I'm a bit frustrated... just got an email from a guy trying to order a pie. I usually make cookies or cakes, not pies. I have made a pumpkin pie for him before, just as a one off, because he asked me, and I thought 'why not'. The pumpkin pie was a success, but I wasn't so happy with him telling me which recipe to use, how to do the crust, that I had to use more butter and sugar etc. Basically giving me all these instructions. So, wasn't planning on doing that again.
But, now he's emailing me again for an APPLE pie this time. Again, with recipe and his instructions (raisins not sultanas, free range eggs, brown sweet crust). I don't mind making pies once in a while but I don't like people giving me instructions. If he wants to order with me he should just accept what I make. Don't you agree? It just annoys me that he expects me to follow HIS rules. I just want to politely turn him down, I find his email almost funny. What do you think, would you make a pie for this guy? He even send me a whole list with tips for pie making
His email:
****
Hi xx, I hope youre well. How much would you charge to make this cake? (I like the pastry done until brown, and slightly sweet).
Ingredients
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith (green) apples
1 cup raisins (not sultanas)
1 recipe pastry for a classic American 9 inch double crust pie: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emer index.html
1 egg (please dont use cage hen eggs free range only thanks! Thats because, aside from being unhealthy, I dont want to support that cruel industry.)
Directions
1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spray deep dish pie plate with cooking spray
2. Combine white sugar, brown sugar, flour, lemon, cinnamon, and mix well. Add apples and raisins to sugar mixture; stir until fruit is well coated.
3. Spoon apple mixture into pie crust. Place second piecrust on top of filling, and trim edges. Lightly glaze top of pie with a beaten egg, then sprinkled with a little sugar, but only after pie is halfway cooked, so the moisture doesnt get sealed in the crust.
4. Bake till golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes, or more. Place on a wire rack, and cool 30 minutes.
Tips on Making Fruit Pies and Pie Crust
1. Make the dough the day before and let it rest for 1 hour refrigerated after rolling and shaping to prevent distortion and for the best shape.
2. If making the pie to eat the day after baking, decrease the cornstarch by 1 teaspoon.
3. Use dark heavy metal, ceramic, or Pyrex pie plates for the crispest crust.
4. For the flakiest crust with the most attractive border, preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes before baking. For a crisp bottom crust, try baking directly on the floor of the oven for the first 30 minutes of baking, or on an oven stone set on the bottom rack.
5. The pie's juices must be bubbling thickly all over to ensure that all of the cornstarch can absorb liquid and thicken the filling.
6. Single-crust pies need to have the edges protected from over browning after the first 15 minutes of baking; double-crust pies, after 30 minutes.
7. If the top of the pie is browning too much, tent it with foil, but be sure to make a steam hole in the center for moisture to escape so the crust stays crisp.
8. Allow the pie to cool on a rack to room temperature, or until barely warm, before slicing to ensure that the filling is set and will not run. This will take between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the thickness of the pie.
9. If you spray the pie pan lightly with nonstick vegetable shortening before lining it with the pastry, or if you grease and flour it, it is usually possible to slide out and unmold the whole pie after it has cooled completely. This makes cutting it easier and is better for both the knife and the pie plate! Greasing and flouring also gives a pleasant, slightly rough texture to the bottom crust.
10. Do not glaze the top of a pie. Although it will make the pie look shiny and very appealing, it seals in moisture and keeps the dough from breathing. It makes a tough crust. A light dusting of sugar is the one exception.
11. Seal the bottom crust of the pie. Rose obliterates "soggy bottom" by brushing the bottom crust with egg white, sieved preserves for extra flavor, or melted chocolate for the most effective moisture-proofing of all.
12. For certain juicy pies (peach, nectarine-raspberry), bake the pie directly on the floor of the oven for a truly crispy bottom crust.
13. The food processor method for making pie crusts is the easiest. It is faster than mixing by hand, and because the dough is handled less, it keeps the ingredients more chilled.
14. In fruit pies, berries become bitter when cooked. The solution is to bind uncooked berries with a glaze or cook only 1/4 of the berries and the remainder uncooked.
15. Slice apples thinly for apple pie. Thick slices promote air space and create a gap between the fruit and the crust.
16. For the purest flavor in fruit pies, macerate (marinate) the fruit, capture the juices, and boil and reduce the liquid. The will decrease the amount of thickener and create more intense, focused flavor and a juicy filling.
