17 Surprising Recipes That Start With Store Bought Pie Crust (2024)

FAQs

What can be made from pie crusts? ›

The best solution I've tried, besides making one from scratch, is combining crushed graham crackers, cinnamon & sugar, and softened butter and spread it on the crust. If your done want to make your own crust, just but the graham cracker crust the next time your are grocery shopping.

Place crust in ungreased 9-inch pie plate (glass recommended). Press crust firmly against side and bottom. Heat oven to 450ºF. Fold excess crust under and press together to form thick crust edge; flute.

The Ancient Egyptians were the first to invent a dish close to what we know as a pie today. They had a honey filling covered in a crusty cake made from oats, wheat, rye or barley. A recipe for chicken pie was also discovered on a tablet carved prior to 2000 BC.

A brush of butter (and maybe a sprinkle of cookie crumbs) adds moisture and texture. Since store-bought pie crusts have a tendency to dry out, our experts suggest using a moistening agent to imbue the crust with texture and flavor.

Claire suggests pairing "citrus zest with fruit pies, warm spices with custard pies, and vanilla with just about anything." Liquid flavoring like fruit juices are not recommended—they add more moisture and can potentially cause tough crusts.

Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.

Another option is brushing with melted butter as a finishing touch. Is it better to use an egg wash or butter on your pie crust? We are Team Egg Wash (or Cream Wash). While melted butter adds more flavor than the washes, it is less effective in look; it gives a speckled appearance to pastry.

If your recipe calls for a baked or par-baked pie crust, and you are using store-bought pie dough, you still need to par-bake it. For example, if using store-bought crust in this brownie pie recipe, you still need to follow the par-baking instructions in that recipe (which are the same instructions you find below).

How long do I Prebake a store-bought pie crust? ›

If you are pre-baking a store-bought frozen packaged crust, I recommend following the directions on the package for how to pre-bake that particular crust. Most instructions will have you defrost the crust, prick the bottom of the crust all over with the tines of a fork, and bake at 375°F to 450°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

This tip comes from Dorie, who says: “Brushing the prebaked bottom crust with beaten egg white before filling your pie is helpful, as is brushing it with melted chocolate — both make good raincoats, one more flavorful than the other.” PJ particularly recommends using melted chocolate when making pecan pie for a candy- ...

In fact it has been estimated that more than 50-million pumpkin pies a year are consumed in the United States alone each and every Thanksgiving.

The earliest pie-like recipes refer to coffyns (the word actually used for a basket or box), with straight sealed sides and a top; open-top pies were called traps.

The history of the pie has its roots in ancient Egypt and Greece. The ancient Greeks ate pie (artocreas), though it was of the savory type with meat in an open pastry shell. The Romans may have been the first to create a pie that included a top and bottom crust.

A flaky crust is used for non-liquid or cooked fillings. It's achieved by keeping your fat pieces larger after combining. Mealy dough is used for pies with a liquid or custard filling. It's dense, so it can withstand heavier fillings, and is made by rubbing your fat and flour down to cornmeal-sized pieces.

One of the major differences between the two is the consistency of the crust. While pie crusts are very flaky and light, tart crusts or pastry crusts, tend to be firm and crumbly and not at all flaky.