Pie Deconstructed

Still on the subject of yesterday's "pie-rade", it occurred to me that shaming someone (especially a novice) into making a pie from scratch could have disastrous consequences. What if my blog readers, in a moment of rallied determination, all set to their kitchens making pie crusts only to have them crack or brake or otherwise disappoint and it lead to a disgruntled nationwide pastry revolt? Delusions of grandeur notwithstanding, it's important to at least offer a back up tip should things head south in the kitchen.

Should you find yourself cursing your rolling pin due to menacing tears, misshapen circles, or otherwise unsightly and unforeseen occurrences, do not despair! Granted, if your aim was to impress company, go ahead and despair a little, as this will not look as pretty as a proper pie, but you can still save the day and take all of the credit for being clever and resourceful (and that's even a girl scout patch, right?). So even if your desire and diligence leaves you with a deformed dessert shell, go ahead and bake the sucker. Instead of serving slices of pie, you can serve little cups of "fruit crumble", or you could go to plan B and instead of baking a pie crust you could re-roll and cut out round circles, sand with sugar, and bake those like you would sugar cookies and serve with coffee or ice cream. I promise, there is always some good that will come of mixing flour, butter, and sugar, even if it's just good practice. Should you ever have a similar dessert disaster involving cake, please read all about Mistake Cake.