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larger than the diameter of the pie or tart pan. As a guide, use a pot lid or cardboard circle and a pencil to mark a cutout in the center that will expose the pie’s surface but not the decorative edge. With scissors, cut out the circle. Leaving at least a 3-inch border, cut around the outside to form a ring. Shape it so that it will curve over the rim of the pie crust. This ring can be rinsed and reused several times. Disposable rings are available in baking stores (see page 665).
    To protect the crimped edges of the crust, cover them with the foil ring after the first 15 minutes of baking (or after the first 30 minutes for a double-crust pie, as they are thicker) even if they are not overbrowning; they will continue to brown, though more slowly, beneath the foil. For very long baking pies, if the top crust becomes too brown, cover it loosely with a sheet of foil and make a vent in the center to keep the crust from steaming.
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    BAKING PIES FROM FROZEN
    Preheat the oven to 425°. Bake for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 400°F. Continue baking for 25 to 35 minutes more than the specified time for a pie with 1 to 4 cups of filling, 35 to 45 minutes more than the specified time for a pie with 8 cups of filling. (Times depend on freezer temperature and will vary.)
    MESSING UP
    A fruit pie thickened with cornstarch must be bubbling thickly all over in order for the cornstarch to swell and do its work. (The temperature at this point will be 212°E) If the pie has not been baked long enough and after cooling is runny, all is not lost. Spoon or pour out the juices into a saucepan (or a heatproof glass measure if using a microwave oven) and heat them until bubbling and thickened. Pour them back into the pie and let them set for about 10 minutes before serving.
    MOISTURE-PROOFING THE BAKED BOTTOM CRUST
    EGG WHITE GLAZE The most effective way to moisture-proof a baked bottom crust is to brush it with a thin coating of egg white. (The yolk would toughen the dough.) The residual heat of the baked crust causes the egg white to dry to a crisp finish. Allow the baked pastry shell to cool on a rack for about 3 minutes before brushing it with lightly beaten egg white so that it isn’t too hot, which would cause the egg white layer to flake off. If the baked pastry shell is no longer hot enough to set the egg white, return it to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the egg white layer is dry and opaque. Half an egg white (1 tablespoon) will be enough to moisture-proof a 9-inch pie shell or 9½-InCh tart shell.
    FRUIT PRESERVES GLAZE Sieved apricot or seedless raspberry preserves are another effective moisture-proofer for bottom crusts and they also provide extra flavor. You will need 2 tablespoons for a 9-inch pie shell, 3 tablespoons for a 9½-inch tart shell. For raspberry preserves: Bring them to a boil and pass them through a strainer. To thicken apricot preserves for brushing on pie crust: Put the contents of three 12-ounce jars in a food processor fitted with the metal blades and process for a few seconds to break up any solid pieces. Then place the preserves in a 4-cup heatproof glass measure in the microwave and bring them to a boil. Or place preserves in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Strain them, discarding the residue in the strainer. Return them to the measure (there should be about 2¾ cups) and microwave for about 10 minutes or until boiled down to 2½ cups (on cooling, it will settle down to 2¼ cups). Or return the strained preserves to the saucepan and boil down, over medium-low heat, stirring often, until reduced to 2½ cups. The glaze will take on a deep orange color and a texture that is considerably thicker than the preserves but still has flow. If necessary, reheat the glaze just to make it fluid. A product called Apricoture (page 638) requires no heating or straining and has very low moisture, making it ideal for professionals or those who do a lot of pie