Beanie

Mottmott, Is the processor running when you dribble water through the top? Whenever I've done this, the dough has been overprocessed. I find that dribbling the water over the flour and then pulsing a couple of times works better for me. I haven't used the processor for the last few pie crusts, but I may try again. I also like to form the dough with plastic wrap as you described.

MICE???????? You mean they can't just be running willy nilly all over the floor scavenging up cookie crumbs? They have to be in place? That's a lot to ask, you know. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist......that's the funniest spelling error I've ever seen, and I had to take advantage of it...... I'm quite sure you meant, Mise en Place........ ← chefpeon... you are too funny!!!

But, you see, those cake designers are NOT working "for Martha". They are independent folks with their own businesses. When her mag features their work, it's great for them and gives them exposure, to be sure. But believe me, the cakes featured in the magazine, do get labeled as a "Martha" cake. I've been in the biz over 15 years, I've seen it. This is different than your GE analogy. When I was working at Great Cakes and Edible Monuments in Redmond, my cakes were "Great Cakes" cakes. I knew that and accepted that. Anything I created for them was their property. Just like your GE explanation. But now that I'm in business for myself, my cakes are MY cakes. I would not want one of my own creations to be featured in a Martha mag, and forever hence be labeled a "Martha" cake. I've worked too long and hard for that to happen. And so have those other cake designers. ← Thanks for clarifying that. I didn't realize they were independent; I thought they were among her many employees who create her various "domestic arts."

That's another reason I hate Martha.....her mags are filled with designs from talented, hard working cake artists, but the credits for the cakes are in very small print. What always ends up happening is that any cake featured in her magazines inevitably gets called a "Martha Stewart Cake". If I were one of the cake artists contributing my talents to the magazine, I'd certainly be upset that my design was being misconstrued as a "Martha" cake rather than an "Anne Welch Cake". ← If you're working for Martha, it gets her name. IMO, it's no different from a design engineer at GE who invents a new technology but the patent is owned by GE under the GE name and GE gets royalties, not the creator/designer. At least the cake artists are getting credit, even if it's in small print. This can be used to market themselves for future jobs or their own businesses.

That looks delicious. Please post your recipe. Thanks!

Ah, that makes more sense. So you're basically reheating your filling while the crust bakes. OK, I'm giving it a shot this weekend, I'll let you know how it comes out! ← Yup. I'm also baking this weekend...apple pie and blueberry. I'll report back too.

amyknyc, One other thing... when the frozen pie is baked, it will thaw from the outside in. The pie crust will thaw and start to brown while the filling is just starting to thaw. By the time the crust is done, the filling will be cooked, but not overcooked. Does this make sense? Maybe somebody else can correct me or explain better.

Thanks! Just so I understand, you pre-cook the fruit, put it in the crust and then freeze the whole thing overnight? I'm mystified as to how this doesn't overcook the apples, but willing to give it a shot... ← That's how I did it. But I didn't cook the apples for a long time; they were still a bit firm when I filled the pie crust. I am a novice baker trying out different methods, but this worked better for me than previous attempts that ended up soupy, with unbaked bottom crusts, and with large gaps between the top crust and the apples. After I made the apple pie I made a blueberry pie using frozen wild blueberries. This time I did not precook the fruit. I just tossed frozen BB with sugar, lemon juice, a dusting of cinnamon, and tapioca flour (just to try a different type of thickener), filled the crust, topped with streussel, froze the whole thing overnight, and baked from frozen state. I was very pleased with the results. I didn't follow a recipe; I just tried to do it on my own to get a feel for it. Let us know what you decide to do and how it worked out.

