Embarrassing and unsightly, it makes for awkward moments around the celebratory table with friends and folks you would otherwise like to impress. Shrinkage. It happens every year and somehow I manage to forget. All of that time spent on each minute detail, just to remove your laboriously intensive pie crust and find it is inadequate. Slumped down in shame inside the bowl with ugly edges no where near the rim. Sure, it will taste alright, but we all know that a large proportion of what matters is presentation. So I advise you make a practice pie crust. I advise this with all unfamiliar culinary endeavors, actually. A Blin. (A Russian term for First Pancake).
The goal of a crust (as I see it) is to be flaky, even, and to perfectly compliment the pie. Each person will have his/her own crust recipe that works best. It is very personal, and should be kept secret, like shrinkage. When you get to the step where you are finally able to transport the crust to the pie plate, drape it into the pie plate (I like glass best, my Mom prefers ceramic). Make sure crust is touching the corners of the base of the pie plate. Then, when molding the top of the rim, extend your crust about a half inch or more above the rim of the bowl. (Remember, shrinkage will happen to you too.) You’ll be thinking, “there’s no way this will hold MY pie,” but those rims will shrink down into the bowl and the corners will be just over the edges. Make sure to do a pretty rim job, crimp the edges with your forefinger and thumb.
Dig to the bottom of your pantry and find the dried beans you intend to use, but know you won’t. Put an old tin you recovered from that 3:00am freezer pie directly on top of your crust, and fill that sucker with beans. Bid adieus to your crusty beans and plop your pie crust in the oven for as long as your recipe says. That ought to turn out a pretty, appropriately sized crust for your pie.
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