A Pie Baker's Helpful Pie Tips

Assorted Pie Assembly Directions:

For Baked Pie Crust (also referred to as Baking Blind): Place rolled-out pastry in pie plate, gently press against bottom and sides of pan. Trim overhanging edge of pastry about 1-inch from the pie plate's edge. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan edge. Flute the edge. Prick crust thoroughly on the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork to help prevent the dough from blistering and "puffing up" as it bakes. Or, you can line the unbaked pastry shell with foil or parchment paper, fill with dried beans or rice, clean pebbles (a French practice) or specialty pie weights made of metal or ceramic. The weights and foil or parchment paper should be removed a few minutes before the baking time is over to allow the crust to brown evenly. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool before filling. Proceed with recipe's directions.
For Unbaked One-Crust Pie Shell: Place rolled-out pastry in pie plate, gently press against bottom and sides of pan. Trim overhanging edge of pastry about 1-inch from the pie plate's edge. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan edge. Flute the edge. (Do not prick the crust before filling or it will seep under the crust during baking.) Refrigerate while preparing filling. Pour filling in chilled pie shell and proceed with recipe directions for baking.
For Unbaked Two-Crusted Pie: Double recipe above. Place rolled-out pastry in pie plate and gently press dough into sides of pan, leaving portion that overhangs edge of pie plate in place. Refrigerate while preparing filling. Turn in the desired filling. Moisten the edge of the pastry with water, then carefully place top crust over filling. Trim top and bottom edges to 1-inch beyond pan edge. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan edge. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Vent the top crust by pricking with the tines of a fork or making slits with a sharp knife in several places. (This allows steam to escape during baking.) Proceed with recipe directions for baking.

Assorted Pie Tops:

For a Lattice-Top: Prepare pastry for a two-crust pie, leaving 1-inch overhang on bottom crust. After rolling circle for top crust, cut into strips about 1/2-inch wide. (Use a pastry wheel for decorative strips.) Place 5 to 7 strips (depending on size of pie) across filling in pie plate. Weave a cross-strip through center by first folding back every other strip going the other way. Continue weaving until lattice is complete, folding back alternate strips each time cross-strip is added. (Or, to save time, do not weave strips. Simply lay second half of strips across first strips.) Trim ends of strips. (Strips can be twisted as they are placed on pie, if desired.) Fold trimmed edge of lower crust over ends of strips, building up a high edge. Seal and flute. Proceed with recipe directions.
For a Diamond Top: Lay or weave second half of pastry strips diagonally across first strips on filling.
For a Spiral Top: Begin from center of pie. Twist one strip and coil it outward on pie, adding length by moistening ends of other strips and pinching together. Moisten trimmed edge of bottom crust; place tightly twisted pastry strip around edge, pressing to seal.

Fluting the Edge:

For a Cutout Edge: Trim overhang even or flatten pastry on rim. use tiny cookie cutter, thimble or hand-cut tiny leaves, hearts, circles, etc., from pastry scraps. Moisten rim and place cutouts around rim, overlapping if desired. Press into place.
For a Fork Edge: Flatten pastry evenly on rim of pie plate. Press firmly around with tines of a fork. To prevent sticking, dip fork in flour.
For a Pinch Edge: Place index finger on inside of pastry rim and knuckles (or thumb and index finger) on outside. Reverse the position if it is more comfortable. Pinch pastry into V-shape along entire edge. Pinch again to sharpen.
For a Rope Edge: Place side of thumb on pastry rim at an angle. Pinch pastry by pressing the knuckle of your index finger down into pastry toward thumb.

Pastry Tips for Success:

Always use of a quality brand of vegetable shortening is very important for a successful pie crust that is tender and flaky. My personal preference is the brand, Crisco.
A pastry blender is a great help to cut in shortening evenly. If you don't own one, purchase one! It's the "cutting in" of the shortening into tiny lumps that gives pastry its flaky texture.
If your hands are unusually warm, then "cool" them off with a couple of ice cubes and then drying thoroughly before handling the dough. The cooler the dough during preparation, the flakier the crust.
Anchor a pastry cloth around a board with tape and use a cloth cover for your rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking. Rub flour into both; this will prevent sticking, yet the flour won't be absorbed by the dough.
Due to the amount of fat in pastry and crusts, pie plates or pans are not usually greased.
Nonstick pie pans can cause pastry to shrink excessively when baking one-crust pie shells. Be sure pastry is securely hooked over the edge of a nonstick pan.
Do not stretch the dough to fit the pie pan, it will shrink from the edge if you do. Make sure to roll it out at least 1-inch larger than the pie pan.
Do not overwork the dough, less handling makes a more tender and flaky crust.
For pumpkin and custard pies, brush beaten egg over unbaked pastry shell before filling. This helps prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
A pair of kitchen scissors makes the best tool to evenly trim the overhanging edge of the pastry before folding under and fluting.
Brushing the top crust with slightly beaten egg white will give it a glazed look.
Brushing the top with milk will give a shiny appearance.
Sprinkling the top crust with granulated or turbinado (raw) sugar will give a delightful sparkling appearance.
Cutting designs such as apples and leaves out of excess dough and "gluing" them onto the unbaked pastry by moistening the underside of the cut-out, makes another lovely decoration for your "masterpiece".