The Art and Soul of Baking

Devilishly Fun Halloween Cupcakes

I love Halloween – it’s all about pure fun and fantasy (and candy!). We usually have a big Halloween party after the trick-or-treating, with simple games that prolong the night (murder-by-wink is a favorite, as is the always-anticipated doughnut-eating contest, with favorite flavors tied to strings and no hands allowed). The hardest part is getting the kids through the time from the end of school through the dinner hour. It’s just too exciting! My plan is to keep them occupied. And one of the best ways to do so is with a “spirited” decorating project.

I know, I know, they’ve already had a party at school, and they are sugared-up beyond belief. But it’s only one night, and the occasional crazy over-indulgence is part of the fun of childhood. Luckily, Halloween is on a Friday night this year, so they can sleep off the sugar without worrying about getting up for school. After a couple of days, the candy “disappears,” and I’m lucky that my daughter never seems to notice or care. It’s more about the costumes, neighborhood haunting, and party atmosphere than the actual eating of the candy. So why add cupcakes to the mix? It’s not just a diversion to pass the time until it’s dark enough to head out the door; it’s also about creating memories in the kitchen.

Cupcakes are a good decorating choice because each kid gets one and there’s no fighting over portion size (“his slice is bigger than mine!”). Plus, they can take them home as favors and eat them the next day. Of course the cupcake has to be chocolate. And not just any chocolate cake – but DEVIL’s food cake. It’s more than the name of the cake. This recipe has plenty of kid appeal, while not being too sweet for the adults. It’s tender and dark and a perfect match for the simple dark ganache frosting that acts as soil for the graveyard decorations. Bake and frost the cupcakes in advance (or, if the kids are slightly older, you can let them frost the little cakes).

Set out the decorating supplies and give them some ideas, then watch as their imaginations go crazy. I like to use crushed chocolate cookies as “dirt,” but you could also use black non-pariels, black crystallized sugar, or chocolate jimmies. Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies are perfect gravestones, cut in half and stuck into the icing. Food coloring decorating pens are great for writing names or sayings on the gravestones before adding them to the cupcake. Look at your favorite candy store for spooky additions like candy skulls and pair them with gummy worms, or gummy body parts sticking out of the “grave.” Try gumball eyeballs staring up from the dirt, or candy insects crawling over the surface. Ghost Peeps are simple and easy – use lollipop sticks to attach them to the cupcake (I avoid toothpicks because some kids will poke themselves while trying to eat the Peeps).

For something simpler, dust the icing with cocoa powder or powdered sugar through a Halloween stencil. If you want to get into the craftier side of food, dip marshmallows in green candy melts, let harden, then pipe a Frankenstein face with dark chocolate. Cut pieces of Tootsie rolls and insert in the “neck” for electrodes. Following the same idea, dip marshmallows in orange candy melts and pipe jack-o-lantern faces in chocolate. For a witch hat, brush an ice cream cone (sugar cone variety) with dark chocolate candy melts and let it dry. Then use additional chocolate to glue it to a round chocolate cookie (such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers). If you like, pipe a buckle or stripes in orange or bright purple. You can put a couple of gumball eyeballs peeking out from underneath when you place it on the cupcake. You get the idea…wander the candy store for more inspiration. And Happy Halloween!!

More Devilishly Fun Halloween Cupcakes ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Pumpkin Spice Party Cake

The farmer’s market is full of pumpkins – tall and narrow, fat and round, these cheery orange orbs represent the change of seasons and the coming of Halloween. While they are great carved and lit with a candle, they are also a symbol for bakers. Their ridged, plumped presence is an early nod to pies and other treats imbued with the earthy flavor of fall. I’ll cover tips for making the best pumpkin pie in a few weeks, but for now, we’ll explore other options..

Pumpkin puree makes super moist, richly flavored baked goods. It is nearly always paired with the spices of pumpkin pie – that is, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice and nutmeg. So closely related are these spices with the flavor of pumpkin that Starbucks named a coffee drink “pumpkin spice latte,” a title that prevented me from trying the concoction for years. The thought of pumpkin and coffee together was just too disgusting for me. It was only later that I realized it was only the spices that were in the coffee, and not the flavor of pumpkin (whew!).