17. One tablespoon of cider vinegar relaxes pie dough and makes it easier to roll. It will not diminish the crust's flakiness but will diminish shrinkage as it bakes.
18. Butter dulls the flavor of fruit (with the exception of apples). Leave all the butter in the crust when baking fruit pies.
But, now he's emailing me again for an APPLE pie this time. Again, with recipe and his instructions (raisins not sultanas, free range eggs, brown sweet crust). I don't mind making pies once in a while but I don't like people giving me instructions. If he wants to order with me he should just accept what I make. Don't you agree? It just annoys me that he expects me to follow HIS rules. I just want to politely turn him down, I find his email almost funny. What do you think, would you make a pie for this guy? He even send me a whole list with tips for pie making
His email:****
Hi xx, I hope youre well. How much would you charge to make this cake? (I like the pastry done until brown, and slightly sweet).
Ingredients
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith (green) apples
1 cup raisins (not sultanas)
1 recipe pastry for a classic American 9 inch double crust pie: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emer index.html
1 egg (please dont use cage hen eggs free range only thanks! Thats because, aside from being unhealthy, I dont want to support that cruel industry.)
Directions
1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spray deep dish pie plate with cooking spray
2. Combine white sugar, brown sugar, flour, lemon, cinnamon, and mix well. Add apples and raisins to sugar mixture; stir until fruit is well coated.
3. Spoon apple mixture into pie crust. Place second piecrust on top of filling, and trim edges. Lightly glaze top of pie with a beaten egg, then sprinkled with a little sugar, but only after pie is halfway cooked, so the moisture doesnt get sealed in the crust.
4. Bake till golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes, or more. Place on a wire rack, and cool 30 minutes.
Tips on Making Fruit Pies and Pie Crust
1. Make the dough the day before and let it rest for 1 hour refrigerated after rolling and shaping to prevent distortion and for the best shape.
2. If making the pie to eat the day after baking, decrease the cornstarch by 1 teaspoon.
3. Use dark heavy metal, ceramic, or Pyrex pie plates for the crispest crust.
4. For the flakiest crust with the most attractive border, preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes before baking. For a crisp bottom crust, try baking directly on the floor of the oven for the first 30 minutes of baking, or on an oven stone set on the bottom rack.
5. The pie's juices must be bubbling thickly all over to ensure that all of the cornstarch can absorb liquid and thicken the filling.
6. Single-crust pies need to have the edges protected from over browning after the first 15 minutes of baking; double-crust pies, after 30 minutes.
7. If the top of the pie is browning too much, tent it with foil, but be sure to make a steam hole in the center for moisture to escape so the crust stays crisp.
8. Allow the pie to cool on a rack to room temperature, or until barely warm, before slicing to ensure that the filling is set and will not run. This will take between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the thickness of the pie.
9. If you spray the pie pan lightly with nonstick vegetable shortening before lining it with the pastry, or if you grease and flour it, it is usually possible to slide out and unmold the whole pie after it has cooled completely. This makes cutting it easier and is better for both the knife and the pie plate! Greasing and flouring also gives a pleasant, slightly rough texture to the bottom crust.
10. Do not glaze the top of a pie. Although it will make the pie look shiny and very appealing, it seals in moisture and keeps the dough from breathing. It makes a tough crust. A light dusting of sugar is the one exception.
11. Seal the bottom crust of the pie. Rose obliterates "soggy bottom" by brushing the bottom crust with egg white, sieved preserves for extra flavor, or melted chocolate for the most effective moisture-proofing of all.
12. For certain juicy pies (peach, nectarine-raspberry), bake the pie directly on the floor of the oven for a truly crispy bottom crust.
13. The food processor method for making pie crusts is the easiest. It is faster than mixing by hand, and because the dough is handled less, it keeps the ingredients more chilled.
14. In fruit pies, berries become bitter when cooked. The solution is to bind uncooked berries with a glaze or cook only 1/4 of the berries and the remainder uncooked.
15. Slice apples thinly for apple pie. Thick slices promote air space and create a gap between the fruit and the crust.
16. For the purest flavor in fruit pies, macerate (marinate) the fruit, capture the juices, and boil and reduce the liquid. The will decrease the amount of thickener and create more intense, focused flavor and a juicy filling.
17. One tablespoon of cider vinegar relaxes pie dough and makes it easier to roll. It will not diminish the crust's flakiness but will diminish shrinkage as it bakes.
18. Butter dulls the flavor of fruit (with the exception of apples). Leave all the butter in the crust when baking fruit pies.
