This is one option, but another is store-bought pastry from the freezer or the chiller. The experts I spoke to generally ...

Step 13. Remove the chilled pastry dough from the freezer and prick it with a fork in an up-and-down motion along the bottom. This is called docking; it allows steam to escape from the bottom of ...

Crushed-cookie crusts and shortcrust taste great chilled, for example. Flaky pastry may taste lovely out of the oven or at room temperature, but chilling it makes it a bit firmer and can also tone ...

Blind baking pie crusts should be simple: You line crimped, chilled pastry with parchment or foil, fill with dried beans to weigh it down, and bake until crisp. I’ve been making pies for years ...

With a rubber spatula, fold in the mixed nuts. Pour the mixture into the chilled pastry shell. Place the pecan halves on top of the filling in concentric circles. 5. Bake the pie on the bottom ...

Using a hand mixer, beat until stiff peaks form. Give chilled pastry cream a stir, then fold whipped cream in until just combined. Make the ganache: Place chocolate chips in a small heat-safe bowl.

In a large bowl, whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold chilled pastry cream into whipped cream. Assemble the trifle: Spread one quarter of the cream mixture evenly across the bottom of a trifle dish.

Davis says the key to simple and easy-to-make dumplings is a chilled pastry cloth and a rolling pin sleeve. She keeps them in the freezer while not in use and makes sure they’re well-floured ...