Bakers! To me!

[Seshat]

IMPORTANT TIP:

I know you don't have much time left between now and thanksgiving, but make trial versions of each of your recipes before your big event.


PASTRY TIP:
(or any other time your recipe says 'rub in butter and flour')

Before you rub in butter and flour, soak your hands in cold water. (Not to the point of discomfort or pain or anything, just to chill them a bit!)

Dry them thoroughly.

Then take a pinch of the butter and some of the flour and rub them together with just your fingertips. Don't let the mix get to the palms of your hands, they're too hot.

Let that bit drop into the mix, pick up another bit of butter and flour.

Repeat until the whole mixture looks like dry breadcrumbs.

If it's hot enough in your kitchen that the butter starts to get soft before you touch it, be prepared to cover the half-done mixture and refrigerate it partway through.
If the butter starts to actually melt, you must pause and refrigerate it - you won't get flaky pastry from melted butter.

[Kittish]

Along with the keep it cold tips for the pie crust here's one that will help you keep it tender, and avoid the whole too dry and cracking when you try to roll it out thing. Use vodka instead of water. The alcohol will evaporate when you bake the pie, and using vodka instead of water doesn't let the gluten develop, so you don't have to worry about keeping the dough as dry as possible. I always go with just a plain, unflavored vodka. I might have to experiment with some of the flavors now, though, and see how much of that stays in the crust.

I like Pink Lady apples for my filling, and generally cut the sugar back by about half from whatever recipe I'm using, but then I prefer my pies to be just right on the edge of actually tart.