Pastry

Preparation

1. Edges browning too fast

   Step 1

   Cover just the edges with a thin strip of aluminum foil, shaped to fit.

2. Too crumbly to roll

   Step 2

   Lightly gather it together on the pastry board, cover it with a slightly dampened cloth, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Now try again. If it’s still too crumbly, throw caution to the wind and add more liquid—only a bit at a time, though—until it’s rollable.

3. Too much

   Step 3

   Unbaked pastry can be frozen, thus providing a head start on your next pie or casserole. Baked pastry, such as empty pie shells, freeze well, too. Both an oven and a microwave are perfect for reheating.

4. Tough

   Step 4

   You can’t untoughen a baked pie crust. If it’s inedibly tough, just scoop out the insides of whatever you’ve made (perform this procedure in the kitchen, not at the table) and serve them with ice cream or whipped cream. Overworking makes pastry tough, so use a light hand when mixing. If you think your unbaked pastry dough may be overworked (your 5-year-old insisted on helping!), rolling it out as thin as possible will make its toughness less obvious.