12.6 Pastry – Cream Pies
Objectives
- To review the principles of foam formation.
- To practice techniques of pastry preparation for a single crust pie.
- To apply principles of starch and egg cookery to a cream filling containing both ingredients.
Laboratory Problems
- Prepare a cream pie.
General Directions for Preparing a Cream Pie:
1. Bake 6-inch single crust pie shell
| Sifted Flour | ½ cup |
| Salt | ¼ tsp. |
| Lard
OR Vegetable shortening |
2 tbsp.
2 tbsp. + 1½ tsp. |
| Cold Water | 1 tbsp. (approx.) |
Preheat oven. Mix flour and salt; cut in fat until size of small peas. Sprinkle water over flour mixture while tossing lightly with a fork. Work dough against side of bowl until it holds together. Shape into a ball.
On lightly floured board or countertop, roll dough into circle about 8 inches in diameter, less than ⅛-inch thick or until only a slight dent remains when finger is pressed into dough. Use pastry guides to keep thickness even.
Carefully lift and ease into 6-inch pie pan without stretching. Trim off excess dough leaving ¼-inch overhang; fold this under itself and crimp crust without stretching.
Prick bottom and side of crust with a 4-tined fork. Bake at 425°F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. If crust bubbles in oven, prick with fork. Cool before filling.
- Prepare filling. See below. Cover; set aside while making soft meringue.
- Make merengue. See below.
- Top with soft meringue and bake. Pour hot filling into pie shell. Do not overfill; leave enough pie crust above the filling to allow meringue to seal. Spread meringue evenly over filling, sealing it to crust. Make swirls with spatula. Avoid making sharp peaks or ridges. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Soft Merengue
| 1 egg white | 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar |
| 2 tbsp. and 1 ½ tsp. sugar |
Separate egg. Reserve yolk for filling. Sift cream of tartar over egg white. Beat to beginning of soft peak stage. Gradually add sugar by teaspoons while beating, Beat to upper limit soft peak stage. Use immediately.
Vanilla Cream Pie
Bake 6-inch single crust pie shell; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
| ¼ cup sugar | 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten |
| 2 tbsp. + 1½ tsp. flour | 2 tsp. butter |
| dash salt | ½ tsp. vanilla |
| 1 cup milk | baked pie shell |
Stir together sugar, flour, and salt in saucepan. Combine milk and egg yolk and gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cover while making meringue, see above.
Pour hot filling into pie shell. Do not overfill; leave enough pie crust above the filling to allow meringue to seal. Spread meringue evenly over filling, sealing it to crust. Make swirls with spatula, but avoid making sharp peaks or ridges. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Chocolate Cream Pie
Bake 6-inch single crust pie shell; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
| ⅓ cup sugar | ⅓ oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut up |
| 2 tbsp. + 1½ tsp. flour | 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten |
| dash salt | 2 tsp. butter |
| 1 cup milk | ¼ tsp. vanilla |
Combine sugar, flour, and salt in saucepan. Stir in milk and chocolate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and chocolate is melted. Boil 1 minute. Gradually add about half the hot mixture to the egg yolk while stirring; then add to mixture in pan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cover while making meringue.
Pour hot filling into pie shell. Do not overfill; leave enough pie crust above the filling to allow meringue to seal. Spread meringue evenly over filling, sealing it to crust. Make swirls with spatula, but avoid making sharp peaks or ridges. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Bake 6-inch single crust pie shell ; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
| ⅓ cup sugar | 1 tbsp. butter |
| 1 tbsp. cornstarch | 1 tsp. grated lemon zest |
| 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten | 1 tbsp. lemon juice |
| ½ cup water |
Stir together sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Blend egg yolk with water; gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover while making meringue.
Pour hot filling into pie shell. Do not overfill; leave enough pie crust above the filling to allow meringue to seal. Spread meringue evenly over filling, sealing it to crust. Make swirls with spatula, but avoid making sharp peaks or ridges. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Butterscotch Cream Pie
Bake 6-inch single crust pie shell ; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
| ⅓ cup brown sugar | ½ cup milk |
| 2 tbsp. cornstarch | 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten |
| ⅛ tsp. salt | 2 tsp. butter |
| ½ cup water | ½ tsp. vanilla |
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Mix water, milk, and egg yolk; gradually add to starch-sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover while making meringue.
Pour hot filling into pie shell. Do not overfill; leave enough pie crust above the filling to allow meringue to seal. Spread meringue evenly over filling, sealing it to crust. Make swirls with spatula, but avoid making sharp peaks or ridges. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Characteristics of the Standard Product: Fruit Pies
Pastry:
| Appearance | Texture | Flavor |
|---|---|---|
|
Light golden brown color. Slightly blistered surface. |
Thin layers of baked dough. Crisp, dry, and tender. |
Delicate flavor influenced by the type of fat used. |
Filling
| Appearance | Texture | Flavor |
|
Filling contained within pie shell (should not cook out of vents excessively or out of edges). Fruit pieces plump, moist, and intact. Filling thickened, but flowing slightly when cut. Little or no soaking of bottom crust. |
Tender, soft fruit pieces. | Cooked flavor appropriate for type of fruit. |
Characteristics of the Standard Product for Cream Pies:
Filling
| Appearance | Texture | Flavor |
|---|---|---|
| Delicate gel structure that shows a slight bulge on cut edge. | Smooth, uniform texture that feels light. | Delicate flavor appropriate for type of pie. |
Meringue
| Appearance | Texture | Flavor |
|---|---|---|
|
Glossy, puffy, slightly irregular surface. Golden brown raised areas, depressions lighter in color. No beading or leakage. |
Easily cut, not sticky. Fine grained interior, thoroughly baked. Tender and slightly moist. |
Delicate, sweet flavor. |
Evaluation of Cream Pies
| Filling Flavor | Crust | Filling | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Soakage | Appearance & Viscosity | Flavor & Mouthfeel | |
| Vanilla | ||||
| Chocolate | ||||
| Lemon | ||||
| Butterscotch | ||||
Meringue
| Appearance: Volume, Browning, & Glossiness | Tenderness, Moistness, & Flavor | Beading |
