Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Conquer Pie Dough

For many home bakers, creating a flavorful, tender pie or tart crust is a fearful and challenging process filled with questions. How is it that some home bakers consistently produce flaky, crispy, and tender crusts or shells while others consistently find this task so daunting? As pie and tart dough […]

Pies and Tarts

Cookie Crumb Crust

Makes one 9-inch pie or tart pan This master crumb crust recipe can be made with a variety of cookies, including oatmeal, gingersnap, chocolate, and sugar cookies. Be sure to select crispy, dry cookies and avoid soft or filled ones. A crust prepared with them will not hold together and […]

Pies and Tarts

Cornmeal Pastry Dough

Makes one disc, enough for one 9-inch single-crust pie This crispy cornmeal crust was developed to be used for both savory and sweet pies. It is especially good paired with stone fruit pies and galettes—just be sure to purchase a high-quality, stone-ground fine cornmeal for the best flavor. Sweet Cornmeal […]

Pies and Tarts

Erin McDowell’s Double-Crust Berry Galette

Makes one 10-by-5-inch galette This recipe comes from friend-of-the-CIA, Erin McDowell, a 2009 graduate of our Hyde Park, NY campus. Erin is now a food writer, recipe developer, and talented food stylist, especially well known for her beautiful pies! She has shared this amazing summer berry recipe from her first […]

Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie If you have never had a fresh blueberry pie, this is the classic recipe to try. The top crust is formed with overlapping star cutouts, making it perfect for the Fourth of July—high season for fresh blueberries!

Pies and Tarts

Fudgy Walnut Brownie Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie The filling for this pie is reminiscent of a fudgy, dense brownie studded with walnuts and bittersweet chocolate chunks. The crispy chocolate crumb crust is an added bonus in both flavor and texture. If you prefer a moister, denser texture to the filling, bake for 35 […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Home School: Par-Baking Pie Dough

Many pie and tart shells require partial baking (par baking) or fully prebaking the empty crust prior to filling. This method is termed blind baking. A pie or tart shell can benefit from partially baking before filling if it will be filled with a fruit that produces a significant amount […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Is Butter Better? Choosing the Right Fat for Pie Crust

Fats are an essential ingredient in baking, directly imparting flavor and influencing tenderness and flakiness in pie and tart crusts. Most pie and tart crusts need to be made with a solid fat in order to create their characteristic tender and flaky texture. The role of fats in creating crusts […]