On Nov 13, 7:43 pm, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
Oh pshaw, on Tue 13 Nov 2007 10:11:26a, Melba's Jammin' meant to say...



In article .com,
Jen wrote:

My mom gave me some really awesome old cast iron skillets, and I
thought that since I was looking for a way to make my 'very deep dish
apple pie' that this might be the answer!

The one skillet is about 10 inches wide and three inches deep. It's
old and well seasoned. I was just wondering if anyone out there has
tried this method before and if so, any tips?

Even though the pan is well-seasoned, but I wonder if the crust will
still stick? How could I avoid this, aside from a thick coat of
shortening?

I do appreciate the idea of making the pie in a springform, and I will
try that if this doesn't work. The springform still isn't quite as
deep as I'd like.

If anyone has baked a pie in a cast iron skillet, please let me know!
I saw some recipes when I did a search but I'd like real experience
stories, if there are any out there.

Thanks all!

Jen

No real experience, just opinions.
I'd be more concerned about how the cast iron will conduct heat than
whether the crust will stick. I don't think the crust will stick --
there's plenty of fat in the crust, no? I surely wouldn't grease the
skillet. Check a recipe for cornbread baked in a cast iron corn mold
and one baked in an aluminum/other material pan to get an idea of how
long to bake it.

Might you reduce the amount of the filling so it isn't SO "very deep
dish?"

Normally, when you bake cornbread in a cast iron skillet, you preheat the
skillet almost to the smoking point before pouring in the batter. A 9-inch
or so skillet will bake a pan of cornbread in 35-40 minutes tops.

Unfortunately, you can't do that with pie crust. The time it may take for
the cast iron to conduct the heat sufficient to bake the pie may yield a
soggy crust.

--
Wayne Boatwright

Agreed. The pie crust is a different animal. Stick with metal or
Pyrex/Corning Ware pie pans. Or there are some with a metal
core and an enamel outer surface, but I haven't tried those. I've
actually done some of my best recent baking in those new silicone
things. But that's more muffins and brownies. I think a pie woujld
need a more rigid container.