Everyone has their favorite pie—pecan, apple, pineapple, meat… the list is endless. My personal favorite is the rhubarb pie. I like it served hot, fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. Most of us have bad pie experiences too.  Do you remember the last time you sat down to a mouth-watering pie only to find out later that the crust was tough, soggy or the filling was not correctly done? Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, our baking attempts just do not seem to match up with what grandma used to make. But before you completely give up, here are some tips to help you overcome some of the most common pitfalls in pie making.

Currants

Pick the fruits carefully and wash them thoroughly. After washing, pat dry with a towel and dredge with flour. There are two reasons why dredging is necessary for making pies with currants. One, because the flour help thicken sauce, second, it helps suspend currants inside the pie so they don’t sink into the crust. Currants are often readily available in local groceries.

Raisins

These tips apply to all dried fruits used for making pies like rhubarb pie. First, make sure the fruit is seedless and dredged in flour. Preparing raisins for pies require a plumping method. To plump the raisins is to soak them in boiling water for about 15 minutes before using them as filling. Some recipes may also ask you to simmer the raisins first.

Nuts

When using fresh almonds in pies, be sure to blanch them before using. This is done by pouring boiling water over them and then peeling the skin off with hands. When crushing almonds, add rose or orange-water or lime juice in order to slow down oxidation or the browning of the almond meat.

When working with pecans or walnuts, release their flavors by roasting them before using. These nuts become sweeter and moretender when roasted. This may be done on stove or in the oven. Make sure the pans you will use are ungreased. You don’t need to get them browned, just warmed up.

Custard, Pumpkin and Squash

The most common problem that people encounter in baking custard, pumpkin, squash and rhubarb pie is when the filling soaks into the crust. Avoid this by baking the crust before adding the filling. If you are using stewed fruits, wait for the filling to be completely cool before adding the toppings. This will make your pie soggy. Remember to prick the bottom of the crust when pre-baking pie to avoid bubble formation. Another trick is to brush the bottom with egg white before putting the filling.

Non-traditional Pie Crust

If you are using non-conventional ingredients for pie crust like crumbled cookies, be sure to put a bit of butter and sugar to add taste and hold the crumbs together. Press it well before putting in filling. Crusts made of crumbled cookies are ideal for no-bake pies such as chocolate cream pie, banana cream pie and the like.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can bake a delicious rhubarb pie or any kind of pie just like a savvy pastry chef.

More info about  Pie Making,you can find out on this site (in Swedish the term is âppelkaka ).You can read more about Pie Making if you click  here .