Fall is pie season, and I am in full on pie mode. I’ve made probably half a dozen pies in the last two weeks alone. A gorgeous pie is just a joy to slice into and eat up. I love them warm or cold, with whipped cream, ice cream or even plain. Pies of every type and flavor: pumpkin, apple, cherry, banana, chocolate and more.
Since I’ve been busily baking pie after pie, I’ve needed to rely on the best tools. I thought, “hey, I bet my readers would benefit from all the research and testing I’ve done!” So, I’ve decided to make this post and share with you my personal favorites tools for making all the beautiful pies you see on the website.
First and foremost, you need a good pie pan. For most pies, you will want to have a deep pie dish with about a 9” diameter. For kashrut reasons, I find it very nice to use glass personally. So my pick for pie pan is this set of two Pyrex 9.5” pie dishes.
Next, you will need a solid rolling pin to roll out your pie dough. I recommend this Rosanna Pansino rolling pin by Wilton. It has an excellent weight and a smooth, even roll. This also happens to include guide rings if you need help measuring the dough thickness. I don’t use them all the time, but when I want to double check my dough those rings are extremely convenient.
If you happen to be making a cream or chiffon pie where you have to fully prebake the crust, then you are going to need to use pie weights. Now, you could use beans as I demonstrate in my Flaky Pie Crust recipe, but you will get a smoother more even cook with ceramic pie weights. I prefer these weights by Mrs. Andersons. They are natural stone and they wash very easily. They have an even weight and I find they work very nicely.
You see all the gorgeous pie photos online, right? An unbaked pie is Instagram gold. But how can you at home achieve a beautiful pie without becoming a pastry chef? Here’s the answer. These pies are not at all as difficult as they appear! Check out these leaf cutters. I use them to create beautiful fall pies. You place it on the dough like a cookie cutter, pressing down gently. Then you press the plunger down which makes the formation of the inner lines. Then you can lift the cutter and use the plunger again to remove the dough. Make easy, Instagram-worthy pies with this useful tool.
Lastly is a two-in-one because I really like value for my money. First, you get an impression mat that you can use to create mock braids. Again, Insta-worthy pie with very little effort or experience required! AND you also get two silicon crust-protectors. When you are baking a pie with filling in it, that outer edge gets very, very dark by the time the rest of the pie is baked. I favor this silicone ring to prevent that. It perfectly fits the pie pans I referenced above, and it can adjust to fit a smaller pan. You place it around the finished pie, then bake it. Remove the ring about 10 minutes before the pie is done. I suggest you loosen it by lifting each tab slowly before removing the ring.
Those are my top picks for pie-making equipment. I own every one of these items and use them to create some of my professional pies for Candidly Delicious! You can see the tools in action in my upcoming video for Cranberry-pear Pie. So stay tuned!
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