By some means it’s been 2 years since I shared a Recipe Testing submit with you! Despite the fact that each new recipe I publish goes by means of a number of levels of testing, I haven’t had the time to sit down down and share a whole submit documenting my latest assessments and baking blunders. (And belief me, there are lots of fails!)
With out realizing it, my behind-the-scenes posts form of took a pause in 2020—like most issues in life did—and I simply hunkered down and targeted on publishing recipes as typically as I may. My staff has expanded since (welcome, Beth!), and we have now a brand new system for in-house kitchen work. Lately, new recipes you see on my web site are examined greater than they ever have been earlier than, and we’re even going again and sprucing up previous recipes to make them higher—like honey soy salmon, breakfast casserole, and better-than-ever zucchini bread.
This implies there was SO. MUCH. BAKING!
(And I’m within the technique of securing a publishing home for my 4th cookbook. I can’t wait to share extra particulars, hopefully quickly!!)
In at this time’s Recipe Testing submit, I’m sharing the pie testing we’ve been doing over the summer season. From-scratch pie might be onerous work, so my staff and I repeatedly examined the next pies so the outcomes are value your effort and time.
Higher-Than-Ever Blueberry Pie
Reader critiques reporting a soupy filling impressed me to transform the baking directions on my blueberry pie recipe (initially revealed in 2016), and make a slight change to the filling substances. My staff and I examined a LOT of blueberry pies as we looked for the magic trick to a superbly flavorful, non-runny blueberry pie. The magic trick is persistence.
The earlier model of the recipe was advantageous, however the outcomes have been by no means constant. I typically had runny, under-baked pies like this:
Even the dough was uncooked generally.
Within the up to date recipe, that you must bake the pie for longer, begin with an preliminary excessive temperature after which decrease it, and let the pie cool utterly to totally arrange. All of the testing was definitely worth the effort, as a result of this really is the greatest blueberry pie I’ve ever had. And the latest feedback from readers who’ve made the brand new model appear to agree!
New model units up so significantly better. Massive distinction:
Peach Pie Filling That Units
For peach pie, I up to date the baking directions so it’s extra just like the brand new baking directions for blueberry pie, and the filling units higher.
I additionally discovered that reducing the peaches into chunks as a substitute of slices made a giant distinction! Not like apple pie the place you peel and reduce apples into slices, reduce your peeled peaches into small (approx. 1-inch) chunks. As a result of peaches are so juicy, slices bake into mush, whereas chunks retain extra of their deliciously gentle texture.
And just like the blueberry pie, slicing heat gives you a soupy slice of pie. Cool for at the least 4 hours at room temperature as a result of the pie filling continues to arrange because it cools. I promise it’s definitely worth the wait!
Graham Cracker Crust Woes
Do-it-yourself graham cracker crusts are, by rule, tremendous simple. Simply 3 easy substances, and little or no time, effort, or ability wanted to have them prepared in your filling (versus conventional pie crust).
So updating the photographs and including clearer directions for the way to make an ideal graham cracker crust ought to be simple as pie, proper?
Fallacious.
Graham cracker crumbs are unusually sophisticated. Right here’s why:
- The dimensions and weight of graham crackers can differ, and producers periodically—and with out discover—change the quantity or measurement you get in a bundle. For instance, to get 1 and 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, 10 full sheet graham crackers was sufficient. Now you want extra like 12. So now the 30+ recipes on my web site that use a graham cracker crust have all been up to date, to account for this modification. No less than till subsequent time!
- Not all graham crackers are created equal. Beth and I examined each store-brand crackers and the favored name-brand crackers, Nabisco Honey Maid, and we concluded that the Nabisco grahams make for the crispiest crust. I’m in no way affiliated with Nabisco, simply my sincere opinion!
- It’s onerous to search out graham crackers outdoors of the US! My staff and I are often requested about graham cracker substitutions, so now we’ve examined and are very proud of a digestive biscuit crumb crust different. Yow will discover the recipe for it within the graham cracker crust submit.
As a part of this recipe replace, I did my greatest to explain how I pack and form a graham cracker crust, in order that it doesn’t end up too onerous, or too crumbly, however good.
You understand… the crust Goldilocks would select:
I additionally filmed a video tutorial to reveal my graham cracker crust-shaping strategies, as a result of when it comes right down to it, that is the a part of the recipe that may make or break—actually!—an amazing graham cracker crust. I hope you discover it helpful!
Cheesecake Pie Recipe Checks
My recipe for cheesecake pie was really a byproduct of all of the graham cracker crust testing. I wanted a straightforward filling so as to add to the numerous graham cracker and biscuit crumb crusts we have been cranking out, so a faster, simpler adaptation of a traditional cheesecake was created.
I performed round with the cheesecake ingredient quantities and ratios, to regulate for a pie dish reasonably than a springform pan, and examined leaving out the bitter cream. Whoo, was {that a} fail! I don’t perceive how the absence of bitter cream really made the cheesecake pie style extra bitter, however my first thought was that possibly we unnoticed the sugar?! (We didn’t! It tasted so very dangerous. Don’t skip the bitter cream.)
So the cheesecake pie recipe makes use of the identical 6 substances as traditional cheesecake, but it surely contains a shorter bake time, no water tub, and no cooling-in-the-oven step. I ought to actually name it a cheater’s cheesecake! Some check pies & crusts:
Every topped with raspberry sauce.
Who eats all these pies? You’re most likely questioning that! Fortunately we have now lots of neighbors, mates, and household who are actually all often known as Sally’s Official Style Testing Crew. 😉
Smoother-Than-Ever French Silk Pie
I’d been seeing some reader feedback in regards to the filling of this French silk pie tasting a little bit grainy, from the granulated sugar not absolutely dissolving. So I went again to the drafting board and examined the recipe with some tweaks.
Earlier than, you cooked among the sugar with the eggs on the range, and creamed the remainder of the sugar with the butter. Now you’re combining ALL of the granulated sugar with the eggs, so it has an opportunity to totally dissolve. The result’s a superbly silky chocolate pie:
Workforce member Trina topped it with essentially the most stunning chocolate curls. (It was the very first thing I seen when she despatched me this image!) All she did was take a vegetable peeler to the sides of a Hershey’s chocolate bar. HOW EASY IS THAT?! Higher than ever French silk pie:
I believe that’s all of the testing value noting for now! I’ve just a few extra recipes we’re engaged on proper now, so anticipate one other Recipe Testing replace this fall.
All of the Recipes in This Put up:
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