flavor before. The crust probably tastes good except for the too dark outsides, but one knows the French always prefer a little char...The pictures are pretty and descriptive but rolling out is my nemesis. Need a class.
Another recipe needs to be tripled!
So, did everyone like the way it tasted? I love your tic tac toe designed lattice crust. It and the adorable heart shaped cutout are charming! Not sure why you're having trouble rolling crust... looks like you're weighing your ingredients. Maybe it was the butter? Although I'd think the higher-fat Euro butter would make the crust softer, not drier. What kind of flour did you use?
ReplyDeletePatricia @ ButterYum
http://www.butteryum.org/roses-alpha-bakers/2015/3/14/tbb-sour-cherry-pie-pi-day
Hi - will check with Rose about the Plugra, but I did find a bit about using a usual fat content butter for most recipes except when other is specified - that could be the problem. I need to look at your tutorial again. The flour was 2/3 Gold Medal a/p and 1/3 Swansdown cake flour. All purpose cut by cake flour I think she says. I feel as if the adage 'hot hands' may have something to do with this but since I did most of it in plastic bags maybe not.
ReplyDeleteI think it is just experience plus I probably need a thousand dollar roller to do what I can't -- ; )
They loved it, even with its to John had gotten to it before i got up and insisted on having a piece set back for us tonight, and so I of course had to have one too.The pieces for work were very skimpy as you can imagine. Thanks for stopping my Patricia. You are so kind.
Looks wonderful and I love the red tart cherries, so vividly red! And I do love your pie cover side thingy..what's it call? Now I want to buy that too! :)
ReplyDeleteLucky you that you were able to find the tart cherries! I'm thinking the same thing with the butter, but at the same time not sure that was the issue. Nevertheless Joan, it looked good and if your tasters love it, that is all that counts.
ReplyDeleteJoan, it will be helpful for you to know that the Plugra butter is not the butter to use for pie crust. it is fine for croissants but unless it is called for, and none of the recipes in the baking bible does, use AA unsalted butter such as organic valley or land o' lakes. this has a higher water content that high fat butter which, i think, is why you had a problem with crumbly crust. you are, in effect, getting more fat and less liquid. hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteI had the same problem, but i did used organic valley butter. so i figure the flour i used had more protein and might required more water.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Orin. We use pastry flour or the mix of bleached ap and cake. And in winter, when dry, we actually do add a little extra cream.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy! Not that I messed up the crust of course, but that if I look hard enough I usually find out you say what you say for a reason. I deliberately went sailing off to the Pulegra fantasy that it would give me a leg up. I think this is what caused me to check that out and found "only use normal fat content....". This is not the only time I have been tripped up by doubting what I had read. I would be grateful if it were my last. For now I am happy to have found
ReplyDeletehe answer right in the book and asked Patrici she thought. I wonder what percents of failures are caused by bakers doing their 'own thing'. Any way thanks for putting our little dilemma to rest.
I used 2/3 a/p 'Cut by' 1/3 Swansdown...
ReplyDeleteWow your cherry filling is such a bright red. It looks great, especially since you persisted with the pastry.
ReplyDelete