Aside from coffee, pumpkin is a welcome addition to my fall kitchen baking. Not only does it improve the moistness and keeping qualities of breads and pastries, but everyone is crazy for it this time of year. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin flan…it shows up in nearly every sweet imaginable. And even though it’s available canned year round, no one is much interested in pumpkin once Christmas is past. I’ve never understood this – after all, the beauty of pumpkins is that they hold all winter long, sustaining people through a bleak time of year when fresh-picked prospects are few. I mean, we eat apples all year and they are a late summer, early fall crop as well. No matter - we’re not pioneers anymore, and we get lovely produce all year long. I accept it. In fact, I’m glad that pumpkin is savored with such gusto during a single season.

Pumpkin spice cake layered with maple cream cheese frosting is one of my favorite party cakes in the fall. It’s gorgeous and inviting and colorful and absolutely delicious. You can make it as a layer cake, or bake it into cupcakes. It’s Halloween week, and no doubt you have a party or two to think about. For kids, make the cupcakes and top them with little candy pumpkins, black and orange sprinkles, or Halloween-themed cupcake toppers. For adults, go for the layer cake. It’s relatively easy as layer cakes go, and so tender and moist you’ll find yourself slicing away at it for days (if there’s any left at all). The dusky orange crumb is perfect for a spooky night, and the comforting flavors will have you settling in with a sigh of contentment.

I love caramel with pumpkin, so I suggest going a step beyond the layer cake below by leaving off the pecans on the sides of the cake and adding caramel to the top. Pour about ½ to ¾ cup of room temperature store-bought caramel sauce over the top of the cake. Use a small offset spatula to spread it evenly across the surface, letting it drip down the sides. Put a couple of teaspoons of store-bought chocolate sauce in a ziptop bag, squeeze it into one corner, then snip off the tip. Pipe it in a spiral beginning in the center of the cake and ending at the outer edge. Use the tip of a toothpick or paring knife to drag lines from the center of the spiral to the outer edge of the cake, about ½ to 1 inch apart. Instant spiderweb. Chill to set the frosting and caramel glaze, but be sure to remove it from the refrigerator at least 40 minutes before serving, so it has time to come to room temperature. Not creepy enough? Add a plastic tarantula as garnish.

More Pumpkin Spice Party Cake ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Rattling Meringue Bones

Meringue, a mixture of egg whites and sugar is a (super)natural for Halloween baking. Ghostly white, like the color of bare, bleached bones, meringue is a great medium for fun Halloween treats. Left soft and fluffy, meringue can be plopped on top of cupcakes, then shaped into ghostly figures using a couple of spoons or your clean fingers (tip: dip the spoons or fingers into cold water and shake off the excess, leaving a thin film of water – this will keep the meringue from sticking). Or pipe the meringue through a plain round tip onto parchment-lined baking sheets to form gravestones, skulls or, my favorite, fingers and bones, which are then baked until crisp and dry.

French meringue is the easiest type to make, and is what I use for my meringue bones. There are several things you can do to ensure success with meringue. Start with a clean bowl and whisk attachment or beaters – wash them in hot soapy water just before use. Separate your eggs carefully so there are no bits of yolk in the whites (fat and dirt inhibit the whipping of whites, and may render them completely useless). Have everything you need ready to complete the project prepped and ready-to-use before you begin whipping. Preheat the oven. Trace your templates onto parchment (or simply pipe freehand, if you prefer), and turn the parchment pencil-side down on the baking sheet. For templates, draw a bone or finger, or trace around a bone-shaped dog treat. Put your piping tip in your pastry bag. If you are going to make bony fingers, paint whole, blanched almonds with red or black food coloring to use as fingernails, and give them 30 minutes to dry before starting the meringue (or, use candy-covered wedding almonds, which come in an array of pastel and bright colors).

In addition to being fun and creepy and sweetly delicious all at the same time, these are great make-ahead treats. They are baked for an hour, then left in a turned-off oven all night to finish drying completely. In the morning, they will be, ahem, bone-dry and very crispy. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep for weeks. Note: Do not attempt to make these on a humid day or they will never dry properly, remaining soft and soggy. The bony fingers with colored nails will be finished when baked, but I like to finish any other types of bones with a bit of “blood.” Melt white candy melts and tint with red food color (or purchase dark red melts if you can find them). Holding a bone by one end straight up and down, pour a spoonful of red “blood” over the end of the bone, allowing any excess to drip down the length of the bone. Once the chocolate has stopped moving, set the bone down on the parchment and allow the “blood” time to cool and set. You can also use this technique on the fingers, dipping the severed end of the finger in the “blood.” For a bit of extra fun, melt some additional colored-melts and pipe fancy rings on the fingers – you can even top the “jewels” with sparkling sugar crystals for extra glamour. These are good, crunchy cookie snacks, and are great fun tucked into clear cellophane bags tied with a black bow as party favors. I’ve even served them with chocolate fondue!

