Hi


Baking an open top pie produces a hard top surface. For the next one I
need a soft moist surface, no crusting. Its a basic question, but how
do I achieve this?

Its going to be lemon curd pie, lemon juice and peel in pineapple
juice set with eggs, in a pastry bottm and sides. An its going to be
irresistible. But how do I prevent that crust?

Pies like this have been taking 1hr 15 mins at 170C, and theyre about
1.7" deep.


Thanks, NT

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
m...
Hi


Baking an open top pie produces a hard top surface. For the next one I
need a soft moist surface, no crusting. Its a basic question, but how
do I achieve this?

Its going to be lemon curd pie, lemon juice and peel in pineapple
juice set with eggs, in a pastry bottm and sides. An its going to be
irresistible. But how do I prevent that crust?

Pies like this have been taking 1hr 15 mins at 170C, and theyre about
1.7" deep.

Blind bake the crust. Make the lemon curd on the range top. Fill the
crust. Refrigerate.

"Vox Humana" wrote in message .. .
"N. Thornton" wrote in message
m...
Hi


Baking an open top pie produces a hard top surface. For the next one I
need a soft moist surface, no crusting. Its a basic question, but how
do I achieve this?

Its going to be lemon curd pie, lemon juice and peel in pineapple
juice set with eggs, in a pastry bottm and sides. An its going to be
irresistible. But how do I prevent that crust?

Pies like this have been taking 1hr 15 mins at 170C, and theyre about
1.7" deep.

Blind bake the crust. Make the lemon curd on the range top. Fill the
crust. Refrigerate.


ok... thinking this though. I want to get the curd to set, as I intend
to cut the pie into 30 servings and be able to handle them. I was
going to use enough egg to achieve this, to make the curd set. Now
with this much egg, if I make it on the ring it will set in the pan,
and I'll be turning lumps into the pie crust.

OTOH if I heat it up but dont cook it any further it wont set in the
pie case.

This is going to be a large pie, not just a lil 9" er, and I guess I'm
not seeing how what you suggest would quite work.

I'dlove to findly imagine that turning the curd into a hot pie crust
would set it, but given that previous pies all took 1hr 15mins at 170C
to set them, I think thats very unlikely.

I would use a starch set, it works well with lemon curd, but I really
dont think thats going to be at all rigid enough for a pie cut into
squares and handled.


Thanks, NT

If you're making a lemon curd pie, you don't have to bake the whole thing,
you just pre-bake the crust and put a sheet of plastic wrap on the curd and
it won't form crust.

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
m...
Hi


Baking an open top pie produces a hard top surface. For the next one I
need a soft moist surface, no crusting. Its a basic question, but how
do I achieve this?

Its going to be lemon curd pie, lemon juice and peel in pineapple
juice set with eggs, in a pastry bottm and sides. An its going to be
irresistible. But how do I prevent that crust?

Pies like this have been taking 1hr 15 mins at 170C, and theyre about
1.7" deep.


Thanks, NT

N. Thornton wrote:

ok... thinking this though. I want to get the curd to set, as I intend
to cut the pie into 30 servings and be able to handle them. I was
going to use enough egg to achieve this, to make the curd set. Now
with this much egg, if I make it on the ring it will set in the pan,
and I'll be turning lumps into the pie crust.

OTOH if I heat it up but dont cook it any further it wont set in the
pie case.

This is going to be a large pie, not just a lil 9" er, and I guess I'm
not seeing how what you suggest would quite work.

I'dlove to findly imagine that turning the curd into a hot pie crust
would set it, but given that previous pies all took 1hr 15mins at 170C
to set them, I think thats very unlikely.

I would use a starch set, it works well with lemon curd, but I really
dont think thats going to be at all rigid enough for a pie cut into
squares and handled.

Lemon curd can be as firm as you want it. The more you cook it, the more
the eggs set up. Do you have an instant read thermo? Cook it to 190 F
and see what happens. You can cut it with a knife once it cools and sets
up.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om...
"Vox Humana" wrote in message
.. .
"N. Thornton" wrote in message
m...
Hi


Baking an open top pie produces a hard top surface. For the next one I
need a soft moist surface, no crusting. Its a basic question, but how
do I achieve this?

Its going to be lemon curd pie, lemon juice and peel in pineapple
juice set with eggs, in a pastry bottm and sides. An its going to be
irresistible. But how do I prevent that crust?

Pies like this have been taking 1hr 15 mins at 170C, and theyre about
1.7" deep.

