Pie and Cake Notes Chapter 46 & 47

Pies Pies- any dish consisting of a crust with a filling. Pastry should be tender and flaky. Filling should have a pleasing flavor which is neither too runny or too firm. Crust Appearance- is light and evenly browned.

Pastry Ingredients Flour and water form the structure. Fat is for tenderizing and flavor. Salt is for flavor

Pastry Techniques Cut the fat into the flour with a pastry blender until it resembles small peas. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Do not over mix ingredients. When gluten is overdeveloped pastry is tough. Do not use the rolling pin too vigorously Do not stretch the pastry to fit the pie plate.

Pie Terms Pie shell- a bottom crust that is baked before filling. Fluted edge- an attractive shaped finish edge around the edge of a pie. Lattice crust- a woven top on a two crust pie with a colorful filling. Crumb crust- is made of crushed crackers or cookies. A simple alternative for 1 crust pies. Streusel- a crumbly mixture made by cutting butter into flour, sugar and spices.

Fruit Pies Whole or sliced fruit is combined with sugar and a starch thickener. Fruit can be canned, frozen, dried or fresh 2 crust Ex: Apple Pie

Cream Pies One crust Pudding mixture thickened with cornstarch Cooked, cooled then poured into a baked, cooled crust. Topped with meringue or whipped cream Ex: French Silk Pie

Custard Pie One crust Custard mixture made from milk, eggs, & sugar Ex: Pumpkin Pie, & Pecan Pie

Chiffon Pie One crust Filling made from gelatin and cooked beaten egg whites Ex: Lemon Chiffon Pie

Savory Pie Contains cooked meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables in a thickened sauce. It’s usually served as the main course. 1 or 2 crusts Ex: Chicken Pot Pie

Tarts A tart has a single crust; which is always removed from the pan before serving. Flan- a full sized tart. Galette- a hand shaped tart made by folding and pleating the edged of the dough to form the sides.

Cooking Pies and Tarts Pie shells are 425° or 450 ° F for about 10 to 20 minutes. Filled pies are baked similarly for the first 10 minutes 350 ° F, to cook the filling. Place a pan on a lower shelf to catch bubbling over. Cover edges with aluminum strips to prevent burning. Crusts should be golden brown and slightly blistered.

Cakes Adds festivity to many special occasions Usually contain high amounts of sugar and fat. Follow the recipe precisely; ingredients, amounts, techniques, etc. have all been calculated to result in a quality finished product

Shortened Cakes Tender, moist & velvety Contains solid fat, flour, salt, sugar, eggs, and liquid. About 300 calories Leavened by chemical agents either baking powder or baking soda.

Shortened Cakes Mixing Methods Conventional Method Stiff dry ingredients in 1 bowl; Mix liquid ingredients in another bowl; set aside Cream solid fat with sugar resulting in light & fluffy consistency Beat eggs into creamed mixture Alternate adding dry and liquid ingredients Overbeating causes a coarse texture One-Bowl Method Combine dry ingredients & add moist ingredients

Baking Shortened Cakes Cakes can be baked in many different sizes and shapes. Batter should fill no more that about half the pan. When finished they should have a thin shiny crust, nicely browned and slightly rounded. The sides should start to pull away from the pan. The top should feel firm but springy.

Baked in tube pan. Leavened by trapped air in a protein foam of stiffly beaten egg whites When beating egg whites make sure no fat is present, or foam will fail Use cream of tartar to stabilize the foam Baking Powder may also be added to some foam cakes Foam Cakes

Types of Foam Cakes Sponge Cakes Include egg yolks Jelly Roll Cakes Angel Food Fat Free; only 150 calories Chiffon Cakes Includes egg yolks & oil

Baking Foam Cakes Tube pan is needed to give support to the airy batter Foam cakes should spring back when done Cool the cake upside down to prevent the fragile structure from falling

What was it like to bake a pound cake in 1747? Original recipe called for a pound of each ingredient (butter, sugar, eggs & flour) Beat butter until it looks like a thick cream Beat egg whites, then beat them into butter with flour, sugar and egg yolks Beat well for another hour Bake in buttered pan in a quick oven Remember this was before electricity, all beating was by hand!