For this pie unit we used multiple ways of creating and baking pies. Throughout this process we ran into some problems but ultimately the pies came out good. To create the pie dough we mixed all of the ingredients together in a mixer until it reached its doughy state. Then we took the dough out of the mixer and put it on top of a sheet of plastic wrap and then covered the dough with another sheet of plastic wrap. We then started to roll out the dough with a rolling pin. This is where I ran into some problems because throughout the rolling process I would run into problems such as the shape of the dough not being correct, I would find myself rolling a square instead of a perfect circle. The problem I would run into is the dough cracking or becoming too thin. Although I ran into problems, my dough did come out well. I then proceeded to put the dough into a pie dish which was a problem on its own. I would put it in and have issues portioning it out. I would have spots that were either too thick or too thin. Once the dough was rolled out I portioned out the pumpkin mix. When we poured in the pumpkin mix it was very liquidly and not that pleasant to look at. But when the pie was done it looked good and tasted good.

Nicholas Carozza

In the pie unit we learned how to make different forms of pie. We made a free form pie with apple filling called a galette, and then we made a pumpkin pie in a tin. We used the same dough for both in order to make the pie crust. For the crust we used the biscuit method of cutting the butter into the flour and adding the wet ingredients after. A new ingredient we used in this unit was Crisco, an animal fat. A challenge I was faced in this unit was creating my galette. This was because my dough was continuously ripping when I was wrapping it around the apple filling. Even though it did not look as appetizing as the pumpkin pie, the apple galette was much tastier than the pumpkin pie. I enjoyed it enough that I used the recipe for the filling, and interpreted it a little in order to make an apple crisp.
-Meg M

During the pie unit we made apple pie, pumpkin pie, and pinwheel cookies. For the apple pie we learned how to roll the dough in between Saran wrap so that the delicate thin dough wouldn't stick to the rolling pin. We also learned to roll from the center, out so that all the dough is the same thickness. When the dough was all rolled out we put in the apples we sautéed with brown sugar and folded the dough so that it was mostly covering the apples inside. For the pumpkin pie we used a pie tin so that the pie would look more aesthetically pleasing. Before we poured the pumpkin filing into the pie tin we fluted the edges so it would look pretty. And for the pin wheel cookies we rolled out the pie dough, sprinkled cinnamon on it, and then rolled them up.
Lauren R

The most current unit we completed was the pie unit where we created 2 different types of pies and pop tarts. To make all of these recipes, we used the same pie crust recipe which used the biscuit method by adding the butter to the flour mixture. This crust was then stored in the fridge overnight. Our class made apple pie first and then pumpkin pie. The apple pie filling was made with sliced apples, cinnamon sugar, and lemon juice, and was then sauteed lightly in a pan. We then put the filling in the middle of the dough and folded the extra over. The pumpkin pie had a different filling then was more of a liquid when put into the oven. The filling was made with a cream base and was poured into tins with the crust placed on the insides. This pie was harder to form since it required fluting the edges. Unfortunately, I didn't trim the access dough, so in the oven the ended came off of the in. The last pastry we made in this unit was the pop tart. This was much simpler since we just had to cut out the pir crust and fill with peanut butter and chocolate.
-Emily C

In the Pie unit, we made a lot of yummy stuff- from pumpkin pie to pinwheel cookies, but my favorite was the apple gallette. It was so yummy and looked really good!

We made the crust first, which was an easy one- easy to make, easy to bake, as I liked to say. We used the biscuit method to cut butter and shortening, then adding cold water into the mix after everything was cut down enough. We rolled the dough out and cut it into four parts for all of us.

The filling was apples cut up with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg, sauteed to warm, gooey perfection and placed that into the center of the rolled out pie dough, bring the edges up to pleat it around the edges and only showing a small part of the apple filling.

We baked it and waited impatiently for them to come out, and once they did, we ate all of ours in a flash!

I wanted to wait for a bit before I ate mine, but I had gone to get something during lunch and one of my friends took it and ate it all! Now I'm going to make it again for Thanksgiving, so I'm excited for that!

Sarah H.

For the pie unit, we made two types of pies: an apple pie and pumpkin pie. These were two different types of pies that are made. The apple pie was a free-form pie that had apple slices in it while the pumpkin pie filling was a purée. To make the pie crust, we were introduced to a new ingredient which is Crisco - which is a vegetable shortening. It is similar to butter, but it makes the pie crust flakier than using just butter. We had to cut in the Crisco just like the butter before adding in the other ingredients. We also learned a new way to roll out dough using two sheets of saran wrap. We would place the dough inside the saran wrap and then roll the dough in between the two sheets of saran. This prevented the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and it decreased the amount of excess flour that we needed to roll out the dough. Aside from making pies, we used the pie crust to make poptarts. We used the same pie crust recipe, but we rolled out the dough into two rectangles and put the filling in between the two pieces of dough. Making poptarts allowed us to be able to use the pie crust in different ways besidesusing it just for pies.

~Maryyam A.

In this unit we made apple pies, pumpkin pies, turnover cookies, and pinwheel cookies.

All four variations came from the same pie crust, but the fillings were different.

The apple pie was filled with apples that were sliced and sauteed with cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. The filling was placed in the center of the pie crust, rolled out to be a circle, and then it was folded up until only a little apple was exposed and cinnamon sugar was sprinkled on top.

The pumpkin pie was made to look more traditional-- the filling was made with pumpkin puree and it was poured into the center of the pie crust, which was in a miniature pie tin. For decoration, the edge of the pie crust was fluted, a method that involved twisting your fingers on the pie dough in order to create a wavy pattern. These came out nicely, although my fluting could have been more even.

The turnover cookies and pinwheel cookies were alternatives to using pie crust. The turnovers were miniature pop tarts, and were made by rolling a pie crust thin, cutting into circles with a pastry cutter, filling with a garnish, (in this case chocolate chips and peanut butter) brushing the edges with egg wash, and folding them into half circles to look like dumplings. The turnovers, while tiny and time-consuming, were a very good dish in terms of presentation.

The pinwheel cookies were almost like small cinnamon buns. The crust was rolled out into a strip, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, rolled back into a log, and cut into circles. The process was very simple, but these also made a good presentation piece as they came out golden brown with a swirl of cinnamon sugar in the middle.

Lilly F.