Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation frozen pie shells, what am I doing wrong?

I keep breaking them. For my quiche should I just thaw them out, use them frozen or brown them. I just destroyed two.
Good news, first test quiche is in the oven.

Let them thaw out completely, to room temperature, then you can handle them. Still delicately, but not as much as when they are in the frozen state. Make sure to bake at 425 degrees for the first ten minutes and then lower it to the temp required for the remainder of the cooking time. Somehow doing this makes the dough much flakier, be it frozen or home made.

Lynn

If you should have a break in the frozen shell you can "glue" the crack together before it thaws with a wet finger. After the shell is thawed just pinch the break shut.

Actually, I didn't need to take them out of the alluminum pan. My sister is still laughing.

Making pie shells does not take long, and is pretty easy.
This recipe is one I have used for over 20 years now.

Pie Pastry in the Food Processor

Two cups AP flour
� Tsp salt
1 Tbls sugar
1 stick of butter, cold, cut into pcs
3 Tbls fresh Hog Lard, cold
5 or 6 Tbls Ice Water

Place the dry ingredients in the food processor
Add in the butter pcs, and the shortening
Pulse about 30 times
Slowly add in the water, until a dough ball forms.
The pastry should be firm, not soft and wet.

If using the pastry for a savory pie or quiche, just leave out the sugar.
Substitute Crisco if you don�t have the lard.
Double the recipe for two 9 inch pies. The recipe is scaleable up or down. Just be careful with your math.

Form the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the fridge for half an hour. Roll outon a floured surface. I roll the dough up on the pin, and then just unroll it over the pie plate.
This freezes well, and I often make several batches, form into that flat disc, wrap well, and keep on hand.