One of the reasons that we love and respect Cook's Illustrated is that they take care to cover all the bases in their testing of foods, recipes and kitchen gadgets, filling us in with the whys and hows of the process, so that we really understand what when into their decisions and can trust the conclusions that they make. Sometimes, however, those conclusions didn't really need to be drawn. A recent test showed that homemade pie crust faired better in a taste test than prepacked, store-bought crusts. In a pinch, they would only consider recommending the Whole Foods Pie Shells.
But unlike many of the CI tests, it doesn't seem like these crusts got a fair shake. After all, if you have the time and culinary skill to confidently make a pie crust from scratch, you're probably not going to buy one. A more equitable test would have pitted the frozen store crusts against the crust of frozen pies, since anyone pressed for time could be trying to make a decision between those options and is probably not factoring in a completely from-scratch pie. The problem with that situation, which is probably why the test kitchen didn't consider it, is that you're tasting two things that aren't as good as they could be. So instead of choosing between the lesser of two evils, you might want to consider just picking up a pie at a bakery, Marie Callendar's or a similarly pie-oriented store and at least take the quality up a couple of notches. And maybe practice making a homemade crust (which can be stored in the freezer for a few weeks) for next year.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-21-2006 @ 7:16PM
savvy said...
I made my first homemade pie crust a couple weeks ago and it was really pretty simple and turned out WONDERFULLY. I doubt I'll ever buy a pre-made crust again.
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11-21-2006 @ 8:51PM
michelle said...
I certainly endorse making your own pie crust whenever possible and that those are probably going to be the best, but I've tried the Trader Joe's crusts and they are not bad at all.
They come refrigerated and rolled out, you just lay them into your pie pan and bake.
I would add those to the short list that would work if you needed an emergency pie crust and couldn't homemake.
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11-21-2006 @ 9:24PM
calamari said...
Making your own crust takes maybe 5 minutes -- it's the confidence that's at stake, not the time. (Okay, maybe the mess, too.)
Can we assume that Cooks Illustrated also provided a totally fool-proof recipe and technique for making your own?
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11-21-2006 @ 10:20PM
Ann Lemons said...
Seems to me a fair test would have been testing frozen crusts against those made by folks who would normally buy the pre-made ones. For years, the pie crust sticks were better than anything I could do. But then I swallowed hard and followed the advice of the Blessed Julia of Cambridge and Santa Barbara and bought a food processor. ("It's worth it, if only for pastry crusts.") Builds confidence and I now do my crusts by hand - sometimes.
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11-22-2006 @ 7:09AM
blackcaesar said...
pie crusts are rediculuously easy if you know the right techniques. My recomendation... Make sure there is NO solid ice in the mix. Make sure you mix until the dough incorporates the shortening to the size of a walnut to the size of a pea. DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH WATER. it will make you crust tough. Dont forget the salt. It will make your crust bland. Use the right flour. I recommend pastry flour... keep it in the freezer for best results. Allow your dough to rest before rolling. If the temperature of your dough is not between 50 and 60 degrees farenheit, you will not get maximum results. Easy, huh!!! Store bought pie crusts are a waste of money unless you only make one pie a year, but remember, you can freeze yor pie crusts and many unbaked pies for about a year with no damage...
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