Blind bake the crust. Make the lemon curd on the range top. Fill the
crust. Refrigerate.


ok... thinking this though. I want to get the curd to set, as I intend
to cut the pie into 30 servings and be able to handle them. I was
going to use enough egg to achieve this, to make the curd set. Now
with this much egg, if I make it on the ring it will set in the pan,
and I'll be turning lumps into the pie crust.

OTOH if I heat it up but dont cook it any further it wont set in the
pie case.

This is going to be a large pie, not just a lil 9" er, and I guess I'm
not seeing how what you suggest would quite work.

I'dlove to findly imagine that turning the curd into a hot pie crust
would set it, but given that previous pies all took 1hr 15mins at 170C
to set them, I think thats very unlikely.

I would use a starch set, it works well with lemon curd, but I really
dont think thats going to be at all rigid enough for a pie cut into
squares and handled.

I think you are making this more difficult that need be. I also don't
understand why someone would choose to make a giant pie with a filling so
viscous that it would hold up to being sliced into 30 pieces rather than
making several pies with a pleasing consistency. While it would be more
work, I would consider making 30 tarts that don't have to be sliced into
portions rather than one industrial size pie.

"Vox Humana" wrote in message ...


I think you are making this more difficult that need be. I also don't
understand why someone would choose to make a giant pie with a filling so
viscous that it would hold up to being sliced into 30 pieces rather than
making several pies with a pleasing consistency. While it would be more
work, I would consider making 30 tarts that don't have to be sliced into
portions rather than one industrial size pie.

Maybe, Vox he is aspiring for the Guinnes book of records for the
biggest unbaked pieg.
Roy

"MOM PEAGRAM" wrote in message . ..
If you're making a lemon curd pie, you don't have to bake the whole thing,
you just pre-bake the crust and put a sheet of plastic wrap on the curd and
it won't form crust.

Ah, I like that one! But what kind of plastic? I had just ssumed any
plastic would not survive a 170C oven.

Regards, NT

Reg wrote in message news:YTnac.45994$ZP3.19625@newssvr16.

Lemon curd can be as firm as you want it. The more you cook it, the more
the eggs set up. Do you have an instant read thermo? Cook it to 190 F
and see what happens. You can cut it with a knife once it cools and sets
up.

I dont have a thermometer here, though I might be able to find one. It
sounds like a fair bit of extra work, but if thats really what it
takes I may well try it. I'll try to explore more work efficient
options first.

Thanks, NT

"Vox Humana" wrote in message ...
"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om...

Baking an open top pie produces a hard top surface. For the next one I
need a soft moist surface, no crusting. Its a basic question, but how
do I achieve this?

Its going to be lemon curd pie, lemon juice and peel in pineapple
juice set with eggs, in a pastry bottm and sides. An its going to be
irresistible. But how do I prevent that crust?

Pies like this have been taking 1hr 15 mins at 170C, and theyre about
1.7" deep.

Blind bake the crust. Make the lemon curd on the range top. Fill the
crust. Refrigerate.

ok... thinking this though. I want to get the curd to set, as I intend
to cut the pie into 30 servings and be able to handle them. I was
going to use enough egg to achieve this, to make the curd set. Now
with this much egg, if I make it on the ring it will set in the pan,
and I'll be turning lumps into the pie crust.

OTOH if I heat it up but dont cook it any further it wont set in the
pie case.

This is going to be a large pie, not just a lil 9" er, and I guess I'm
not seeing how what you suggest would quite work.

I'dlove to findly imagine that turning the curd into a hot pie crust
would set it, but given that previous pies all took 1hr 15mins at 170C
to set them, I think thats very unlikely.

I would use a starch set, it works well with lemon curd, but I really
dont think thats going to be at all rigid enough for a pie cut into
squares and handled.

I think you are making this more difficult that need be.

I'm all ears to an effective method.

I also don't
understand why someone would choose to make a giant pie with a filling so
viscous that it would hold up to being sliced into 30 pieces rather than
making several pies with a pleasing consistency. While it would be more
work, I would consider making 30 tarts that don't have to be sliced into
portions rather than one industrial size pie.

Maing lots of litluns would be way more work and yield a mere fraction
of the final pie volume. Quadrupling ones workload per serving is
clearly not the way to do it.

Regarding the consistency I think a pie that is just about set enough
to cut and handle can be pleasing, without being in any way hard. But
we shall see once I figure it out, I could be wrong.


Thanks, NT

Read my message: If you're making a lemon curd pie, you don't have to bake
the whole thing,

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om...
"MOM PEAGRAM" wrote in message
. ..
If you're making a lemon curd pie, you don't have to bake the whole
thing,
you just pre-bake the crust and put a sheet of plastic wrap on the curd
and
it won't form crust.