More Rattling Meringue Bone ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Spookily Simple Spider Web Tart

Halloween is on the way…yards are decorated with whimsical and gruesome scenes, stores are filled with witches, skeletons, bats and spider webs, and kids are obsessing over costumes and candy. This holiday has grown in popularity and scale over the years, and I admit it’s one of my very favorites. It’s all about fantasy and fun (at least in my house – I try to leave most of the gore to others). It’s the kick-off of the holiday season, and everyone seems to get into the spirit, from kids to grandparents. And even though it’s just one night, there’s no reason it can’t be celebrated in the weeks and days leading up to the big night. Up go the decorations, and out comes some fun twists on dessert.

Sometimes I get very elaborate with holiday food, and sometimes I play it simple, with just a nod to the season. It may be a kid-oriented holiday, but that doesn’t mean adults can’t have fun, too. A holiday that celebrates sugar and treats? I’m there! I have to admit, though, I get tired of the sweet treats made with all that fakey junk food stuff, like twinkies dipped in chocolate and decorated like coffins with black gum drop spiders on top. Sure, it’s cute food crafting, but do you really want to eat that? It’s not hard to make real, handcrafted treats that everyone will enjoy eating, and that have some eerily fun decorations as well. This week, I’m going to offer simple, spooky, yet delicious fare, and next week, we’ll look at some fun sweets that take a bit more time, but are definitely more intense in the Halloween theme.

Today I’m offering a simple chocolate ganache tart, with a spider web design drawn on top. The crust is an easy press-in chocolate tart dough, and the filling is nothing more than equal parts dark chocolate and warmed heavy cream blended until smooth. While the filling is still warm, melted white chocolate is piped on top in a spiral, then pulled with a toothpick into a web pattern. That’s it. A few creepy plastic spiders (wash in cool soapy water and hand dry) on top would definitely add that extra Halloween touch and a bit of fun to this luscious, deeply chocolate dessert. For a different garnish, leave off the spider web and chill the tart until firm. Place a Halloween-themed stencil on top and dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar for a fun and graphic finish.

More Spookily Simple Spider Web Tart ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Desserts with Joe

In France, coffee is not served with dessert – it is offered only after the dessert course is finished. Here, the first thing a diner is asked after ordering dessert is, “Would you like some coffee with that?” I have to admit, a smooth, deep coffee is wonderful with something sweet…so why not put the coffee into the dessert? It’s a natural partner in the final course, since its bitter flavor helps to balance the inherent sweetness.

If I had to choose my favorite coffee dessert, it would be coffee ice cream. I love the cool, creamy sweetness against the bitter, bracing jolt of coffee. Put a small scoop between two crispy chocolate cookies and I’m in heaven. The weird thing is…I rarely drink coffee. I mean, considering all the espresso powder and coffee I use in desserts, one would think I’m a hard-core coffee addict. I guess I do like coffee, as long as it tastes like coffee ice cream – that is, with plenty of sugar, and milk or cream. I don’t think I’m alone. Look at the popularity of all those fancy coffee drinks at the coffeehouse – each one is a dessert!

When it comes to coffee desserts, I’m powerless in the presence of well-made tiramisu, that favorite of Italian sweets consisting of sponge cake soaked with espresso-rum syrup, and layered with sweetened mascarpone, and grated chocolate. The name, translated as “pick-me-up,” refers directly to the coffee within. Another one of my favorite Italian desserts is even simpler to make. Called “gelato affogato,” or “drowned ice cream,” it is an ice cream sundae of sorts consisting of a scoop of ice cream “drowned” with a shot of espresso topped with a spoonful of whipped cream. The ice cream starts to melt and blend with the hot espresso, creating a wonderful play of hot and cold with sweet and bitter. No doubt you can think of your own favorite coffee-spiked desserts.

And while the examples above offer a bold coffee profile, when used in moderation it can enhance other flavors without taking the front seat. For example, a bit of instant espresso powder or pure coffee extract added to a dark chocolate dessert makes the chocolate taste even more, well, chocolate-y, without tasting like coffee. It’s a trick pastry chefs have long used to boost and compliment the complex flavors of dark chocolate. Coffee is also a wonderful partner to milk and white chocolate endings, tempering their sweetness and adding another layer of flavor to the dessert.

