Helpful Hints

When Penelope first came across a recipe instructing her to blind bake a pie crust, she couldn’t picture trying to get the pie crust in the oven while wearing the waffled cotton blindfold she bought at her favorite day spa. It seemed unnecessarily dangerous. But no, blind baking means baking the pie crust separately before adding any filling to prevent the bottom from becoming soggy. Just cut a sheet of parchment paper 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pie pan. Crumple the paper into a ball and then open it up and line the pie crust with it. Put a layer of beans, rice, pie weights or a pie chain over the paper, and press gently so that the weights or rice rest firmly against the sides of the shell. Bake according to your recipe, then remove the weights and paper.