Help! My Pie Dough's Crumbly


Updated 11/23/10 2:21 PM · Posted by · 0 comments

What to Do If Your Pie Crust Crumbles

Whether you're spearheading the entire feast or just bringing dessert, one thing's for sure: You don't want to fudge up everyone's last bite, the pie. You skip the store-bought stuff in an attempt to make your own from scratch, but the dough won't stop breaking apart when you try to roll it out. What should you do? If the pastry is crumbly and difficult to roll, then the crust is most likely too Read more

Master Pie Dough With Peach Pie


Updated 07/26/10 4:05 AM · Posted by partysugar · 0 comments

Peach Pie Recipe 2010-07-26 04:00:31

Thanks to your encouraging words, this Summer, I've made it a goal to officially get over my fear of dough. I'm following ticamorena's advice, she says, "it's more about experience." Since practice makes perfect, I'm taking every opportunity I can to make dishes that involve dough. I made grilled pizzas, blueberry pie, and last weekend, this peach pie. Although I prefer pies with a lattice on Read more

Do You Run Into Trouble When Rolling Out Dough?


Updated 07/06/10 4:15 PM · Posted by partysugar · 14 comments

Do You Run Into Trouble When Rolling Out Dough?

I'm afraid of dough. For some strange reason, whether it's pie or pizza dough, I almost always have a hard time rolling it out. When I recently made grilled pizzas, I had to roll the dough out three times. How about you? If you are a pro on dough rolling, please share your wisdom below! Do You Run Into Trouble When Rolling Out Dough? Yes No Read more

Know Your Ingredients: Puff Pastry


Updated 04/19/10 5:47 PM · Posted by YumSugar · 3 comments

What Is Puff Pastry?

PartySugar keeps puff pastry in her freezer; it comes in handy when she's looking for an easy appetizer to pull together at the 11th hour. But what exactly is puff pastry, and what differentiates this dough from others? Puff pastry originated in the 15th century in France, where it's known as pâte feuilletée, or "leafed pastry," a reference to the dough's countless flaky layers. Although its Read more

Let's Dish: What Recipes Intimidate You?


Updated 03/13/10 11:21 AM · Posted by partysugar · 23 comments

Let's Dish: What Recipes Intimidate You?

There are some dishes that I'm absolutely terrified of making at home. They're scary because I'm afraid of failing. Dough (pizza, bread, pie, etc.) has always been very intimidating to me. However, I'm taking baby steps, like mastering pie dough, to overcome this fear. One recipe that I'm totally intimidated by, and not ready to face, is Boston cream pie. I made it years ago and it was a total Read more

Simple Tip: Roll Out Dough on Parchment Paper


Updated 12/21/09 2:56 PM · Posted by partysugar · 4 comments

Simple Tip: Roll Out Dough on Parchment Paper

Anytime I bake a recipe that requires the rolling of dough (pizza, pie, cracker, etc.), I get a little scared. What can I say? Dough is intimidating. That's why, whenever I can make it easier on myself, I do! Many recipes will have you place the rolled, ready-to-be-baked dough on parchment paper. When this happens, I recommend rolling the dough out directly on the parchment paper. None of the Read more

Simple Tip: Transfer Dough With a Rolling Pin


Updated 03/19/09 9:52 AM · Posted by YumSugar · 9 comments

Tips For Working With Dough

While baking a tart this weekend, I found myself needing to transfer some extremely pliable, rolled-out dough from a floured workstation to a baking sheet. Since I didn't want the dough, which had been trimmed into a neat rectangle, to lose its shape, I rolled it loosely back onto my rolling pin, deftly transferred the rolling pin onto a baking sheet standing by, then slowly unrolled it back to Read more

Perfect Holiday Appetizer: Ham and Cheese Thumbprints


Updated 12/07/08 2:28 PM · Posted by partysugar · 11 comments

Perfect Holiday Appetizer: Ham and Cheese Thumbprints

I love recipes that take simple, classic ingredients — in this case ham and cheese — and recreate them into something sophisticated and elegant. This recipe also uses a technique normally reserved for sweets (jam-filled thumbprint cookies) and applies it to savory components. The end result is an appetizer that is scrumptious, innovative, and delightfully balanced. It's crisp on the outside, Read more

Roll Out Pie Dough the Easy Way


Updated 12/01/07 3:27 PM · Posted by partysugar · 10 comments

Roll Out Pie Dough the Easy Way

Last week, YumSugar gave me a super simple tip that saved my pumpkin meringue pie from being a disaster. Although I know the basics — to start in the center and move outwards and to rotate the dough a quarter turn after each roll — I was pretty nervous about it. She suggested rolling the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Rolling out the dough is easier because the parchment Read more

Weekend Well-Being: Make Your Own Pizza


Updated 11/13/07 10:08 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 5 comments

Weekend Well-Being:  Make Your Own Pizza

Making your own pizza is one of the most satisfying things a person can do. A lot of time, effort, and love goes into a homemade pizza, and it tastes like nothing else. Now I don't mean buying a ready-made crust like Boboli - I mean making the pizza dough. Once you know how, it's really quite easy, and healthier too. It'll take some time to let the dough rise, so that's why making pizza is great Read more