Patrick, I made a precooked apple pie filling almost exactly the same way -- except for the ginger, which I must try next time -- and filled it into a pie crust based on Wendy's all-butter pie crust recipe in RecipeGullet. It was fantastic. I am wondering if you made a 9" pie and if the 3 lb. measure is the weight before or after peeling and coring the apples? I use IQF apples and I'm never quite sure how much to weight out for a 9" pie, 10", etc. I just kinda wing it as I go along Wendy's recipe is for a large quantity, so I scaled it back but must have made a mistake in my calculations. I think a 9" pie shell needs about 12 oz. of dough (approx. 24 oz. for double crust), but I only had about 19 oz. total, so I made a small pie (about 8.5 inches wide) and used about 2 lbs. of apples. I followed Wendy's suggestions and froze the pie, then baked it at 325 degrees (convection) from the frozen state for about 2 hours... maybe a little too long for a small pie, but it was the first pie I've ever baked that had a noticeably cooked bottom crust --almost crunchy. It was great. ← I came across this thread trying to brainstorm ideas for an apple pie this weekend. Do you know if the freezing process would work well if I don't have a convection oven? Would I have to cook the pie even longer or adjust the temp? I'm desperately trying to end up with an apple pie filling that doesn't turn to soup (like so many ones before). Thanks! ← I don't see why it wouldn't work with a conventional oven. Convections are usually set about 50 degrees lower than conventional, so I'd try it at a higher setting (use an oven thermometer so you know the real temperature.) But really, all ovens are different and I think you'll have to experiment. The size of the pie, type of pie pan used, etc. will affect the time required. One thing I wanted to mention is that the apples I used were partially frozen when I started sauteeing them and they gave up alot of water. I added about a tablespoon of cornstarch (dissolved in a bit of cold water) and reduced the liquid. The pie turned out nice and juicy without being soupy.

Wendy's pie crust recipes are in RecipeGullet. Just do a search for "pie crust." I don't see an apple pie recipe, but she's discussed her methods of making apple pie in many threads. Check out posts 37 and 57 on this thread I just did a search for "apple pie" and many threads popped up. There's so much to learn from so many people.

Ditto. I received a delivery from my supplier last week and was surprised to see the applies packaged by Dole (they've branched out beyond pineapples, I guess ). The variety of apple is not identified but it is tart and very good. I used them to make the pie I described earlier in this thread.

Because I am cheap, I bought a yard of cotton non-woven fabric at JoAnn Fabrics for about $2.50, cut it into strips, and used it the same way as K8memphis described ... wet the strip thoroughly, squeeze dry, wrap around pan, fasten with paper clip, stapler, or pin. The fabric tends to stretch when wet, but you just pull it as tight as needed. After about 15 minutes in the oven, the fabric slips off the pan, but by then it's done its job. Works like a charm.

Sorry to hear about your situation. I have a few more comments about Cook's Illustrated taste testings on vanilla. The most recent taste test (in February) is described on its web site, but only by subscription. This is a summary of the test: They tested 7 real and 2 artificial extracts in a panna cotta recipe. They also followed a standard industry protocol of mixing each extract with milk to detect specific characteristics of the extract. Eighteen people participated in the test. They were shocked at the results. Nobody could tell the difference. Artificial extracts took first and third place in the panna cotta tasting and the top two spots in the milk tasting. Nielsen-Massey and Penzey were the top two real extracts. I don't know what brands of artificial extract were, but I bet McCormick would be fine.

The original recipe called for a 375 degree oven, but you have a convection oven which should usually be set about 50 degrees lower. I'd definitely try it at 300 degrees and I'd also try baking the cookies from a frozen state. But really, they look so good. I wish I could jump through the computer screen and grab them! ← No, no, no. I also have a convection oven and use this same recipe at 375. The goal is to get the outside cooked enough to set the shape before there is too much spread, then just finish cooking through. Maybe there is not as much difference between standard and regular with a home convection oven vs. a commercial one. Lower the temp and you'll get too much spread. I'd prefer you to keep your temp and adjust your baking time if need be. Of course, every oven is different so you'll figure yours out. ← Oops. I should have re-read the original post as I forgot about the spreading problem. Agree they should be baked at higher temp from frozen state. Sorry for any confusion or misinformation .

Patrick, I made a precooked apple pie filling almost exactly the same way -- except for the ginger, which I must try next time -- and filled it into a pie crust based on Wendy's all-butter pie crust recipe in RecipeGullet. It was fantastic. I am wondering if you made a 9" pie and if the 3 lb. measure is the weight before or after peeling and coring the apples? I use IQF apples and I'm never quite sure how much to weight out for a 9" pie, 10", etc. I just kinda wing it as I go along Wendy's recipe is for a large quantity, so I scaled it back but must have made a mistake in my calculations. I think a 9" pie shell needs about 12 oz. of dough (approx. 24 oz. for double crust), but I only had about 19 oz. total, so I made a small pie (about 8.5 inches wide) and used about 2 lbs. of apples. I followed Wendy's suggestions and froze the pie, then baked it at 325 degrees (convection) from the frozen state for about 2 hours... maybe a little too long for a small pie, but it was the first pie I've ever baked that had a noticeably cooked bottom crust --almost crunchy. It was great.