Ah, I like that one! But what kind of plastic? I had just ssumed any
plastic would not survive a 170C oven.

Regards, NT

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om...
"Vox Humana" wrote in message
.. .
"N. Thornton" wrote in message
m...
Hi


Baking an open top pie produces a hard top surface. For the next one I
need a soft moist surface, no crusting. Its a basic question, but how
do I achieve this?

Its going to be lemon curd pie, lemon juice and peel in pineapple
juice set with eggs, in a pastry bottm and sides. An its going to be
irresistible. But how do I prevent that crust?

Pies like this have been taking 1hr 15 mins at 170C, and theyre about
1.7" deep.

Blind bake the crust. Make the lemon curd on the range top. Fill the
crust. Refrigerate.


ok... thinking this though. I want to get the curd to set, as I intend
to cut the pie into 30 servings and be able to handle them. I was
going to use enough egg to achieve this, to make the curd set. Now
with this much egg, if I make it on the ring it will set in the pan,
and I'll be turning lumps into the pie crust.

OTOH if I heat it up but dont cook it any further it wont set in the
pie case.

This is going to be a large pie, not just a lil 9" er, and I guess I'm
not seeing how what you suggest would quite work.

I'dlove to findly imagine that turning the curd into a hot pie crust
would set it, but given that previous pies all took 1hr 15mins at 170C
to set them, I think thats very unlikely.

I would use a starch set, it works well with lemon curd, but I really
dont think thats going to be at all rigid enough for a pie cut into
squares and handled.



What might work is to add gelatin to the finished hot curd.

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
m...
"Vox Humana" wrote in message
...
"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om...

I think you are making this more difficult that need be.

I'm all ears to an effective method.

I also don't
understand why someone would choose to make a giant pie with a filling
so
viscous that it would hold up to being sliced into 30 pieces rather than
making several pies with a pleasing consistency. While it would be more
work, I would consider making 30 tarts that don't have to be sliced into
portions rather than one industrial size pie.

Maing lots of litluns would be way more work and yield a mere fraction
of the final pie volume. Quadrupling ones workload per serving is
clearly not the way to do it.

Regarding the consistency I think a pie that is just about set enough
to cut and handle can be pleasing, without being in any way hard. But
we shall see once I figure it out, I could be wrong.


You have already been given an effective method. I never bake lemon pies
made with curd. Curd is made on the range top and poured into a baked pie
shell, then refrigerated. You can only make curd so viscous. Heating it
beyond about 180 will scramble the eggs. You have a window between about
160F and 180F. Above or below that you will have problems. You need to get
a thermometer. The suggestion about the plastic wrap involved putting it on
the curd before refrigerating it. Again, the pie doesn't go into the oven,
with or without plastic. The plastic helps prevent a skin from forming on
the curd. Personally, I think that the rough surface left when you pull off
the plastic ruins the appearance of the filling, so you have to balance the
absence of a surface skin with the aftermath of pulling off the plastic
film.

If you are making a huge round pie, the problem is that the slices are going
to be very long and narrow. If each slice is 2 inches wide, the
circumference of the pie would be 60 inches requiring a pie with a 19 inch
diameter. A three inch slice would be 14 inches long and require a pie with
a 28 inch diameter. A 3 x 14 inch piece of pie would be very hard to remove
from the pan, require a huge serving plate, and would be too large a
serving. No edible pie pastry will hold together over a 9 or 14 inch
length, let alone the issue with the filling. Most home ovens are too small
to hold a 19 or 28 inch diameter pan. So, unless you are a professional
baker, you wouldn't be able to produce the large pie. I would just make 4,
9 inch pies and be done with it. Four pies will be less work, quicker, and
have fewer problems than one huge pie. The crust will be edible and the
filling won't have to be the consistency of a gum eraser. On the other
hand, if you are just trying to set some record or impress someone with a
size fixation, then the quality of the product is going to be secondary or
you will have a large pie that disintegrates upon serving.

"Vox Humana" wrote in message .. .
"N. Thornton" wrote in message
m...

I think you are making this more difficult that need be.

I'm all ears to an effective method.

I also don't
understand why someone would choose to make a giant pie with a filling
so
viscous that it would hold up to being sliced into 30 pieces rather than
making several pies with a pleasing consistency. While it would be more
work, I would consider making 30 tarts that don't have to be sliced into
portions rather than one industrial size pie.

