Alright folks, let me tell you about my adventure with a silicone pie pan. I saw one at the store the other day, super cheap, and thought, “Why not?”. I always have trouble getting my pies out of the metal pans, so I figured silicone might be the answer.
First thing I did was grab my usual pie crust recipe. You know, the one with butter, flour, ice water – the whole deal. I mixed it all up, chilled it like the recipe said, and then rolled it out. The crust looked pretty good, if I do say so myself.
Then came the fun part: fitting the crust into the silicone pan. It was… different. The pan was so floppy! I had to be extra careful not to tear the dough. I got it in there eventually, trimmed the edges, and crimped them as best I could. Not gonna lie, it wasn’t my prettiest crimp job, but hey, it’s homemade, right?
Next up, the filling. I decided to go with apple pie, a classic. Peeled and sliced the apples, mixed them with cinnamon, sugar, a little flour, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Poured it into the crust-lined pan, and it was ready to go into the oven.
Now, here’s where things got interesting. I put the silicone pan on a baking sheet, just to give it some extra support, and slid it into the preheated oven. I baked it at the temperature the recipe called for, and kept an eye on it. It seemed to be baking okay, but the crust wasn’t browning as quickly as it usually does in my metal pan.
After about an hour, the filling was bubbling and the crust was starting to get golden. I cranked up the heat a little for the last few minutes to try and get some more color on that crust. Finally, I pulled it out of the oven. It looked… edible.
I let the pie cool completely before attempting to remove it from the pan. This was the moment of truth! I gently pressed on the bottom of the silicone pan, hoping the pie would release. And you know what? It actually worked! The pie slid right out, no sticking, no drama.
The bottom crust was a little pale, but overall, the pie looked pretty good. I sliced it up and gave it a taste. The filling was delicious, the crust was flaky (even if it wasn’t perfectly browned), and the silicone pan definitely made it easier to remove.
Would I use a silicone pie pan again? Probably. It’s not perfect – the crust doesn’t brown as nicely as in a metal pan – but the easy release is a huge plus. Plus, it’s super easy to clean. I just threw it in the dishwasher, and it came out sparkling. So yeah, silicone pie pan, a solid B+ in my book.
- Pros: Easy release, easy cleanup.
- Cons: Crust doesn’t brown as well, pan is floppy and harder to handle.
My final thoughts:
Give it a try if you’re curious, but don’t expect miracles. Just keep an eye on the baking time and adjust accordingly. Happy baking!