Custards in particular are a great medium for coffee because you can infuse the milk and/or cream portion of the custard with actual coffee beans for a rich coffee flavor. Infusing is similar to making tea. You add the beans to the hot liquid and let the mixture sit. Once the flavor is strong enough, you simply strain out the coffee beans and continue with the recipe. Since you learned about the tricks to baking perfect custard in my last posting, give the Coffee Cardamom Pots de Crème below a try. The blend of flavors is intoxicating.

For many other desserts, this infusing method isn’t practical. In those cases, my favorite way to add a punch of coffee flavor is by adding a bit of instant espresso powder. And my favorite instant espresso powder is the Medaglia d’Oro brand from Italy. This small glass jar with a green lid and a label bearing the colors of the Italian flag boasts very fine granules that dissolve almost instantly, and the flavor is clean and pure. It is available in some supermarkets and many Italian delis and specialty shops. If you use an instant espresso with large, chunky granules, you’ll need to dissolve them in a tiny bit of warm water first, essentially making your own coffee extract. Try it in your favorite cake or cheesecake batter, cookie dough, even meringue. Desserts with joe are always a favorite, with or without a cup of coffee alongside.

More Desserts with Joe ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Silken Custards

One of my long-time fascinations with pastry and baking is the almost limitless number of products that can be made with only a few simple ingredients. Take, for example, custards. The basic components are only eggs, sugar, and milk or cream. Yet the variety of possible flavors, textures and presentations is nearly endless. Members of this family include:

• Crème anglaise, a thick and velvety custard sauce served with many desserts
• French ice cream, which is that same crème anglaise frozen in an ice cream machine.
• Crème brulee, the richest of baked custards served chilled and topped with a thin crust of crackling caramel
• Pot de crème, a medium-rich baked custard that is always served in its baking dish
• Flan, also called crème caramel, a lean baked custard which is always turned out of its caramel-lined baking dish
• Cheesecakes, rich or lean, sweet or savory, always delicious
• Bread pudding, bread soaked with custard and baked
• Bavarian, a freestanding gelatin dessert with a light, mousse-like texture

Baked custards are one of our most well-loved comfort foods, and are great make-ahead desserts for entertaining, since they need a long cooling time in the refrigerator before serving. Baked custards include crème brulee, pot de crème, flan, cheesecake and bread pudding, and they all share a silken texture. To achieve that texture we all love, you must understand the ingredient that makes it all possible – eggs.

Eggs are the thickening and binding agents in custard. When heated gently, they hold everything in a delicate suspension, forming a tender network of strength. There are 3 key steps in baking custards, and the first is to go “low and slow.” That is, set a low oven temperature, about 325F and let them take their time. If you’ve ever scrambled eggs for breakfast quickly over a high heat, you know that while speedy, a high flame makes eggs toughen, and take on an unpleasant rubbery quality. It’s just the same with custards. Custards baked at too high a temperature, or those left in the oven too long, turn grainy and ultimately scramble into a curdled mess.

The second component that is often part of the slow-baking equation is a water bath. Known to professionals as a “bain marie,” a water bath insulates the custards from fluctuating temperatures, and moderates the exchange of heat between oven and eggs. To make a bain marie, choose a baking or roasting pan which will accommodate your custard dish(es), and is big enough to allow at least an inch between dishes, as well as the sides of the pan. Place the filled dish(es) in the pan, and then add enough hot water (faucet hot, not boiling hot) to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. This will ensure they bake at a consistent, low temperature.

The third key to silken smoothness is covering the custards as they bake. Creating a moist environment prevents the custards from forming a “skin” of leathery proteins on the surface, a result of direct exposure to dry heat. The foil traps some of the steam, preventing skin formation. A piece of foil laid flat across the top of the pan works well for this task. Don’t crimp the edges tightly onto the pan in an attempt to form an airtight seal, for if all the steam is trapped, the custards will quickly overcook. It’s custard, not steamed broccoli. Simply crimp the foil gently in 2 or 3 places around the pan, just to hold it in place, while allowing plenty of areas for steam to escape. Of the baked custards described above, crème brulee, pots de crème and flan all require a water bath and cover, while cheesecake and bread pudding can be baked successfully either with or without them – it’s up to the recipe and the discretion of the cook.

To tell when the custards are done baking, tap one of the dishes gently with a kitchen knife or wooden spoon handle. The sides should be set, but there should still be a loose looking area in the center of the custard, about the size of a dime in diameter. If you are using a large 8 to 10-inch dish or pan, you’ll want to look for a quarter-sized area. Remove from the oven, lift the dish(es) out of the water bath and allow them to cool to room temperature before chilling. To test for doneness in a bread pudding, uses a spoon to press down firmly in the center – if liquid custard comes up around the spoon, it needs more time, but if no liquid pools, then the pudding is finished.

