Tips for browning pie crust; Tex-Mex recipes in Idea Alley.

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

A few weeks ago I received a note from Glenda Wright about how to get the bottom crust of a pie to brown. The best solution I’ve found is to use a Pyrex pie plate or a metal pie tin and to blind bake the crust before filling. My blind baking technique is one I learned from Stella Parks, pastry chef and writer for Serious Eats.

The method doesn’t require any special weights or wasting dried beans, but uses something you’re likely to have plenty of on hand: granulated sugar.

Line the pie plate with the unbaked crust and then chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or so. This will give the curst time to relax and chilling the crust will help it keep its shape and prevent slump. Next, line the unbaked crust with foil, then fill it completely with granulated sugar. All the way to the top. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Let the pie plate and sugar cool completely. The sugar can then be used in any recipe calling for granulated sugar.

You’ll need to shield the edges of the crust with foil when baking the filling, but this method will produce a browned, crisp, nonsoggy crust for custard pies.

Do you have a technique that works for you? Let me know by sending a note to the address below.

“When you’ve had all the turkey and dressing you can stand, try this,” writes Jenny Ann Boyer.

Layered Mexican Casserole

½ (11-ounce) bag tortilla

chips, broken up

1 pound ground beef, cooked OR 1 ½ pounds ground turkey, cooked or leftover chicken or turkey

2 cups grated cheese, plus

more for topping 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and

chiles

1 can cream of mushroom

soup

2 soup cans of chicken broth

or beef broth

1 teaspoon cumin 1 tablespoon chile powder 1 teaspoon onion powder

In a 9-by-13-inch pan, layer chips, meat and 2 cups of the cheese.

In a blender, whirl together the Ro-tel, soup, broth and spices. Pour mixture over cheese. Let stand for 1 hour. Cover with foil.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 1 hour. Top with additional cheese, if desired.

Continuing the theme, this punch recipe from Jeffrey L. Palsa would be delicious to wash down Boyer’s casserole.

“This is the closest recipe to the punch served at Mexico Chiquito I have found,” Palsa writes.

“It gets better if it sits overnight.”

Tex-Mex Fruit Punch

4 cups boiling-hot water 1 family size tea bag

3 cups granulated sugar 1 (46-ounce) can pineapple

juice (Dole recommended) 1 cup grenadine Orange slices, for garnish

In a large pitcher, brew tea in 4 cups water. Let steep for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar. Add 4 cups cold water, pineapple juice and grenadine. Stir until mixed well.

Chill overnight. Serve garnished with orange slices.

REQUEST

Croutons like those served on salads at former Dixie Cafe for Bev Freiley.