All about the Pie

I have started to really love making pie. I have always liked it but now lets go ahead and call it love.

Last week in class we made two pies, apple and blueberry. I haven't had the chance to taste the blueberry but the apple was great. My favorite part of making any pie is the crust. I love making crust, rolling it out and making the top pretty. For my apple pie (I need to become a better photographer) I decorated the top crust with star cut outs. We made the blueberry pie in pairs and I volunteered to do the lattice. I just couldn't get enough of it so I went home and made a blackberry pie for a friend who was having a birthday party (with a plaid inspire lattice on top which I forgot to take a picture of). If anyone ever needs a pie, let me know.

After two weeks of class one theme is clear, there are no shortcuts in good baking. When making the pie crust for example, it is all done by hand. Up until this point I have been using a food processor to mix dough because that is what the recipe says to do. Also, the crust on the bottom should be different than the crust on top. You want a flaky crust on top but a flaky crust on the bottom will lead to a soggy bottom. The dry ingredients should all be sifted and pastry flour is the best. Most of our recipes are more complicated than anything I have done at home, even the brownies. They aren't more difficult, just more involved and time consuming. They also taste a lot better.

Friday was the best day ever. After making two pies that turned out nicely and getting an A on my biscuit practical (more on that later), we were treated to a soup and salad buffet put on by the catering class next door. Everything I had tasted amazing. I don't know how often they do buffets but I hope it happens again.

I love culinary school.