The original recipe called for a 375 degree oven, but you have a convection oven which should usually be set about 50 degrees lower. I'd definitely try it at 300 degrees and I'd also try baking the cookies from a frozen state. But really, they look so good. I wish I could jump through the computer screen and grab them!

I honestly think Marie deserves an explanation from her inspector before selling her mixers and buying a new one. I just did a Google search for the K5 model Commercial and it looks exactly like my K5A home mixer, down to the beaters and other accessories.

I'm really interested in knowing why the mixers were fine during the first three inspections but all of a sudden during the 4th inspection they are inadequate. Did the inspector give any reason? If not, I would certainly ask for an explanation. If the code prohibits use of non-NSF equipment, the inspector should be able to give you a copy of the code free of charge. But why didn't this come up during the first 3 inspections? It doesn't make sense. Was the inspector new? Inspectors are notorious for being inconsistent, and I would follow JFLinLA's suggestion about finding other businesses that use the same equipment and taking the matter up to a higher level of management at the regulatory agency ... but in a cordial manner, of course, so you don't piss off the inspectors. Then they'll make your life really miserable. If the problem has to do with the lack of cage, point out that these 5 and 6 qt. models do not have cages because the openings are too small to get your paw into. As a compromise, you can suggest using the plastic pouring shield, which would make the opening even smaller. If it's the painted coating on the beater, it's true that they eventually chip but you can offer to buy a brand new one. I have an old 5 qt KA made by Hobart (the K5A model from the mid-1970s--a real workhorse) and I use it in my business. The coating on the flat beater did chip after many years of use, but I was able to get a replacement thru KA's website. They also have beaters with the burnished finish but not for the very old mixers. You can check here Please let us know how this works out for you. It really irks me; inspectors have no idea how hard it is to be in business. Good luck.

Ditto all the above suggestions. I've baked gingerbread many times in a bundt pan and I always spray the pan with Pam--the kind with flour in it (like Bakers Joy)-- and the cake never sticks. And the flour never shows either.

Is there a Whole Foods market near you? Most natural foods stores carry pastry flour in the bulk bin section. You can also purchase it direct from Bob's Red Mill . The 2005 catalog offers the following: 1-24 oz. bag for $1.46; a case of 4-24 oz bags for $5.26; a 5 lb. bag for $2.51, a case of 6-5 lbs for $13.22 and a 25 lb. bag for 11.89. Shipping from Oregon shouldn't be too expensive to your area.

Abra, I use unbleached white pastry flour or all purpose, depending on what I have on hand. I've never noticed a drastic difference, though the pastry flour produces a more tender product IMO. The other day I made Wendy's All Butter Pie Crust (in RecipeGullet) using white pastry flour and it came out great. Cake flour is bleached and has a lower protein level than either pastry or A.P. and I tend to think it would not make a good pie crust....but I never tried it. I've never used whole wheat pastry flour either. I think it would depend on how finely milled it is; mixing it with A.P. would probably work. There's an interesting discussion about different flours here.

[Then I roll the excess crust under the edge, tuck it into the pie pan, flute the edge, brush the top with egg wash (no egg wash on the edges!), cut steam vents (A is for Apple), and sprinkle with coarse vanilla sugar. Great demo! Can you give us tips on how you fluted the edge? The indentations are so deep and the "points" sticking out so well defined. I have so much trouble fluting even though directions always make it seem so easy. Thanks.

After cutting the marshmallows I rolled them in graham cracker crumbs and dipped them diagonally in chocolate. My chocolate skills are virtually non-existent, but they tasted good.

ConAgra's "King Midas" Extra Fancy, which is the first item shown on the above link, is the durum flour carried by Dutch Valley Foods (mentioned above by piazzola.) I am 99.9% sure that ConAgra doesn't offer online purchasing, but I think this brand is widely distributed through bakery supplers.... if you can use 50 lbs.

Four very interesting topics: locally milled flour -- important to "buy local" customers oldest mill in the state -- of great interest to historic preservation types, older customers (great grandpa used to work there in 1875, etc.) naturally-leavened -- a new concept for many customers and an educational opportunity; wood-burning oven -- unique; a real "wow" factor. I'd be interested in more info on all topics, but not necessarily printed on the bag. Don't print information that could become outdated. If the oldest mill in the state closes, you'll be stuck with obsolete bags. Same thing for locally milled flour; you may have to buy elsewhere for some unforeseen reason. I'd stick to the business information on the bag, possibly a picture of your wood burning oven. You can prepare flyers to stick in the bag with info about historic mill, leavening process, etc. Good luck!