The scientific reason you should put booze into your pies
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Version 0 of 1. 'Tis the season for cookies and pies. But pie crust is notoriously temperamental. Even the best bakers can have trouble getting that perfectly flakey consistency. Don't let that stop you from making your pie crusts from scratch! In the video above, UCLA biophysicist Amy Rowat reveals some of the molecular secrets of perfect pie. Make sure your butter is nice and cold Don't freeze it, or you'll have a rough time making your dough -- but unlike most baked goods, a pie really doesn't benefit from softened butter. Rowat recommends cutting it into small chunks and popping it into the freezer for just a few minutes. That's because you don't want your butter to melt until your pie is baking. If water molecules from the butter wait until they're already integrated into the crust before they turn to steam, their phase change and expansion will cause little air pockets in the crust -- giving you some nice flakes. Make it boozy When it's time to add water to the dough, make sure it's cold (for the same reason as above) but also consider replacing some of it (about half) with vodka. When water is added to wheat flour, the proteins inside the flour connect to form networks of gluten. That's great for dense baked goods like bagels, but you want to limit that interaction in a flaky dessert. For starters, pick the right flour -- one without too much protein. Pastry flour will make your crust crumble, but cake flour will be way too dense. Go with all-purpose flour. Then pick the right booze. Vodka is a classic choice, but you can actually pick any high-proof liquor you please. The proteins in flour don't bond in alcohol, so it's a liquid that moistens the dough without toughening it. Don't worry about serving your boozy pie to young or abstaining holiday guests: The heat of the oven will burn off most of the alcohol. Vodka won't change the flavor of your pie crust one bit. But you can get adventurous and try out more flavorful alcohol to find one that will compliment your pie recipe. (Bourbon pecan, anyone?) But no need to get crazy on your first try: UCLA has a foolproof vodka-based crust recipe that you can use for perfect holiday pies. |