More Silken Custard ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Fall Filo

I’m forever collecting half-used boxes of filo in my refrigerator, always leftover from baklava (for which I have quite the reputation – but that’s another story). They’re great for a quick dessert, since the filo is already thawed and ready-to-use. One of my favorites this time of year is Roasted Pear Strudel with Cranberries and Golden Raisins, offered below. Served warm with soft cream or a spoonful of vanilla ice cream, it’s a study in crisp, crackly filo contrasted with melting nuggets of pear, sweet against the tartness of the dried cranberries. And it’s versatile…casual enough to enjoy during a movie on the couch, and special enough to serve on your finest china for a party.

The hardest thing about making the strudel is purchasing and thawing the filo correctly – the rest is pretty simple. If you live in certain neighborhoods in this country, you may be able to purchase freshly made filo, which I would highly recommend, for it’s silky, flexible texture is a pleasure to use in baking. But let’s face it, most of us don’t have access to fresh filo. Oh, I suppose you could make your own, but it’s not exactly the sort of thing you whip up in time for tonight’s party dessert. Nope, for most of us, a swing by the supermarket freezer section is the only way to get our hands on some filo. And while frozen filo is convenient, it can also be a bit tricky to work with. After many years of using it, I’ve developed a list of tips to ensure success.

• Always choose boxes from the back of the freezer case, where the temperature is more constant. Those in the front can begin to thaw, and once filo begins to thaw and then is re-frozen, it can stick together unmercifully, making it impossible to separate the sheets for baking.
• Always buy an extra box. Thawed and refrozen dough is the enemy of ease-of-use when it comes to filo. Sometimes the dough thaws along the route from the factory to your shopping cart – perhaps it sat on the loading dock too long, or it was left out too long by the shelf stocker, or…you get the idea. That’s why I suggest you buy an extra box – even if the dough is in bad shape, you can always pull together enough sheets from the two boxes to make whatever recipe you want. If you don’t use the second box, it’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks – great for future sweet or savory dishes.
• The night before you want to use the filo, transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it thaw slowly overnight. A long slow thaw helps to keep the sheets separate. Filo transferred from the freezer to counter for a quick-thaw usually results in condensation on the sheets, leaving them soggy and useless.
• The next day, let it sit on the counter for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, to come to room temperature before you use it. Cold filo cracks when unrolled, while room temperature filo moves easily.
• Keep the filo covered while working. The dough dries out quickly and becomes brittle when exposed to the air. To prevent this, lay the filo sheets on a work surface and cover the stack with a piece of plastic wrap several inches larger than the sheets on all sides (you may have to overlap a couple pieces of plastic). Then drape a damp towel over the plastic – never let the towel come directly in contact with the filo or it will make the sheets soggy. The towel is just there to hold the plastic wrap in place and keep air from getting to the dough.
• Fold back the towel and plastic to expose the filo whenever you need to take out a few sheets, then cover the remaining sheets until you need a few more. If you work very quickly, you might not need to cover/uncover often, but it’s best to err on the side of covering, since dried out filo disintegrates in your hands like ancient paper.
• Any leftover sheets of filo can be rolled up, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and returned to the box. Refrigerate (do not refreeze) for up to 3 weeks.
• When brushing the filo with melted butter, use a soft-bristle brush, for stiff or plastic bristles can tear the delicate dough.
• Use the butter sparingly – each sheet needs only the sheerest whisper of butter. Too much butter makes greasy, leaden filo pastries.

Once you’ve got your filo thawed and ready to use, all sorts of ideas come to mind. Filo pizza, topped with feta, olives and oregano; filo napoleons, with rectangles of layered dough alternating with whipped cream and berries; filo cups made by layering filo, cutting it into circles, pressing it into muffin tins, and baking until crisp – fill with ice cream or ratatouille (small cups made in mini muffin tins are great appetizers). I’m sure you could look around your kitchen and come up with your own ideas in a matter of minutes. And that’s really the best part – the fun and versatility that filo offers the home baker.

More Fall Filo ideas and recipes follow after the jump.