Maing lots of litluns would be way more work and yield a mere fraction
of the final pie volume. Quadrupling ones workload per serving is
clearly not the way to do it.

Regarding the consistency I think a pie that is just about set enough
to cut and handle can be pleasing, without being in any way hard. But
we shall see once I figure it out, I could be wrong.


You have already been given an effective method. I never bake lemon pies
made with curd. Curd is made on the range top and poured into a baked pie
shell, then refrigerated. You can only make curd so viscous. Heating it
beyond about 180 will scramble the eggs. You have a window between about
160F and 180F. Above or below that you will have problems. You need to get
a thermometer. The suggestion about the plastic wrap involved putting it on
the curd before refrigerating it. Again, the pie doesn't go into the oven,
with or without plastic. The plastic helps prevent a skin from forming on
the curd. Personally, I think that the rough surface left when you pull off
the plastic ruins the appearance of the filling, so you have to balance the
absence of a surface skin with the aftermath of pulling off the plastic
film.

If you are making a huge round pie, the problem is that the slices are going
to be very long and narrow. If each slice is 2 inches wide, the
circumference of the pie would be 60 inches requiring a pie with a 19 inch
diameter. A three inch slice would be 14 inches long and require a pie with
a 28 inch diameter. A 3 x 14 inch piece of pie would be very hard to remove
from the pan, require a huge serving plate, and would be too large a
serving. No edible pie pastry will hold together over a 9 or 14 inch
length, let alone the issue with the filling. Most home ovens are too small
to hold a 19 or 28 inch diameter pan. So, unless you are a professional
baker, you wouldn't be able to produce the large pie. I would just make 4,
9 inch pies and be done with it. Four pies will be less work, quicker, and
have fewer problems than one huge pie. The crust will be edible and the
filling won't have to be the consistency of a gum eraser. On the other
hand, if you are just trying to set some record or impress someone with a
size fixation, then the quality of the product is going to be secondary or
you will have a large pie that disintegrates upon serving.


I am much amused by the mental picture this conjures up, of enormously
long shards of pie Seriously though, I will be baking a rectangular
pie and cutting into square portions, and freezing the end result.
This will not be fridged. I have the equipment to do this, at least I
have the kit to cook the filling in situ: I cant think of anything I
could do a giant bain marie with. No, I definitely dont have the
equipment for a 3 litre bain marie.

I accept bain marie-ing the curd might possibly be the only way to go,
but not only do I not have the kit, it also does not really fit very
well with my aims here.

Before giving in too easily I am going to try and see if this can
work, ie by filling raw and baking whole. I propose to use a mix of
pineapple juice, fresh lemon juice and peel, eggs, and oats. Perhaps a
tub of cream cheese too would be nice. I'll cut back on the eggs as
far as I dare to get a weak set, maybe 8 eggs in 2.5 litres of mix,
with a little oats to add a bit more of a soft set as well.

I figured out I can cover the pie top with oiled paper to help avoid
crusting, and bake as usual.

Do you think this could work?


Regards, NT

"Vox Humana" wrote in message .. .
"N. Thornton" wrote in message

If you are making a huge round pie, the problem is that the slices are going
to be very long and narrow. If each slice is 2 inches wide, the
circumference of the pie would be 60 inches requiring a pie with a 19 inch
diameter. A three inch slice would be 14 inches long and require a pie with
a 28 inch diameter. A 3 x 14 inch piece of pie would be very hard to remove
from the pan, require a huge serving plate, and would be too large a
serving. No edible pie pastry will hold together over a 9 or 14 inch
length, let alone the issue with the filling. Most home ovens are too small
to hold a 19 or 28 inch diameter pan. So, unless you are a professional
baker, you wouldn't be able to produce the large pie. I would just make 4,
9 inch pies and be done with it. Four pies will be less work, quicker, and
have fewer problems than one huge pie. The crust will be edible and the
filling won't have to be the consistency of a gum eraser. On the other
hand, if you are just trying to set some record or impress someone with a
size fixation, then the quality of the product is going to be secondary or
you will have a large pie that disintegrates upon serving.


I just realised how to do it, silly me. I can make an oat starch curd
and pour that into the baked pastry case. That way I dont need a bain
marie, the filling is much quicker and easier to make than an egg
curd, and it will set gently once cold, producing a perfect oat curd.

I havent met anyone else who makes oat curd, but I do and its just
lovely. The setting ingredient is finely powdered oat instead of egg,
used in small enough amount to just give a soft gentle set.

I'd better stop before I drool.


Regards, NT