Page 18 - Pie Squared

substitute for the Caramelized Onion Crust (here), which is rolled
out. The Banana Pudding Slab Pie (here) is luscious and traditional

in a Vanilla Wafer Crust (here), but a Chocolate Wafer Crust (here)
with a swipe of caramel raises this pie to a whole new level of
indulgence.
A beautifully turned out pie is challenging without the right dough

—one that is pliable, reliable, and, of course, delicious. My pie crust
recipes are sized to fit the pan precisely, with a tidy crimp around the
edges. The crust is flaky and crispy, sturdy yet tender, easy to
manage, lattice, slice, and crimp. My favorite All-Butter Crust (here)

swings from sweet to savory without skipping a beat and takes on
flavorings generously. I hope it will become your favorite crust, too.
I am aware that there are doughphobics that walk among us.
People for whom a terrible experience has so shaken them that they

swear never again to make a pie. Slab pies may be a way back to
pie. Keep in mind, pie making is a skill, not a talent. A person can
learn a skill and perfect it with practice. I hope the Tools and
Techniques section (here) will help you find your own personal

rhythm in pie crust, the steady motion of the pin, the easy crimping,
the insouciant slashing, all greeted with comfort and ease.
Nevertheless, I realize that some of you are not jumping on the
rolled-out pie dough bandwagon no matter what I say. I’ve got you

covered. Press-in crusts (here) will fit both sweet and savory recipes.
Whether speculoos or Ritz, amaretti or saltines, crumb crusts stand
in with no rolling pin involved. An Olive Oil Crust (here) is flaky and
complements most savory fillings, and the Shortbread Crust (here)

works magic with the sweet pie fillings.
While 4 cups of filling makes for a perfectly plump 9-inch round
pie, a slab pie demands a generous 5 or 6 cups to assure a
sufficiency of satisfying filling. Slab pies are 2 to 3 inches deep at the

most, with squared edges and corners. They’re not like a round pie,
where the filling might be twice as deep and the bottom crust is very
slightly sloped at the edges. Some filling recipes tended to dry out
when slabified. It took plenty of trial and error to find the sweet spot

for thickeners where the filling has body, isn’t watery, and is never
pasty or gummy. Seasoning is vital. Without salt, the filling can be