Quick Breads for Dinner

Homemade bread for dinner is one of those things that sounds so lovely, but the reality of work, school and extra-curricular activities means that it rarely happens. But there are breads for the table that can be prepared in almost no time, and are easy enough for a hectic weeknight. They are known collectively as quick breads, and they range from muffins to loaf breads to biscuits and popovers. Most can be prepared for the oven in less than 15 minutes, and deliver much of the same soul-stirring satisfaction as yeast breads, but with a lot less time and effort.

Quick breads rely on baking powder and baking soda, or sometimes simply air whipped into a batter, instead of yeast for leavening. Their instant rising action makes them “quick” compared to the long, slow rise of yeasted breads and baked goods. Which makes them perfect partners for a fast dinner. And while we think of many quick breads as sweet in nature (blueberry muffins, banana bread or fruit scones), they are just delicious when savory. I make the addictive Feta, Roasted Pepper and Basil muffins offered below on a regular basis to rave reviews, and they’re so easy it’s almost embarrassing! For a simple supper, serve them warm with a crisp salad. They’re also terrific alongside roasted or grilled meats. Tender buttermilk biscuits are also fast and fabulous, and the dough can even be prepared in advance, cut into shapes, then frozen and baked fresh whenever you want them. Popover batter is whisked together in less than a minute, then transforms in the oven into huge, crispy balloons of dough in about 20 minutes.

But it’s cornbread I crave right now. Maybe it’s the abundance of fresh corn at the market, or the snap of fall in the air and the whisper of Thanksgiving around the bend. No matter, cornbread is on my mind, and while it’s delicious as a classic loaf, there are other options. One of my favorite recipes is a skillet cornbread that separates into 3 distinct layers during baking– a thick, crunchy top, a corn pudding in the center, and a caramelized crust on the bottom. And the icing on the cake is that it’s ready for the oven in about 5 minutes. I’ve included the recipe below, but beware - it’s the kind of thing you could devour all by yourself.

Here’s a tip that will make anything you cook with cornmeal taste even more, well, corny: Toast the cornmeal before using it in a recipe. If you have access to freshly ground cornmeal, toasting won’t be necessary, the flavor will be rich and fresh. But I find that store-bought cornmeal can often taste a bit lackluster and dusty. Toasting it takes only a few minutes, and brings out the full, rich flavor of corn. Heat a dry skillet over a high flame. When the pan is hot, add the cornmeal and toss or stir frequently for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cornmeal is very fragrant and has a golden, toasted look (it should not turn brown or it will be bitter). Remove the pan from the heat and pour the cornmeal onto a plate or baking sheet to cool before using it in a recipe. This simple step can turn a good cornbread into a great one.

More Quick Breads for Dinner ideas and recipes follow after the jump.

Pie Crust Demystified

“Teach me to make pie crust!” my students in baking class wail. And it’s true, crisp flaky pie dough is one of the holy grails for anyone who loves to bake. It took me years to get comfortable with flaky dough, mostly because I came to it so completely intimidated.

There were all those rules that were just vague enough to be dangerous:

“Don’t add too much water to the dough” – but how much is too much?

“Don’t use too much flour to roll out the dough” – so less must be better, right?

“You have to use shortening if you want flaky dough” – no one ever made decent flaky dough before man invented hydrogenated vegetable oil?

“Don’t overwork the dough” – so I should barely combine it?

“Roll the dough up and over the rolling pin, then unroll it over the pan” – huh?

Here’s the truth: Delicious, golden brown, flaky pie dough is absolutely within your reach, even on the first or second try. In fact, it’s not even that difficult. You just need to know the ground rules and understand how this dough works. And don’t stress about perfection - its pie dough, not world peace for goodness sake. Even if your dough is less than perfect, a homemade pie served warm from the oven with plenty of ice cream is light years beyond anything you can buy at the store.

Types of Pie Dough

To begin, understand that there are 2 kinds of pie dough – flaky and mealy. You can even use the exact same recipe to make both types of dough. The difference is that flaky dough has larger pieces of butter, while the butter pieces in mealy dough are so small that they nearly blend into the flour. These differences in butter size translate directly to the texture of each crust – flaky dough is, well, flaky and just the tiniest bit chewy, while mealy dough is very tender, and crumbles when you cut it.

Home bakers (and, ahem, even some professionals) start out to make flaky dough, and make mealy dough by accident when the “cut-in” portion of the preparation goes too far and their dough is speckled with teensy, tiny butter specks, rather than the larger pieces needed. This often occurs if you make your pie dough start to finish in a food processor, or simply get carried away with a pastry blender. It is not a tragedy – mealy dough is perfectly delicious and usable in the same applications as flaky dough. It’s just not flaky. Let’s explore flaky further.