Alright, so I’m gonna spill the beans on my latest kitchen adventure: baking a pie in an aluminium pie plate. You know, those cheap-o ones you can grab at any grocery store?
First off, I grabbed a couple of these plates. They’re light, flimsy, and honestly, I never really trusted ’em. But hey, I was feeling thrifty. Preheated the oven to 375°F (about 190°C), standard pie-baking temp.
Rolled out my dough – nothing fancy, just a store-bought crust ’cause I was feeling lazy. Slapped it into the aluminium plate, trimmed the edges, and crimped ’em real good. Now, I’ve heard these things can get a little too brown on the bottom, so I blind-baked the crust for about 15 minutes. Poked it with a fork a bunch of times first, so it wouldn’t puff up like a balloon.
While the crust was pre-baking, I whipped up my filling. It was an apple pie, classic stuff. Sliced the apples thin, tossed ’em with sugar, cinnamon, a little flour to thicken things up, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Poured that into the pre-baked crust, and then I dotted the top with some butter – gotta have that richness.
Here’s where things got interesting. I knew the aluminium plate would conduct heat like crazy, so I didn’t want a burnt bottom. I put another baking sheet underneath the pie plate, hoping it would act as a heat shield. Stuck the whole shebang back in the oven for about 45 minutes. Kept an eye on it, rotating it halfway through to make sure it was baking evenly.
After 45 minutes, the crust was golden brown, and the filling was bubbling. It looked pretty good, actually! Pulled it out, let it cool completely on a wire rack. This is crucial, by the way, or you’ll end up with a soggy mess.
The verdict? Honestly, it wasn’t bad. The bottom crust was a little darker than I usually like it, even with the extra baking sheet, but it wasn’t burnt. The filling was cooked perfectly, and the top crust was nice and flaky. It definitely baked faster than it would have in a glass or ceramic dish.
Would I use an aluminium pie plate again? Probably, especially if I’m in a pinch or just don’t want to dirty my good pie dish. But I’d definitely keep a close eye on it and maybe even lower the oven temperature a bit next time. It’s all about finding what works for you, right?
