Recipe for Baked Pie Shell Information

Instructions: FOR MANY of summers fresh fruit pies and tarts, its essential to completely pre-bake the crust in its pan, without the filling.

But blind baking, as the technique is called, is more difficult than it sounds.

The goal is to get a nicely browned crust that maintains its shape as perfectly as possible. That means the sides dont slip down and the bottom doesnt puff up.

When I was mastering the intricacies of pastry dough as a fledgling restaurant baker, this task was the source of much speculation, experimentation and frustration. On one occasion early in my career, I took a crust from the oven to find it had shrunk to about half its original size, far too small to contain the filling for the lemon meringue pie I had planned.

I tried many techniques - including fitting a pie pan of an equal size over the formed dough and baking it upside down - before getting it right.

After all that trial and error, I have identified four steps to perfect blind baking. First, after fitting the pie dough into the pan and fluting the edges, prick the dough lightly (the holes should not be too big or deep) with a fork at 1 inch intervals all over the bottom and around the sides. This will allow for trapped air to escape.

Second, chill the dough thoroughly in the refrigerator or freezer, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days, covered with plastic wrap or enclosed in a plastic bag.

The pie dough will become solid, the gluten in the flour will relax and be able to hold its shape better in the oven. There is a saying that unchilled pastry dough has a mind of its own.

Third, the crust must be weighted down during the baking so that it will stay molded in the pan and wont puff up, and fourth, it must be baked in a nice hot oven, which makes for a crisp crust.

Whether you make your own crust, roll out store-bought crust sticks, or buy a frozen pastry shell, you will use the same method for blind baking.

Here are the step-by-step instructions.

1. Roll out your homemade or purchased crust, fit it into the pan and chill or freeze, covered with plastic, or begin with a frozen shell.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and position the oven rack on the lower third position. Tear off a large piece of regular or heavy-duty aluminum foil, about 16 inches. Dull side up, grease foil or spray with vegetable cooking spray

In a circular pattern, making a solid circle about 2 inches larger than the diameter of your pie pan.

3. Use your hand to fit the foil into the pie pan, greased side down, directly on top of the chilled or frozen crust. No need to thaw a frozen crust, but if you have used a Pyrex pan, it must be room temperature before baking. Fit foil flush against the sides; the excess foil will just stick up out of the pan.

Fill the pan with raw dried beans (I keep 2 bags worth just for this purpose)

or metal baking nuggets (sold at cookware stores). Fill crust so that the beans are covering the entire bottom, but no more than 1 inch deep. If you are making small tartlet shells or are having trouble handling the pie pan, place pan or pans on a larger baking sheet so they wont tip over.

4. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until the side and rim of the crust are light brown. Carefully pull out the oven rack and, using oven mitts, gently lift out the foil and beans, taking care not to spill them. Remember that once the crust is half-baked, it is very fragile. If you have any splits, patch with some leftover pastry dough. Push the rack back in and close oven door. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees.

5. Continue to bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the crust, until its an even golden brown and it has lost that slightly translucent appearance. If you notice any puffing of the bottom, gently tap with the handle end of a butter knife to deflate it, taking care not to break it.

Remove the crust from the oven and cool completely before filling. After the beans have cooled, store them in a jar or plastic bag; they are reusable.